Guidelines: A Complete Record Of 40+ Steps To Efficiently Launch A New Web site, On-line Retailer, or Do A Web site Refresh

Whether or not I’m launching a web site on a brand new area or relaunching a consumer web site, there are a variety of steps that I take to make sure that the location is correctly launched and absolutely accessible to customers and engines like google. I’ll point out some examples of plugins or functions within the following article, however this isn’t a platform-specific article.

This text assumes that you simply’ve constructed the location regionally or on a staging space and are working to place the location into manufacturing the place it may be publicly accessed.

Web site Go-Reside Prechecks

Whereas constructed regionally or on staging:

1. Integrations – Have you ever audited all integrations on the present website and ensured they’re correctly configured on the brand new website?
2. Options – Does your new website have the entire options integrated into it that you’ll want to successfully talk along with your prospects and prospects?
3. Web page Redirects – Test that beforehand accessed pages both exist or are correctly redirected to pages on the brand new website. I crawl the prevailing website with Screaming Frog search engine marketing Spider to get a complete listing of pages that exist in addition to examine Semrush for vacation spot pages which have been backlinked to in order that I can guarantee rating isn’t misplaced (and is typically regained with the invention of outdated pages or belongings that had been deleted.
4. Damaged Hyperlinks – I examine each the prevailing website and the brand new website for any damaged hyperlinks to pages or belongings to make sure the brand new website doesn’t have inner navigation or hyperlinks that may end in 404 Not Discovered pages.
5. Grammar and Spelling – There’s nothing extra embarrassing than launching a brand new website with a typo in it. We don’t belief ourselves on this and all the time use a grammar and spelling software to confirm copy on all pages and emails.
6. Picture Compression – I compress all pictures on the brand new website to make sure I don’t considerably enhance pageload occasions.
7. Markup – I confirm that the markup of my pages is optimized, guaranteeing one h1 tag per web page, with correct utilization of HTML5 components just like the asides, footers, headers, article tags, and many others.
8. Wealthy Snippets – I validate that each one my wealthy snippet markup is legitimate and that any schema data is updated, like handle, hours, social media picture, and many others.
9. Branding – Likelihood is that you simply’re launching a brand new website as a part of maintaining your model contemporary. Have you ever up to date all visible and textual mentions of your model on the brand new website?
10. Types – Have you ever configured and built-in all contact types, e-mail opt-in, and different crucial types in your website?
11. Cell Responsive – Whereas most websites are designed on desktop, it’s important to make use of your website on a cellular machine to make sure that pages are absolutely responsive and can go all cellular responsive testing.
12. Sitemap – I be certain that the XML sitemap for the location is being correctly constructed to make sure the total website could be listed by engines like google as soon as I register it after going stay.
13. Rank Audit – I take a snapshot of how the present website ranks in engines like google utilizing a instrument like Semrush.
14. Hyperlink Telephone Numbers – I overview all telephone numbers on the location and guarantee they’re hyperlinked correctly for cellular customers.
15. Occasion Tagging – I be certain that any added code to seize analytics occasions (telephone clicks, type submissions, call-to-action clicks) has been deployed and can work as quickly as the location is stay and analytics is enabled.
16. Entry – Have you ever arrange all of the customers on the brand new website with their correct permissions? Have you ever offered all infrastructure entry you’ll want to the interior staff within the occasion they should entry it?
17. Backup – I backup the prevailing website in preparation for any sort of disaster which can require it to be instantly restored.
18. Launch Plan – Have you ever notified the entire individuals accountable of the timeline for launch, their duties, and the way you’ll talk with each other on any points? This could embody an inventory of inner and exterior testers for the location.

Web site Go-Reside Checks

As quickly as the location is stay:

