Website launch checklist
Work through these 32 checks before your website goes live: domain and email, content, forms, POPIA, SEO basics, speed, security and backups, plus what to do in the weeks after launch. Your ticks save in this browser and the list prints cleanly.
Domain and email (3 checks)
If the domain lapses, your website and email stop working, and someone else can register the name. Check the registrant details and the renewal date. Domain registration.
Send a test to and from a Gmail or Outlook address, and set the mailbox up on your phone before launch day. Setting up a professional email address.
These DNS records show that mail from your domain really comes from you, so your quotes and invoices are less likely to land in spam. Check SPF and DMARC with the Website Health Check.
Content (5 checks)
Read each page on a phone as well as a computer. A typo in a phone number or price costs you enquiries.
The header, footer, contact page and Google Business Profile should all show the same phone number, address and hours.
Old prices lead to awkward conversations, and a special that ended months ago makes the site look neglected.
Images copied from Google can bring copyright claims. Use your own photos or properly licensed ones, and ask staff and clients before you publish their faces. What to prepare before your website build.
Search the site for Latin filler text (it usually starts "lorem"), "sample page" and "hello world", and delete demo posts and products that came with the theme.
Forms and contact (3 checks)
Submit each form yourself and confirm the email reaches the right person. Check the spam folder too.
Tap them on a real phone. WhatsApp links need the number in international format (27 instead of the leading 0), or they open nothing.
Visitors should know their message was sent and when to expect a reply. A separate thank-you page also makes enquiries easy to count.
POPIA and legal (5 checks)
POPIA expects you to tell people what personal information you collect, why, and how to contact you, at the point you collect it. Writing a website privacy policy.
Add a short line beside each form that links to your privacy policy. Newsletter sign-ups need an unticked opt-in box. POPIA website compliance guide.
Analytics and advertising pixels can process personal information. Load non-essential tracking only after visitors accept, and describe every tool you use in your privacy policy. Scan your site with the POPIA Website Checker.
By default this is the head of the business, such as the owner or sole trader. Register them on the Information Regulator's eServices portal and give their contact details in your privacy policy.
Section 43 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act lists information that online sellers must show, including your full name and legal status, physical address, phone number, email address, the full price and your returns and refund policy. Read the section itself for the full list, or ask a lawyer if you are unsure.
SEO basics (6 checks)
They are what people see in Google. Duplicates make pages compete with each other. Preview them with the Google Snippet Preview.
The main heading should say what the page is about, in the words your customers search with.
Search Console shows which searches find you and whether Google can index your pages. Submitting the sitemap helps Google find every page. How to improve your SEO.
Your profile often brings more local enquiries than the website itself, so make sure its link, hours and phone number match. Google Business Profile guide.
Structured data gives Google your name, address, hours and phone number in a form it can read reliably. Local Business Schema Generator.
Every old page address should point to its closest new page. Without redirects you lose the rankings and links the old pages built up. Website redesign.
Speed and mobile (3 checks)
Open every page on an actual phone on mobile data. Check that menus, buttons and forms are easy to tap and that nothing scrolls sideways.
Large photos are a common cause of slow pages. Resize them to the width they display at and save them as WebP or compressed JPEG.
Google's free test shows what slows each page down on mobile. Fix the biggest items first. How to speed up a WordPress website.
Security and backups (4 checks)
Browsers warn visitors about pages without HTTPS, and form details should never travel unencrypted. Type the http:// address and check it switches. SSL certificates and HTTPS explained.
Use a unique password for every admin account, remove accounts nobody uses, and switch on two-factor login where your platform supports it. WordPress security guide.
A backup you have never restored is a hope, not a plan. Keep at least one copy away from the web server. Website backups and security.
Out-of-date plugins are a common way into small business websites. Delete the ones you do not use. How to update WordPress plugins and themes.
After launch (3 checks)
Look at the Pages report for errors and pages that are not indexed, and fix any 404s from old links.
Send yourself a test enquiry every month. Forms can stop working quietly after an update or an email change.
Put updates, backup checks and content reviews in your calendar, or hand them to someone who will do them. Website maintenance.
This checklist is practical guidance for small business websites, not legal advice. For POPIA or ECT Act questions about your own business, speak to a lawyer.
How it works
The checklist follows the order most launches happen in: get the domain and email right first, then content, forms and the legal pages, then the SEO, speed and security checks that are easy to forget on launch day. The last section covers the first few weeks after the site is live, when broken forms and indexing problems usually show up.
Each item has a one-line reason, so you can decide what applies to your site. A five-page brochure site with no online sales can skip the ECT Act item, and a brand-new site has no old URLs to redirect. Where we have a guide or free tool for an item, it is linked.
Tick items as you go. The counter shows how many are done, and your ticks are saved in this browser's local storage, so you can close the page and carry on later. Nothing is sent to us. Reset all ticks clears the list, and Print checklist gives you a paper copy that shows which items are done and which are still open, which is handy if your designer or developer is working through it with you.
If you have no JavaScript, the list still works as a plain set of checkboxes you can tick and print; only the counter and saving need it.
Related services and guides
- Web design: we build it and go through the launch with you
- What to prepare before your website build
- Website maintenance: updates, backups and checks after launch
- Website checklists: every checklist we publish
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I check before launching a website?
Check that the domain renews automatically and email works, every page is proofread with correct contact details and prices, every form delivers, the privacy policy is linked, each page has its own title and one H1, the site works on a real phone, SSL is active and backups run. This checklist covers all 32 items in order.
Do I need a privacy policy before my website goes live?
If the site collects any personal information, such as a contact form, a newsletter sign-up or analytics, then yes. POPIA has no small-business exemption. Our POPIA website compliance guide explains what to include. It is general guidance, not legal advice.
How long does it take for a new website to show up in Google?
It varies, and nobody can promise a date. Verifying Search Console, submitting your sitemap and linking to the site from your Google Business Profile and social pages all help Google find it. Use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console to see whether a page is indexed.
Where are my ticks saved?
Only in this browser on this device, using local storage. Nothing is sent to us. If you clear your browser data or switch devices, the list starts empty, so print it if you want a record.
Can you do these checks for me?
Yes. Our website maintenance plan (R750 a month) covers the ongoing items: WordPress core updates (latest release), third-party plugin updates (latest stable release), a full website backup stored on your web server, an offsite backup stored on our server, testing to make sure your site runs properly, virus and malware scans. If we are building your site, ask us which launch items your package includes.
Want us to do it for you?
Tell us what you need and we will reply with a clear recommendation and a fixed price. Prefer to chat? WhatsApp or call us.