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What is a website launch checklist?

A female of dual heritage is sat in an office meeting room wearing a casual denim shirt creating a website launch checklist

Before you launch your website it’s essential that you have completed all the necessary steps ensure that everything is working properly. No one wants to go to a website and see that something is missing or that a website address is broken! Creating and using a website launch checklist will ensure that everything is up and running as it should be before you invite the rest of the world to look at your site.

Take a look at the quick checklist below to make sure your website is ready to go come launch day…

1. Proofread

When creating amazing content, you’ll need to make sure you’ve taken the time to fix any typos. Customers will notice them and it may be distracting or even impact their perception of your business. Just take a few extra moments to go through your site’s pages and proofread your content to make sure it’s accurate. You can always ask friends and family to give your copy a quick read through as well – it’s always best to have a second pair of eyes on it!

2. Optimise content for user experience

You’ll want to make sure your website is set up to be user-friendly and easily accessible by as many people as possible. Going for a standardised font and size makes the content easy to read for your site users. You’ll need to make sure your menu bar is easy to use and that people can get to where they’re going. If you want to go the extra mile, use a contrast checker to ensure that someone with vision impairments can read the copy on your website.

If your website features audio and video files, you may want to consider transcribing them, then take a quick moment to check these work properly too.

3. Optimisation for search engines

Check that everything works as intended to ensure your web conversions and overall SEO scores are high. Go through your site and click all the clickable links, including images to see if they link through to the desired pages. You’ll want to make sure you have alt-tag descriptions on any images as well, so the search engines can “see” them.

If your website accepts payments, you should also do a test payment, going through the whole process to make sure everything is working as it should do.

4. Check for mobile users

With more and more internet users accessing websites through their mobile, it’s essential that your website is compatible with phones. Grab your own mobile phone and go through every web page, ensuring the text is the correct size, that images are properly spaced, and that all buttons work as they should. It’s also handy to get your friends involved too. The more phones you test on, the better the experience will be.

This isn’t a step you need to worry about if you have a Go Sitebuilder website as all sites are instantly responsive!

5. Do compatibility testing

If your website has been built using plugins, it’s advisable that you run a compatibility test to check against any glitches or conflicts between your site builder and the plugin. It’s just another way of ensuring your website is running smoothly when it comes to launching!

Again, if you have a Go Sitebuilder website this isn’t something you need to add to your list – although we always advise you check all links and forms work before sharing your website. At Go Sitebuilder we have built-in all features and funcationality from the ground up, so you don’t have to use risky third-party plugins.

If you’re still considering the best way to get your website up and running, why not check out our 14-day free trial? No credit cards or previous website building experience needed, so, what are you waiting for?

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Checklist: Starting your own website as a small business

Small business owner building a Go Sitebuilder website

Are you a small business looking to launch your first website? There are quite a few things to remember when creating one, so we’ve put together a helpful checklist so you don’t forget anything!

1. Choose a domain name

One of the most important things for you to consider when setting up your website is a domain name – the digital address that people will use to connect to your website. If possible, you want it to be an exact match of your company name but one that isn’t too long. People like to access short domain names, so if you have a long company name, opt for an abbreviation. However, make sure it’s recognisable – as a small business you will want to ensure your dedicated customer base is able to find you on the internet.

To help with getting you set up with your website when you purchase a website subscription with GoSiteBuilder, we’ll provide you with a free domain name.

2. Choose your business email addresses

For businesses, choosing a domain name and email addresses often go hand-in-hand. Business email addresses can range from sales emails to customer service emails. It is important to think about using multiple email addresses so relevant customer queries are sorted from the start and find their way to the right person in your business. This will save you business time and make everyone’s life easier. If a business email is something you don’t have yet, with our subscriptions, you can choose up to five custom email addresses.

3. Create your website header

It’s likely you will want to start constructing your site by creating a website header. This usually consists of a few elements. Add your company logo – most brands opt to have it in the top left of every page on their website. Make sure it’s clickable too, site users like to be able to click on logos to link them back to the homepage. Along with your logo, you’ll want to make sure you’re incorporating a main navigation. This usually includes links that will take you to specific pages, such as ‘shop now’, ‘contact us’ and more. The header is also a great way to introduce your brand. Including taglines, imagery and brand colours will really make it pop. And, most importantly, don’t forget to include a clear and concise call to action (CTA).

4. Build more content with pages

As a small business, you are going to need to start building a range of content to build trust with your potential new customers and ensure you climb search engine result rankings.

Here are some pages you should consider adding to your new website:

  • About us page – Tell people your vision, your mission, and why they should engage with your brand.
  • Contact us page – Create an easy way for your customers to reach you. Add your email address and a contact form. If you have brick and mortar location, you can highlight this by adding a map which can include your exact location and opening hours, too!
  • Testimonials/reviews – People trust the opinions of other people, not brands. Therefore, displaying reviews from real people is a great way of showing users that you are a trusted brand.
  • Blogs – About anything that is relevant to your brand. If you can become a trusted voice in that industry, then people will continue to come back to you for more technical reading.

For more information on what pages you need on your website, head over to our blog and make sure your business is covered.

If you’re still unsure where to start with your website, drop us some questions at marketing@gositebuilder.com or simply get started with a free trial and use the live chat option to talk to our friendly customer success team.