12 checks before you launch your website

Your website is ready and you want to publish it as soon as possible. First go through these twelve checks, from speed on mobile to who to call when something breaks.

The website is ready, the design is approved, and you want to hit “Publish” as soon as possible. Before you do, give this list an hour. You can check most of it yourself, without a developer.

Speed and contacts

1. Speed on mobile

Open the website on your own phone over mobile data, not the office Wi-Fi. If the first screen takes more than a few seconds to appear, some people will leave. Also check it with Google PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev). It will show what exactly slows the page down, and often the culprit is a single oversized photo or video.

2. The contact form actually delivers

Fill in the form yourself using a different email address. Did the message arrive? Not in spam? Can you see who wrote and their contact details? A broken form is one of the most common reasons why “nobody contacts us through the website”.

3. The phone number is clickable

The number should be a tel: link, so people on a phone can call with one tap. Check the header, the footer and the contact page. The same goes for email: it should be a mailto: link.

4. Images are compressed

A photo straight from the camera can weigh several megabytes. A website does not need that. Use the WebP format and a size that matches the screen, not the camera’s resolution.

Getting found

5. Page titles and descriptions

Every page needs its own title and short description, which Google shows in search results. “Home” or “Untitled” will not do. The title should say what you do and where, for example “Car repair in Vilnius”.

6. Google Business Profile

If customers find you through Google Maps, add the new website address, opening hours and phone number to your profile. The information on the website and the profile should match.

7. Analytics

Install Google Analytics or another tool and check that it registers your own visit. Without analytics, a month from now you will not know whether the website is working. It is worth tracking form submissions and phone taps too.

8. Cookie consent

If you use analytics or ad pixels, visitors must be able to accept or decline. Check that the tracking codes really stay off after someone declines.

Security and a backup plan

9. SSL certificate

The address should start with https:// and the browser should show no warning. Check the address with and without www. Both should lead to the same secure page.

10. 404 page

Type in an address that does not exist, for example yourcompany.lt/test. A tidy page with a link back home should open, not a server error. If you are replacing an old website, redirect the old addresses to the new ones so you do not lose visitors from Google.

11. Backup

Ask where and how often backups are made and how long a restore takes. Make sure one backup is taken right before launch.

12. Who to call when it breaks

Write down who maintains the website and their phone number, where the domain and hosting are registered, and who has the logins. Keep it in one place, not only in one person’s head. When the site goes down on a Friday evening, it is too late to start hunting for passwords.

After launch

A week later, come back to checks 2, 3 and 7. Have enquiries come in? Does analytics show visitors? If not, better to notice now than in six months.

If you would like to go through this list with your website together, get in touch. Email hello@windstudio.lt or call +370 5 241 6817. We will tell you what works and what is worth fixing before launch.