The Website
launch checklist.
Launching a website is the easy part — launching one that ranks, converts, and doesn't embarrass you takes a checklist. This is the one we run: what to verify before launch, on launch day, and in the first thirty days after.
Before, day-of, and the thirty days after — each has its own list.
The first day is when broken forms and DNS issues get caught.
A month of data tells you what the launch really did.
Before launch: content and function
Run these checks on the finished site before it goes anywhere near your domain. Every item is cheap to fix now and embarrassing to fix later.
- Every page proofread on a phone, not just a desktop
- Phone number tap-to-call on every page — test it by actually calling
- Every form submitted once for real, and the email confirmed received
- Services, prices, hours, and service areas verified against reality
- Photos are real where trust matters, and compressed so pages load fast
- Old content migrated: nothing valuable from the old site abandoned
Before launch: search readiness
This is the checklist that decides whether the site ranks next quarter or next never.
- Every page has a unique title and description written for its service and area
- One page per core service — plus pages for your key service areas
- LocalBusiness schema with name, address, phone matching your Google profile
- Old URLs redirect to their new equivalents — no ranking left behind
- A sitemap exists and the site isn't accidentally hidden from search engines
- Analytics and call tracking installed before launch, not "later"
If this site replaces an old one, redirecting old URLs is non-negotiable. Skip it and years of Google trust evaporate on launch day.
Launch day
Expect small surprises on launch day — they're normal. What matters is catching them within the first 24 hours, while almost nobody has seen them.
- Domain points to the new site and loads securely (the padlock, no warnings)
- The site resolves with and without "www" — both should work
- Forms re-tested on the live domain — they can behave differently after the switch
- Google Business Profile website link updated to the new site
- Social profiles, email signatures, and directory listings updated with any URL changes
- A real person (not the builder) clicks through the whole site cold
The first thirty days
A launched website is a starting line, not a finish line. The first month sets the trajectory.
- Week 1: submit the sitemap in Google Search Console and confirm pages are being indexed.
- Week 2: check that forms and calls are being tracked correctly — look at real submissions, not assumptions.
- Week 3: ask your first round of customers for Google reviews using the direct link.
- Week 4: read the data — which pages get visits, which get calls, where people leave.
- Ongoing: one useful page or guide a month beats a dozen launch-day tweaks.
Who should run this checklist
If you hired well, your designer runs most of it — but you should know the list exists, because "did the forms get tested on the live site?" is a question every owner should ask on launch day.
Every Jax Web Pro launch runs this exact process: content verified, redirects mapped, schema in place, forms tested live, Search Console submitted. A launch should be boring. Boring is the goal.
There's a separate layer of risk when a ranked site gets rebuilt. Our Jacksonville redesign checklist covers protecting the rankings and leads you already have.
Common questions.
How long after launch will my site show up on Google?
New pages are often indexed within days to a couple of weeks with a submitted sitemap. Ranking competitively takes longer — months of reviews, content, and consistency. Launch is when the clock starts, which is why launching correctly matters.
Should I announce the new website anywhere?
Yes — it's free attention. Post it on your Google Business Profile, Facebook, and anywhere your customers actually are. A launch post also generates the first trickle of real visitors, whose behavior tells you what's working.
What's the most commonly skipped launch step?
Testing forms on the live domain after the switch — and mapping redirects from the old site's URLs. Both are invisible until they hurt. Test forms by submitting them yourself; check old URLs by visiting them directly.
Do I need to keep paying attention after month one?
Less intensely, but yes. Reviews need to keep flowing, content should grow monthly, and the data deserves a monthly glance. A website that gets a little attention every month compounds; one that's ignored slowly goes quiet.