Guidelines: A Complete Record Of 40+ Steps To Efficiently Launch A New Web site, On-line Retailer, or Do A Website Refresh

Whether or not I’m launching a web site on a brand new area or relaunching a consumer web site, there are a variety of steps that I take to make sure that the positioning is correctly launched and totally accessible to customers and engines like google. I’ll point out some examples of plugins or functions within the following article, however this isn’t a platform-specific article.

This text assumes that you simply’ve constructed the positioning domestically or on a staging space and are working to place the positioning into manufacturing the place it may be publicly accessed.

Web site Go-Stay Prechecks

Whereas constructed domestically or on staging:

1. Integrations – Have you ever audited all integrations on the present web site and ensured they’re correctly configured on the brand new web site?
2. Options – Does your new web site have all the options included into it that you could successfully talk along with your prospects and prospects?
3. Web page Redirects – Test that beforehand accessed pages both exist or are correctly redirected to pages on the brand new web site. I crawl the prevailing web site with Screaming Frog website positioning Spider to get a complete record of pages that exist in addition to examine Semrush for vacation spot pages which were backlinked to in order that I can guarantee rating isn’t misplaced (and is typically regained with the invention of outdated pages or property that had been deleted.
4. Damaged Hyperlinks – I examine each the prevailing web site and the brand new web site for any damaged hyperlinks to pages or property to make sure the brand new web site doesn’t have inside navigation or hyperlinks that can end in 404 Not Discovered pages.
5. Grammar and Spelling – There’s nothing extra embarrassing than launching a brand new web site with a typo in it. We don’t belief ourselves on this and at all times use a grammar and spelling utility to confirm copy on all pages and emails.
6. Picture Compression – I compress all photos on the brand new web site to make sure I don’t considerably improve pageload instances.
7. Markup – I confirm that the markup of my pages is optimized, guaranteeing one h1 tag per web page, with correct utilization of HTML5 parts just like the asides, footers, headers, article tags, and many others.
8. Wealthy Snippets – I validate that each one my wealthy snippet markup is legitimate and that any schema info is updated, like deal with, hours, social media picture, and many others.
9. Branding – Chances are high that you simply’re launching a brand new web site as a part of protecting your model contemporary. Have you ever up to date all visible and textual mentions of your model on the brand new web site?
10. Varieties – Have you ever configured and built-in all contact kinds, electronic mail opt-in, and different crucial kinds in your web site?
11. Cell Responsive – Whereas most websites are designed on desktop, it’s important to make use of your web site on a cell system to make sure that pages are totally responsive and can move all cell responsive testing.
12. Sitemap – I be certain that the XML sitemap for the positioning is being correctly constructed to make sure the total web site will be listed by engines like google as soon as I register it after going reside.
13. Rank Audit – I take a snapshot of how the present web site ranks in engines like google utilizing a software like Semrush.
14. Hyperlink Telephone Numbers – I assessment all cellphone numbers on the positioning and guarantee they’re hyperlinked correctly for cell customers.
15. Occasion Tagging – I be certain that any added code to seize analytics occasions (cellphone clicks, kind submissions, call-to-action clicks) has been deployed and can work as quickly as the positioning is reside and analytics is enabled.
16. Accessibility – Has your web site been examined for accessibility by these with disabilities? Or have you ever built-in an accessibility resolution?
17. Entry – Have you ever arrange all of the customers on the brand new web site with their correct permissions? Have you ever offered all infrastructure entry you could the inner workforce within the occasion they should entry it?
18. Backup – I backup the prevailing web site in preparation for any kind of disaster which can require it to be instantly restored.
19. Launch Plan – Have you ever notified all the folks accountable of the timeline for launch, their duties, and the way you’ll talk with each other on any points? This could embody an inventory of inside and exterior testers for the positioning.

Web site Go-Stay Checks

As quickly as the positioning is reside:

