Ultimate Checklist for Launching New Website

Last Modified: December 29, 2024

Launching a new website can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. This comprehensive checklist will help ensure you haven't missed any crucial steps before going live. 🚀

Pre-Launch Technical Checks 🔧

1. Performance Optimization

[ ] Optimize images and media
[ ] Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
[ ] Enable compression
[ ] Implement caching
[ ] Verify Core Web Vitals

2. Cross-Browser Testing

[ ] Chrome
[ ] Firefox
[ ] Safari
[ ] Edge
[ ] Mobile browsers

Security Measures 🔒

1. SSL Certificate

Ensure HTTPS is properly configured:

# .htaccess redirect to HTTPS
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

2. Security Headers

Implement essential security headers:

# nginx.conf security headers
add_header X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN";
add_header X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block";
add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff";
add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000";

Content Review 📝

1. Text Content

[ ] Spell check
[ ] Grammar check
[ ] Consistent formatting
[ ] Updated copyright year
[ ] Privacy policy
[ ] Terms of service

2. Media Content

[ ] Image alt texts
[ ] Video captions
[ ] Proper image dimensions
[ ] Favicon implementation

SEO Optimization ⚡

1. Meta Tags

Ensure all pages have proper meta tags:

<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <meta name="description" content="Your page description">
    <meta name="keywords" content="relevant, keywords, here">
    <title>Page Title | Site Name</title>
</head>

2. Structured Data

Implement relevant schema markup:

{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Your Company Name",
    "url": "https://www.yourwebsite.com",
    "logo": "https://www.yourwebsite.com/images/logo.png"
}

Analytics and Tracking 📊

1. Analytics Setup

Install analytics tracking code:

<!-- Google Analytics 4 -->
<script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-XXXXXXXXXX"></script>
<script>
    window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
    function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);}
    gtag('js', new Date());
    gtag('config', 'G-XXXXXXXXXX');
</script>

2. Goal Tracking

[ ] Set up conversion goals
[ ] Configure event tracking
[ ] Test tracking functionality

Mobile Optimization 📱

1. Responsive Design

Test responsive breakpoints:

/* Essential breakpoints */
@media (max-width: 768px) {
    /* Tablet styles */
}

@media (max-width: 480px) {
    /* Mobile styles */
}

2. Mobile Features

[ ] Touch-friendly navigation
[ ] Readable font sizes
[ ] Proper button spacing

Performance Testing 🏃‍♂️

1. Load Testing

Run performance tests:

// Simple performance monitoring
console.time('pageLoad');
window.addEventListener('load', () => {
    console.timeEnd('pageLoad');

    // Log performance metrics
    const perfData = window.performance.timing;
    const pageLoadTime = perfData.loadEventEnd - perfData.navigationStart;
    console.log(`Page load time: ${pageLoadTime}ms`);
});

2. Speed Optimization

[ ] Enable browser caching
[ ] Optimize database queries
[ ] Implement CDN

Backup and Recovery 💾

1. Backup Systems

[ ] Database backup
[ ] File system backup
[ ] Version control
[ ] Backup automation

2. Recovery Plan

Document recovery procedures:

Backup restoration steps
Emergency contacts
Incident response plan

Forms and Functionality ✉️

1. Form Testing

Test all forms with this script:

document.querySelectorAll('form').forEach(form => {
    form.addEventListener('submit', async (e) => {
        e.preventDefault();

        // Log form submission
        console.log('Form submitted:', {
            formId: form.id,
            formData: new FormData(form)
        });

        // Add your form submission logic here
    });
});

2. Email Systems

[ ] Contact forms working
[ ] Email notifications set up
[ ] SPF records configured

Final Checks 🎯

1. Legal Compliance

[ ] GDPR compliance
[ ] Cookie consent
[ ] Accessibility standards
[ ] Terms and conditions

2. Documentation

[ ] Update documentation
[ ] Create maintenance guide
[ ] Document deployment process

Post-Launch Monitoring 🔍

1. Uptime Monitoring

Set up monitoring alerts:

// Basic health check endpoint
app.get('/health', (req, res) => {
    const health = {
        uptime: process.uptime(),
        timestamp: Date.now(),
        status: 'OK'
    };
    res.status(200).send(health);
});

2. Error Tracking

[ ] Set up error logging
[ ] Configure alerts
[ ] Monitor server logs

Conclusion

This checklist covers the essential aspects of launching a website. Keep it handy and go through each item methodically. Remember, a successful launch is about attention to detail and thorough testing. Happy launching! 🎉

Pro Tip: Save this checklist and customize it based on your specific project needs. Each website is unique, and you might need to add or modify items based on your requirements.