19. Safety Certificates – As soon as all of the DNS servers have been up to date and propagated with the brand new website’s location, I set up the safety certificates (SSL). This generally takes some time and you actually don’t have a lot management – in order that’s why we regularly launch a website outdoors of peak utilization occasions.
20. Backup – I now again up the newly launched website to make sure that I’ve a contemporary copy of the brand new website within the occasion we mess one thing up within the website launch course of. You’d be stunned at how a easy factor like messing up a search and exchange can destroy a newly launched website. After nearly each change from right here on out I’ll do handbook backups.
21. Area Search and Substitute – If the location was on a staging server, there are usually area paths that want updating all through the location. Utilizing a search and exchange instrument, I’ll replace the location to make sure no hyperlinks to the staging space exist and that each one references are utilizing a safe connection (https).
22. Licensing – If I licensed themes, plugins, or different instruments, I be certain that the stay website is correctly registered rath than the staging website in order that all the things is working correctly and could be up to date.
23. SMTP – I configure the location to make use of an workplace e-mail account for outbound messaging somewhat than the server, usually with an SMTP plugin.
24. Conversion Testing – I take a look at all types on the location to make sure the info is correctly captured and handed by way of any integration. If it’s an e-commerce website, I usually present funds to testers all through the nation to check and make precise product purchases to make sure fee processing and transport integrations are working. We additionally be sure all outbound, automated e-mail notifications to customers and inner are being obtained.
25. Tagging – I be certain that Google Tag Supervisor is correctly put in on the location and that Google Analytics is firing. This consists of occasion monitoring akin to type submissions, chat launches, or e-commerce occasions.
26. Caching – I usually confirm the cache configuration on the location, clear the cache, and make sure the website is performing properly.
27. Content material Supply Community – I configure a content material supply community (CDN) to extend the velocity of the location and belongings geographically.
28. Crawl – Once more, utilizing Screaming Frog search engine marketing Spider I crawl the location on the lookout for any errors or different efficiency points.
29. Robots.txt – I guarantee there’s nothing stopping the location from being accessed by engines like google. As websites are being developed on staging areas, engines like google are sometimes discouraged from indexing the location. Once you go stay, you should be certain that setting is up to date.
30. Search Engines – As soon as I’m certain the location is up and working properly, I register the location with Google Search Console and Bing Site owners to make sure it’s correctly crawled and the sitemaps are discovered.
31. Session Recordings – Set up a platform to get recorded person classes and get in-depth heatmaps of how the location is being utilized to see if there’s any confusion.
32. Launch Testing – Your inner and exterior groups ought to now be administering their testing of the location throughout cellular and desktop and numerous browsers to make sure it’s working correctly. All suggestions needs to be coming right into a central repository the place every challenge could be prioritized and corrected.
33. search engine marketing Audit – I set up and configure a instrument like Semrush to audit and monitor the location for any points.

Web site Go-Reside Postchecks

Within the days following going stay and the after the location has been up and getting guests, I proceed to work to optimize the location:

34. Promotion – We be certain that the brand new website is introduced to present customers, staff, and is publicly introduced on firm social media websites – welcoming suggestions from all! This will even embody public relations and promoting campaigns to advertise the launch.
35. Search Console Monitoring – I monitor Google Search Console and Bing Site owners each day on the lookout for any points that they might be discovered on the location.
36. 404 Monitoring – I monitor 404 pages utilizing Google Analytics or an inner instrument like WordPress’ RankMath search engine marketing plugin.
37. Analytics Monitoring – I overview analytics each day on the lookout for any points that could be occurring. If it’s a alternative website, I typically examine the person conduct earlier than and after going stay. This consists of conversion occasion monitoring.
38. Rank Monitoring – Web site rating could swing wildly throughout the first couple weeks of a launch so I observe rating one month after the location is stay with Semrush to see that we’ve not had important losses and search for alternatives to extend rating from right here on out.
39. Aggressive Monitoring – Why have a brand new website in the event you’re not attempting to win over some market share? Utilizing a instrument like Semrush, we arrange all related rivals after which monitor how I website is rating compared to theirs.
40. Backups – I’m assuming you might have a backup and restore answer in your website transferring ahead… but it surely must be a part of your guidelines simply in case! For a website like WordPress, we use Flywheel managed internet hosting which has one-click backups and restores in-built and automatic.
41. Reporting – Whereas we usually have month-to-month reporting for our purchasers, throughout a launch like this we are going to usually report back to them weekly on how the location is performing. We additionally hold the launch groups and testers knowledgeable on all points and resolutions.

When you’re counting on an company to launch your website, I wouldn’t depart it to them to make sure all of that is taken care of. You’d be stunned at how simply a 3rd get together can overlook a couple of issues within the course of. I’m not saying this as a result of I believe companies are missing… it’s simply that it’s your corporation and never theirs so you should take the lead to make sure all the things is completed!

I’d even be remiss to supply my agency’s companies. Highbridge does a ton of very massive website redesigns, content material and e-commerce migrations, and complicated integrations.

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Disclosure: Martech Zone is utilizing numerous affiliate hyperlinks on this article.