A practical checklist for launching your business website

Launching a website feels like one big task, but it is really a dozen small ones. Miss one and you find out the hard way: a contact form that goes nowhere, a checkout that only works on desktop, or a page Google never sees. This is the checklist we use before any site we build goes live.

Before you build: decide what the site is for#

Write down the one action you want a visitor to take: book a call, buy a product, join a list. Every page should make that action easier. If a page doesn't help, it can wait until after launch.

• Pick one primary call to action and use the same wording everywhere.
• List the pages you actually need on day one. Most businesses need fewer than they think.
• Decide where leads and customers will live, so nothing is copied by hand later.

Content: write for people on phones#

Most visitors arrive on a phone, often in a hurry. Short paragraphs, clear headings and one idea per section do more than clever copy.

• Lead every page with what you do and who it is for.
• Replace vague claims with specifics: what is included, how long it takes, what it costs or how to find out.
• Give every image a description (alt text). It helps people using screen readers, and search engines too.

Forms, checkout and email#

This is where launches usually break, so test it like a customer would.

1. Submit every form yourself and confirm the contact appears where you expect it.
2. Buy your own product with a real card, then refund it. Check the receipt email arrives and reads well.
3. Send a test email to a personal address and open it on your phone.
4. Make sure every email you send has your business name, a mailing address and a working unsubscribe link.

Search and sharing#

You don't need to be an SEO expert, but the basics matter.

• Every page needs a unique title and a one-line description.
• Check that your sitemap lists the pages you want found, and nothing else.
• Share a page in a private chat and look at the preview: title, description and image should all make sense.

Speed and accessibility#

A fast site feels trustworthy. Test your key pages on a phone over mobile data, not just on office Wi-Fi.

• Compress large images and give them a fixed size, so the page doesn't jump while it loads.
• Check colour contrast on buttons and text over images.
• Make sure the site works with a keyboard: you should be able to reach and use every button.

Legal and trust#

• Publish a privacy policy that explains what you collect and why.
• If you use affiliate or partner links, say so plainly.
• Add a clear way to contact you. A real person behind the site is the strongest trust signal there is.

After launch#

Launch is the start, not the finish. In the first week, watch where visitors come from, which pages they leave from, and whether the main action is happening. Fix the biggest leak first, then the next one. Small improvements, made every week, compound.

If you would like a hand with any of this, get in touch. We build and launch sites like this for clients every week.