Launching a website before it is ready is worse than launching late. Traffic arriving to broken pages, missing contact forms, slow load times, or poor mobile experience leaves first impressions you cannot undo. Here is a complete checklist to review before any startup website goes live.
Technical Checklist
- SSL certificate installed — site loads on HTTPS, no mixed content warnings
- Mobile tested on real devices — not just browser developer tools, on an actual phone
- Page speed — Lighthouse mobile score above 70, ideally above 85
- All links work — run a link checker to find broken internal and external links
- All images load — no broken image placeholders on any page
- 404 page configured — custom 404 with navigation back to useful pages
- Favicon installed — shows in browser tab and mobile home screen
- No console errors — open developer tools and check for JavaScript errors
- Forms work and send notifications — test every form submission and verify email delivery
SEO Checklist
- Meta titles — unique, under 60 characters, keyword-relevant for every page
- Meta descriptions — unique, under 155 characters, compelling for every page
- H1 tag present — one clear H1 per page
- Images have alt text — descriptive alt text on every non-decorative image
- Canonical tags set — prevents duplicate content issues
- XML sitemap created — submitted to Google Search Console
- robots.txt configured — allows search engines to crawl the right pages
- Google Search Console verified — site ownership confirmed, sitemap submitted
- Structured data added — JSON-LD schema for business type, contact info, articles
Content Checklist
- No placeholder content — zero instances of Lorem Ipsum, "Coming Soon," or "Text here"
- Contact information accurate — phone, email, address, business hours correct
- Privacy policy published — required for any site collecting data or using analytics
- Terms and conditions (if needed) — especially for ecommerce or SaaS
- All images are licensed — no images used without proper licensing
- CTA text is clear — every call to action says exactly what happens next
Analytics and Tracking
- Google Analytics 4 installed and verified — confirm events are firing in real-time view
- Conversion tracking set up — form submissions, purchases, or sign-ups tracked as goals
- Any paid ad pixels installed — Google Ads, Meta Pixel if running campaigns at launch
Business Checklist
- Domain email configured — emails from your domain go to your inbox and replies look professional
- Social media profiles linked — social links go to real, active profiles
- Google Business Profile updated — address, website, hours match your site
- Someone is monitoring forms — test lead arrival and confirm the right person receives it
Post-launch: Plan to check analytics daily for the first week. Look for unexpected 404 errors, form failures, or traffic patterns that suggest something is not working as expected.
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