Launching a website involves more than finishing the design and putting it online. Before you launch, you need to make sure the content is ready, the important pages work, the site looks good on mobile, and search engines can actually find it.

This checklist covers the things worth checking before you publish your new website, whether you built it from scratch or started with an Elementor Template Kit.

1. Check your content

Before looking at the technical details, go through the website as a visitor would.

Your homepage should make it clear what the business does and what someone can do next. Your services or products should be explained clearly, and your contact information should be easy to find.

Check that:

• Your homepage clearly explains what you offer
• Your main services or products have enough information
• Your calls to action are clear
• Your contact details are correct
• Your About page is complete
• Your images have been added
• Your testimonials are accurate
• There is no placeholder text or demo content
• All content has been proofread

You do not need to add more content just because there is empty space on a page. Every section should have a reason to be there.

2. Check the design

If you used an Elementor Template Kit, this is the point where you should make sure the original design has been properly adapted to your business.

Check your colours, fonts, logo, images and buttons across the whole website. They should feel like they belong to the same site rather than having been changed one page at a time.

Also check your header, footer, navigation and 404 page.

Most importantly, check the website on mobile. A layout that looks fine on a large monitor can have oversized headings, awkward spacing or broken columns on a phone.

Check:

• Desktop
• Tablet
• Mobile
• Navigation
• Buttons
• Images
• Forms
• Popups and menus

Do not rely only on the responsive preview in the editor. If possible, open the actual website on a phone as well.

3. Test every link and form

Click through the website instead of assuming everything works.

Test your navigation, buttons, contact links, social links and any links to other websites. If you have a shop, booking system or other important functionality, go through the process yourself.

Forms deserve particular attention. Submit a test enquiry and make sure it arrives at the correct email address. If visitors are supposed to receive a confirmation message, check that too.

If your website collects newsletter signups, test those as well.

4. Check the technical setup

Before launch, make sure the basic WordPress setup is correct.

Check that:

• WordPress, your theme and plugins are updated
• Your domain points to the correct website
• HTTPS is working
• Your permalink structure is correct
• Your site title and favicon are set
• Unused plugins and themes have been removed
• Your website has a working backup

If the website has been built on a temporary domain or staging site, pay particular attention when moving it to the live domain. Check that images, links and forms still point to the right place.

5. Do a basic SEO check

You do not need to finish your entire SEO strategy before launching. There are, however, a few things that should be in place from the beginning.

For your important pages, check that you have:

• A useful page title
• A clear H1 heading
• A descriptive URL
• A meta description
• Relevant internal links
• Appropriate image alt text

Make sure your XML sitemap is available and connect the website to Google Search Console.

One particularly easy mistake is accidentally telling search engines not to index the website. This often happens when a site has been built while a setting was enabled to discourage search engines from crawling it.

Check your WordPress and SEO settings before launch and make sure important pages are not set to noindex.

6. Check website speed

Large images are one of the most common causes of unnecessarily slow websites.

Resize images before uploading them and use an appropriate file format. You should also remove plugins, scripts and other elements that the website does not actually need.

Run a speed test on your homepage and a few important pages rather than testing only one page.

You do not need to chase a perfect score. What matters is finding obvious problems that make the website slow or difficult to use.

7. Check security and privacy

Make sure your website is using HTTPS and that administrator accounts are protected with strong passwords.

Update WordPress, your theme and plugins before launch and take a fresh backup.

Also check that your privacy policy and cookie or consent setup are appropriate for your website and where you operate.

8. Do one final check after going live

Once the website is live, open it in a private browser window and test it again.

Visit the homepage, click through the navigation, submit an important form and check your main call to action. This catches problems that can appear when a website moves from a development or staging environment to the live domain.

Then check Google Search Console and submit your sitemap if you have not already done so.

Do not expect everything to be perfect immediately. Keep an eye on your analytics, search visibility, forms and website performance during the first few weeks. If something is confusing or not working as expected, fix it as you find it.

A simpler way to approach a website launch

There is a lot to organise before a website goes live, particularly when you are building everything from an empty WordPress installation.

This is one reason we created Website Launch Systems.

Instead of starting with a blank page, you can begin with an Elementor Template Kit that gives you the main pages and visual structure for the website. You then replace the content, add your branding, adjust the design and work through the remaining launch tasks.

The design is only one part of the process, but having that starting point means there is less to figure out before you can get to the final checks.

Website launch checklist

Before you launch, make sure you have checked:

Content: Your pages are complete, accurate and proofread.

Design: Your branding is consistent and the website works on desktop, tablet and mobile.

Functionality: Your links, forms, navigation and important actions work.

Technical setup: Your domain, HTTPS, WordPress settings, backups and plugins are ready.

SEO: Your important pages have titles, headings, descriptions, internal links and appropriate indexing settings.

Performance: Your images and pages have been checked for obvious speed problems.

Security and privacy: Your software is updated and your required policies and consent settings are in place.

Launch: The live website has been tested again after going online.

Once those things are checked, your website is ready to go.

Are you ready to build your website?

At Awakened Templates, our Website Launch Systems start with professionally designed Elementor Template Kits and extend beyond the design itself. They’re designed to help you move through the entire website creation process — from choosing the right foundation to customizing your site and getting it ready to launch.

You don’t need to start with a blank WordPress installation.

Choose a professionally designed Elementor Template Kit, make it your own, and follow a proven website launch process to take your site from idea to live.

Explore Website Launch Systems →