20. Safety Certificates – As soon as all of the DNS servers have been up to date and propagated with the brand new web site’s location, I set up the safety certificates (SSL). This typically takes some time and you actually don’t have a lot management – in order that’s why we regularly launch a web site exterior of peak utilization instances.
21. Backup – I now again up the newly launched web site to make sure that I’ve a contemporary copy of the brand new web site within the occasion we mess one thing up within the web site launch course of. You’d be stunned at how a easy factor like messing up a search and change can destroy a newly launched web site. After nearly each change from right here on out I’ll do handbook backups.
22. Area Search and Exchange – If the positioning was on a staging server, there are sometimes area paths that want updating all through the positioning. Utilizing a search and change software, I’ll replace the positioning to make sure no hyperlinks to the staging space exist and that each one references are utilizing a safe connection (https).
23. Licensing – If I licensed themes, plugins, or different instruments, I be certain that the reside web site is correctly registered rath than the staging web site in order that every thing is working correctly and will be up to date.
24. SMTP – I configure the positioning to make use of an workplace electronic mail account for outbound messaging relatively than the server, sometimes with an SMTP plugin.
25. Conversion Testing – I check all kinds on the positioning to make sure the information is correctly captured and handed by way of any integration. If it’s an e-commerce web site, I sometimes present funds to testers all through the nation to check and make precise product purchases to make sure fee processing and delivery integrations are working. We additionally make certain all outbound, automated electronic mail notifications to customers and inside are being obtained.
26. Tagging – I be certain that Google Tag Supervisor is correctly put in on the positioning and that Google Analytics is firing. This consists of occasion monitoring resembling kind submissions, chat launches, or e-commerce occasions.
27. Caching – I sometimes confirm the cache configuration on the positioning, clear the cache, and make sure the web site is performing nicely.
28. Content material Supply Community – I configure a content material supply community (CDN) to extend the velocity of the positioning and property geographically.
29. Crawl – Once more, utilizing Screaming Frog website positioning Spider I crawl the positioning searching for any errors or different efficiency points.
30. Robots.txt – I guarantee there’s nothing stopping the positioning from being accessed by engines like google. As websites are being developed on staging areas, engines like google are sometimes discouraged from indexing the positioning. While you go reside, you have to be certain that setting is up to date.
31. Search Engines – As soon as I’m certain the positioning is up and working nicely, I register the positioning with Google Search Console and Bing Site owners to make sure it’s correctly crawled and the sitemaps are discovered.
32. Session Recordings – Set up a platform to get recorded person classes and get in-depth heatmaps of how the positioning is being utilized to see if there’s any confusion.
33. Launch Testing – Your inside and exterior groups ought to now be administering their testing of the positioning throughout cell and desktop and numerous browsers to make sure it’s working correctly. All suggestions ought to be coming right into a central repository the place every subject will be prioritized and corrected.
34. website positioning Audit – I set up and configure a software like Semrush to audit and monitor the positioning for any points.

Web site Go-Stay Postchecks

Within the days following going reside and the after the positioning has been up and getting guests, I proceed to work to optimize the positioning:

35. Promotion – We be certain that the brand new web site is introduced to current customers, staff, and is publicly introduced on firm social media websites – welcoming suggestions from all! This will likely even embody public relations and promoting campaigns to advertise the launch.
36. Search Console Monitoring – I monitor Google Search Console and Bing Site owners each day searching for any points that they could be discovered on the positioning.
37. 404 Monitoring – I monitor 404 pages utilizing Google Analytics or an inside software like WordPress’ RankMath website positioning plugin.
38. Analytics Monitoring – I assessment analytics each day searching for any points that could be occurring. If it’s a substitute web site, I typically examine the person conduct earlier than and after going reside. This consists of conversion occasion monitoring.
39. Rank Monitoring – Website rating could swing wildly throughout the first couple weeks of a launch so I observe rating one month after the positioning is reside with Semrush to see that we’ve not had important losses and search for alternatives to extend rating from right here on out.
40. Aggressive Monitoring – Why have a brand new web site for those who’re not making an attempt to win over some market share? Utilizing a software like Semrush, we arrange all related opponents after which monitor how I web site is rating compared to theirs.
41. Backups – I’m assuming you will have a backup and restore resolution in your web site transferring ahead… but it surely must be a part of your guidelines simply in case! For a web site like WordPress, we use Flywheel managed internet hosting which has one-click backups and restores in-built and automatic.
42. Reporting – Whereas we sometimes have month-to-month reporting for our shoppers, throughout a launch like this we’ll sometimes report back to them weekly on how the positioning is performing. We additionally hold the launch groups and testers knowledgeable on all points and resolutions.

In case you’re counting on an company to launch your web site, I wouldn’t go away it to them to make sure all of that is taken care of. You’d be stunned at how simply a 3rd get together can neglect just a few issues within the course of. I’m not saying this as a result of I believe businesses are missing… it’s simply that it’s your online business and never theirs so you have to take the lead to make sure every thing is achieved!

I’d even be remiss to supply my agency’s providers. Highbridge does a ton of very giant web site redesigns, content material and e-commerce migrations, and complicated integrations.

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Disclosure: Martech Zone is utilizing numerous affiliate hyperlinks on this article.