Launch day problems are rarely dramatic. They are a broken contact form, a page that does not fit a phone, an analytics tag nobody installed. Each one is small; together they decide whether the first week brings enquiries or embarrassment.
Use this list in the last few days before a website goes live. It is interactive — tick items off and your progress is kept in this browser.
§ 01Content and links
Placeholder text and stale details are the fastest way to lose trust. Read every page once more as if you were a customer seeing it for the first time.
Content and links
§ 02Mobile and accessibility
Most visitors will arrive on a phone. Resizing a desktop browser is not the same as holding a real device in one hand on a bright day.
Mobile and accessibility
§ 03Speed
A page that feels instant on office Wi-Fi can take several seconds on mobile data. Check on the slowest realistic connection, not the fastest.
Speed
§ 04Search and sharing
Search engines and social networks read your pages differently from people. A few minutes here decides how the site looks when someone searches for it or shares a link.
Search and sharing
§ 05Tracking and handover
A website the business cannot update or access is a liability. Make sure the keys — accounts, passwords and know-how — are in the right hands before launch.
Tracking and handover
