Launching a website is not the same as finishing a page design. A site can look excellent in the editor while its contact form fails, navigation points to unpublished content, or search engines are blocked from indexing it. A dependable launch requires checking both visible design and the underlying WordPress configuration. This checklist organizes the work into practical stages so business owners and developers can see what has been verified, what remains unresolved, and who is responsible for each step.
1. Confirm the purpose and page inventory
List every page intended for launch and the job it performs. At minimum, the site should explain what the business offers, who it serves, how visitors can get in touch, and any policy information actually required. Mark unfinished drafts separately so they do not accidentally enter menus or sitemaps.
Compare the structure with your original project goals. Remove redundant pages only after confirming they serve no distinct purpose. If you need help defining scope, revisit what a small business website needs before adding more content merely to make the site seem larger.
2. Verify names, addresses, and business claims
Review business name, phone number, email, operating details, actual service area, and staff or company information. Use a source of truth within the business. A typo in a phone number or an outdated office address can undermine an otherwise polished launch.
Check claims about qualifications, projects, pricing, awards, and guarantees. Do not invent testimonials or statistics to fill empty design blocks. Confirm the business has permission to display customer names, project photographs, and partner logos before publication.
3. Review every title and heading
Each important page should have a descriptive HTML title, a clear visible main heading, and H2/H3 sections that make sense in order. Check the rendered page: the WordPress theme may output the title as the H1 already, so a second H1 in the body can cause duplication.
Avoid empty headings, skipped levels used only for font size, and templates that hide the only descriptive heading from sight. Blog posts and service pages may use different templates; inspect both. Clear heading structure helps readers and assistive technology navigate the content.
4. Inspect SEO metadata and canonical settings
Write unique, accurate descriptions for important pages and choose sensible titles that reflect their content. Check intended canonical URLs, robots directives, and whether relevant public pages appear in the site’s sitemap after publication. A focus keyphrase is an editorial aid, not a guarantee of search rankings.
Most importantly, confirm WordPress is not unintentionally set to discourage search engines when the website should be discoverable. A sitemap submission alone cannot override a noindex directive. Do not claim Google has indexed pages merely because they appear in XML.
5. Test internal navigation and links
Open every header item, dropdown, prominent button, footer link, and contextual link. Confirm that each reaches the intended live destination without avoidable redirect chains or unexpected errors. Remove links to private drafts from public menus.
Check that the same navigation works on all relevant templates. An imported page can accidentally include a second header or omit the footer. Use common navigation mistakes and fixes to guide the interactive tests.
6. Inspect mobile layouts at several widths
Review representative pages at narrow widths such as 320, 375, 390, and 430 CSS pixels, then check tablet and desktop layouts. Look for sideways scrolling, clipped headings, fixed elements covering content, and buttons that are difficult to tap.
Test opening and closing the mobile menu and confirm vertical scrolling resumes. Do not treat a screenshot as proof that all controls work. Try real devices when available and correct the underlying element rather than hiding overflow across the entire site.
7. Check images and media
Inspect actual file sizes and intrinsic dimensions. Use optimized images suited to where they appear, with responsive sources when available. Verify width and height attributes or equivalent aspect-ratio sizing so elements do not jump during loading.
Give informative images useful alt text and leave purely decorative ones appropriately silent. Check that galleries, logos, and featured images load without stretching. Large hero images may need special attention because they can affect perceived loading speed.
8. Verify forms and communication
Submit each important contact, booking, or inquiry form using a controlled test. Check required-field validation, keyboard access, clear feedback, spam controls, and whether the message reaches the intended recipient. A confirmation banner by itself is not proof of delivery.
Check phone, email, and appointment links as well. The article on creating contact forms that actually work provides a more detailed test procedure for this critical customer journey.
9. Review accessibility essentials
Test keyboard navigation, visible focus indicators, color contrast, meaningful link labels, readable zoomed text, form labels, and sensible content order. Make sure important controls are not accessible by mouse alone.
Automated accessibility scans can flag certain issues, but manual testing is needed. A successful scan is not an accessibility certification. Refer to the website accessibility checklist and seek specialist review when the site’s context requires it.
10. Measure performance on representative pages
Check the homepage, a major service page, and a blog article for slow server response, large media, unnecessary scripts, and layout shifts. Record the test conditions and distinguish lab measurements from real-user data.
Do not install several optimization plugins merely to chase a perfect score. Review caching and compression based on actual responses. After changing settings, test forms, menus, and other scripts to confirm the website still operates correctly.
11. Confirm security, backups, and ownership
Verify that the site uses a secure connection and that administrator access follows appropriate account-security practices. Confirm updates are managed, backups include necessary content and configuration, and the recovery process is understood.
A backup archive alone is not evidence that a restoration will succeed. Record who can access hosting, domain management, WordPress, and third-party services. Avoid destructive cleanup during launch without verified backups and a rollback path.
12. Check structured data and social sharing
Review schema added by the theme or SEO plugin. Article, Organization, WebPage, Breadcrumb, and other types should describe real content and real business details. Avoid duplicate or fabricated ratings and conflicting markup.
Check the site’s social preview title, description, and image where these are configured. A correct social preview helps shared links look professional, but it does not replace accurate on-page copy or metadata.
13. Make a final publishing and rollback plan
Record the release date, person approving launch, unresolved issues, and where changes will be made. For a replacement site, inventory old URLs and prepare appropriate redirects when content has actually moved. Confirm the live domain and HTTPS work before sending traffic.
After going live, review the public pages again rather than relying exclusively on draft previews. Public caching, domain configuration, email routing, and search directives can behave differently than they did in development.
14. Plan the first weeks after launch
Monitor important forms, broken links, page availability, search visibility, customer questions, and support requests. Prioritize issues that block business tasks. Keep a short record of changes and verify each fix after deployment.
A launch checklist becomes more valuable when reused. Schedule periodic reviews of content accuracy, backups, updates, accessibility, and performance. Learn more about 507 Web Pros on the About page.