Website Launch Checklist

Phase 1: Pre-Development Planning

□ Define website goals and objectives
□ Identify target audience and user personas
□ Conduct competitor analysis
□ Create site architecture and sitemap
□ Develop content strategy
□ Set launch timeline and milestones
□ Allocate budget and resources
□ Choose technology stack and platform

Phase 2: Design & Branding

□ Create brand guidelines and style guide
□ Design logo and visual identity
□ Develop color scheme and typography
□ Create mockups and wireframes
□ Design responsive layouts (mobile, tablet, desktop)
□ Review and approve final designs
□ Create design system and component library
□ Prepare all graphic assets and icons

Phase 3: Content Creation

□ Write homepage content
□ Create product/service descriptions
□ Develop About Us section
□ Write blog posts (minimum 5-10 for launch)
□ Create contact page content
□ Develop FAQ section
□ Write privacy policy
□ Create terms of service
□ Develop cookie policy
□ Write meta descriptions for all pages
□ Create 404 error page content
□ Prepare email templates

Phase 4: Development Setup

□ Set up development environment
□ Configure version control (Git)
□ Set up staging environment
□ Install necessary frameworks and libraries
□ Configure build tools and bundlers
□ Set up continuous integration/deployment
□ Create development documentation
□ Establish coding standards

Phase 5: Core Functionality Development

□ Build homepage
□ Develop navigation and menu system
□ Create responsive layout framework
□ Implement content management system
□ Build contact forms
□ Develop search functionality
□ Create user authentication (if needed)
□ Build shopping cart (for e-commerce)
□ Implement payment processing
□ Develop admin dashboard
□ Create blog/news section
□ Build social media integration

Phase 6: Technical SEO Setup

□ Install SEO plugin/tools
□ Create XML sitemap
□ Set up robots.txt file
□ Implement schema markup
□ Configure canonical URLs
□ Set up 301 redirects from old site
□ Optimize URL structure
□ Implement breadcrumb navigation
□ Create HTML sitemap
□ Set up Google Search Console
□ Configure Bing Webmaster Tools
□ Implement Open Graph tags
□ Add Twitter Card tags

Phase 7: Performance Optimization

□ Optimize all images (compression, format, sizing)
□ Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
□ Enable browser caching
□ Implement lazy loading for images
□ Configure CDN (Content Delivery Network)
□ Optimize database queries
□ Enable GZIP compression
□ Reduce server response time
□ Optimize web fonts
□ Remove unused CSS/JavaScript
□ Implement critical CSS
□ Test Core Web Vitals

Phase 8: Security Implementation

□ Install SSL certificate
□ Configure HTTPS redirect
□ Set up firewall rules
□ Implement DDoS protection
□ Configure secure headers
□ Set up regular backups
□ Install security monitoring
□ Configure user permissions
□ Implement CAPTCHA on forms
□ Set up two-factor authentication (admin)
□ Configure secure password policies
□ Scan for vulnerabilities

Phase 9: Analytics & Tracking

□ Install Google Analytics 4
□ Set up Google Tag Manager
□ Configure conversion tracking
□ Implement heat mapping tools
□ Set up goal tracking
□ Configure e-commerce tracking
□ Install Facebook Pixel
□ Set up custom events
□ Create custom reports
□ Configure real-time monitoring
□ Set up email tracking
□ Implement A/B testing tools

Phase 10: Testing & Quality Assurance

□ Test all forms and submissions
□ Verify all links (internal and external)
□ Test search functionality
□ Check responsive design on all devices
□ Test browser compatibility (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
□ Verify page load speeds
□ Test checkout process (if applicable)
□ Check email notifications
□ Test user registration/login
□ Verify SSL certificate
□ Test 404 error handling
□ Check accessibility compliance
□ Run spell check on all content
□ Test social media sharing

Phase 11: Legal & Compliance

□ Ensure GDPR compliance
□ Implement cookie consent banner
□ Add privacy policy link to footer
□ Include terms of service
□ Add copyright notice
□ Ensure ADA/WCAG compliance
□ Include necessary disclaimers
□ Add age verification (if required)
□ Include refund/return policy
□ Add shipping policy (e-commerce)
□ Verify compliance with industry regulations
□ Include affiliate disclosures

Phase 12: Pre-Launch Marketing

□ Create launch announcement content
□ Prepare press release
□ Schedule social media posts
□ Set up email campaign
□ Create launch landing page
□ Prepare promotional materials
□ Reach out to influencers/partners
□ Set up PPC campaigns
□ Create launch day countdown
□ Prepare customer support resources
□ Train support team
□ Create FAQ resources

Phase 13: Final Pre-Launch Checks

□ Conduct final content review
□ Perform complete site crawl
□ Check all meta tags and descriptions
□ Verify all images have alt text
□ Test all interactive elements
□ Review and test all CTAs
□ Check cross-browser compatibility
□ Verify mobile responsiveness
□ Test site speed on various connections
□ Backup entire website
□ Document all passwords and access
□ Create launch day checklist

Phase 14: Launch Day

□ Remove password protection/maintenance mode
□ Submit sitemap to search engines
□ Verify DNS propagation
□ Check all critical functionality
□ Monitor site performance
□ Send launch announcement emails
□ Post on social media channels
□ Activate PPC campaigns
□ Monitor error logs
□ Check analytics tracking
□ Respond to initial feedback
□ Document any immediate issues

Phase 15: Post-Launch (First Week)

□ Monitor site uptime and performance
□ Check for 404 errors
□ Review analytics data
□ Monitor conversion rates
□ Respond to user feedback
□ Fix any reported bugs
□ Optimize based on user behavior
□ Update content as needed
□ Monitor search engine indexing
□ Check security logs
□ Review and respond to reviews
□ Schedule regular maintenance
□ Plan future updates and improvements
□ Celebrate successful launch! 🎉