- Mobile responsiveness and SSL matter more than anything else on this list.
- Budget two to four hours to run through it properly before launch.
- Repeat it monthly for maintenance, quarterly for a full audit.
Design & branding
- Logo placement is correct in the header and footer on every page.
- Colours and fonts are consistent across the whole site (one or two fonts, ideally).
- Button and form-field styles are consistent.
- Images are high-quality and there's no leftover placeholder text or imagery.
- Responsive design has been tested on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
- Buttons are easily tappable on mobile (44×44px minimum).
- Text is readable on every device (14–16px minimum).
- Nothing jumps or shifts unexpectedly while the page loads.
Content & copy
- Spelling and grammar checked throughout — no Lorem ipsum or placeholder text remaining.
- Headlines are compelling and include relevant keywords naturally.
- Calls-to-action are specific ("Get a quote" rather than "Submit").
- Phone numbers are clickable on mobile and email addresses use proper mailto: links.
- Every internal link has been tested and works.
- Contact information is visible in the footer on every page.
- No outdated dates, prices, or references remain anywhere on the site.
- Testimonials include a real name, title, and photo where possible.
Technical setup
- Domain is connected and resolving correctly.
- SSL certificate is installed and the padlock icon shows; non-HTTPS traffic redirects properly.
- Favicon displays correctly in the browser tab.
- Robots.txt is configured and the XML sitemap has been generated and submitted.
- Google Search Console and Google Analytics are verified and tracking.
- The contact form has been tested end-to-end with a real submission.
- No console errors, and no broken images (404s) anywhere on the site.
- Any embedded video plays correctly.
SEO readiness
- Every page has a meta title (50–60 characters) and meta description (150–160 characters).
- One H1 per page, with H2s for major sections.
- Every image has descriptive alt text.
- The primary keyword for each page appears naturally in the first hundred words.
- Internal linking strategy is implemented — at least a few strategic links per page.
- Page speed tested and under roughly three seconds; images compressed.
- Schema markup implemented where relevant, and open graph tags set for social sharing.
For the reasoning behind each of these, see our website design with SEO guide.
Security & performance
- SSL certificate active and backups configured (daily, at minimum).
- Security plugins installed (Wordfence, Sucuri, or similar) if on WordPress.
- Admin passwords are strong and the admin username isn't the default "admin".
- Unused plugins and themes have been removed.
- Caching is enabled, and a CDN is configured if relevant.
Conversion
- A clear value proposition is visible on the homepage without scrolling.
- A call-to-action appears on every major page, not just the homepage.
- Contact form is easy to find and asks only for essential information.
- Phone number and email are visible in the header or footer.
- Trust signals (testimonials, logos, credentials) are visible where relevant.
- A thank-you confirmation appears after form submission.
Post-launch: your first 30 days
Once the site is live, shift focus to measurement and quick fixes: monitor analytics for traffic, bounce rate, and conversions; check Google Search Console for crawl errors and indexing status; confirm backups are actually running; keep an eye on page speed and uptime; and fix any reported issues as quickly as possible. Small problems compound if left, so speed of response matters more than perfection at this stage.
What's the most important item on the checklist?
Mobile responsiveness and SSL. If the site doesn't work properly on a phone or isn't secure, nothing else on the list matters much — both affect user experience, conversions, and SEO rankings directly.
Can I launch and fix things later?
You can, but it's risky — technical issues compound, SEO mistakes are harder to fix retroactively, and missing security is genuinely dangerous. It's worth getting this right the first time rather than patching afterwards.
How long does the pre-launch checklist take?
Two to four hours for most sites — worth the time to catch issues before launch affects performance or reputation.
Do I need to check every item before launch?
Ideally yes. Each item affects user experience, conversion rate, or SEO in some way, and skipping one is the kind of thing that tends to surface as a problem later.
What if I find issues after launch?
Fix them as soon as possible, note what went wrong so it doesn't repeat, and run through the post-launch checklist again. The sooner an issue is fixed, the less damage it does to rankings or trust.
How often should I run this checklist?
Before any major update or new feature, monthly for general maintenance, and quarterly for a full audit.
If you'd rather have this handled for you, our own 5-page package includes pre-launch review as standard — see the services page for the full detail, or get in touch directly.