Ask any entrepreneur about building a website, and you’ll quickly hear one thing loud and clear: it’s no small feat.
You’ve got to select the right layout, theme, and design. Then there’s fine-tuning your messaging. You’ve obviously got to test the features. And there’s always numerous instances of rewriting the copy that didn’t quite land the first time around.
A website launch is too much work with the end goal of ensuring every click, page load, and customer interaction feels intentional. Despite all the hard work that goes into creating a site, there are over 1.2 billion sites today:
But in the daily grind, tiny details can (and do) go missing: there might be a typo in a button label, your site’s mobile version might be slightly off, or the form might not be loading as quickly as you’d like. These elements can leave a negative aftertaste in your customer’s mind.
You can avoid all this by following a solid website launch checklist from the very start. We’ve created one, which you can happily make your own.
Website Pre-Launch Checklist
A pre-launch checklist covers every area of interest, such as design, strategy, conceptualisation, and more. This checklist helps you cover the essentials:
1. Understand Where You Stand
Category: Planning and Research
Before you build a site, look at your competitors. This helps you see what people are already responding to:
- what’s clear
- what’s not being liked
- where the gaps are
Pro tip: The goal isn’t to follow someone else’s playbook. You want to understand the landscape so you can shape your own approach with sharper thinking.
Here’s what to focus on:
- Pick 5 to 10 direct competitors. And no, we don’t mean just the global giants—look for businesses that share your space and are clearly getting attention.
- Explore their site experience end-to-end:
- How do they structure their pages?
- What tone do they use in their copy?
- How easy is it to find important information and take the next step?
- Use tools such as Ahrefs, Semrush, etc., to get a clearer picture of their performance, such as traffic sources, keyword focus, backlink patterns, etc. The numbers will tell you what’s actually working:
- Keep an eye on shifts in the industry:
- Are more sites offering chat support?
- Is everyone leaning into AI-driven features?
- Is being mobile-first turning out to be your competitor’s biggest USP?
Example: If you’re preparing to launch a project management platform, take a close look at how platforms such as Asana or Monday:
- market their value
- guide new users
- build credibility
- use design to improve the user experience
Then, create a list of ideas that you think might work for you and do it your way.
2. Define Strategic Goals
Category: Planning and Research
Okay, you’ve got a basic idea of what your site should look like. But how will you define whether it’s successful? Every design and content decision you make should be tied back to a clear business objective.
What to do:
- Set measurable goals. Don’t just say “increase leads.” Commit to something trackable like “Generate 700 qualified leads in Q2.”
- Map goals to user actions. What should visitors be doing on the site—signing up, booking, buying, or subscribing?
- Break goals into sprints and milestones. If your goal is revenue-driven, build the supporting funnels early.
- Make sure your internal teams (marketing, sales, content, and development) are aligned around these goals.
Example: If you’re launching a portfolio site as a freelancer, your goal might be to secure three new client inquiries per week. That means optimising CTAs, simplifying your booking flow, and keeping contact options visible at all times.
3. Choose the Right Stack
Category: Design and Development
Your website’s infrastructure will determine how it performs under pressure. The right combination of builder and hosting platform directly impacts speed, uptime, security, and scalability.
What to do:
- For non-technical users, an all-in-one AI-powered website builder like Crazy Domains is a reliable option. It simplifies hosting, domain management, and editing into one dashboard.
- Choose a hosting plan that supports your expected traffic load. Look for uptime guarantees, speed benchmarks, and built-in security features.
- Pick a domain name that reflects your brand and is easy to remember. You must avoid clever spellings and long phrases at all costs.
- Confirm your platform supports custom code and integrations if you plan to scale.
4. Lock Down the Structure and Design
Category: Design and Development
Good design goes beyond aesthetics. It influences how users behave and how confident they feel navigating your content. Your layout, structure, and interface all contribute to whether users engage or leave.
What to do:
- Use a sitemap to define your primary pages and how they connect. This helps with both UX and SEO.
- Build wireframes for key templates: homepage, product page, blog post, etc. Focus on structure, and not just the visuals.
- Establish a style guide. This includes defining your typography, color palette, iconography, and spacing rules.
- Test responsiveness across breakpoints. Every design element should scale cleanly across devices.
- Incorporate functional elements like sticky navbars, smart forms, live search, and fast-loading media.
Example: If you’re building a service-based site, your homepage should instantly communicate what you do, include a clear value proposition, and direct users to either book, contact, or explore packages.
5. Build the Essential Pages
Category: Design and Development
There are a few pages every serious website needs. These are the pages that do the heavy lifting when it comes to trust, clarity and conversions. If they’re not solid, the rest of your content won’t matter much.
What to do:
- Homepage: Communicates your core offering. Use a clear headline, benefit-focused subheading, and one primary call to action.
- About: Builds credibility. Share your backstory, values, and the people behind the work.
- Contact: Offers multiple contact options such as form, email, social links, and phone number based on how your audience prefers to connect.
- Products/Services: Details your offering with sharp copy, clear pricing (if applicable), and visual assets that support the pitch.
- Blog/Resources: Establishes authority. Useful for SEO, engagement, and long-term value if you plan to publish regularly.
Example: When launching a consulting site, use your About page to showcase your expertise, your homepage to highlight the results you deliver rather than just listing services, and your Contact page to make scheduling a call as seamless as possible.
6. Remove Placeholder Content
Category: Design and Development
Leaving in dummy text and generic images sends the wrong message. It tells your audience that your site isn’t ready or worse, that the details don’t matter to you. It also hurts your visibility in search and slows down your pages with content that adds zero value.
What to do:
- Go through every section of your website and replace all generic placeholder text with specific, brand-aligned content. This includes replacing “Lorem ipsum” or “Coming Soon” with action-driven phrases that clearly convey what you want your visitors to do. For example, instead of “Contact Us”, try “Get in Touch for Expert Advice” to encourage engagement. Bonus: Create a checklist to ensure every placeholder is replaced before publishing the updates.
- Prioritise originality. If possible, replace stock images with high-quality photos representing your brand’s identity. If you are using stock images, customise them to match your brand’s colours, filters, and overall aesthetic.
- Leverage tools like Crazy Domain’s AI-powered website builder to draft base copy for your website. These tools can generate initial content quickly, saving time on brainstorming. After generating the content, take the time to edit for tone, voice, and accuracy. Tailor the content to reflect your brand’s unique personality and message. Ensure the text is customer-centric by focusing on the user’s benefits, not just your product’s features.
- Update headers, footers, and navigation to reflect your actual structure. Double-check for broken links and missing meta content.
Example: If you’re launching a real estate site, don’t show generic properties with watermarks. Replace them with actual listings and images tied to your locations. Write listings with details buyers are actually looking for.
7. Speed up your site with smarter content
Category: Content Optimisation
If your website takes too long to load, visitors won’t hesitate to click away. With 89% of companies now competing on customer experience, it’s more important than ever for entrepreneurs to ensure site speed and usability to keep users engaged.
What to do:
- Aim for image file sizes of under 100KB for smaller images (such as icons or thumbnails) and under 500KB for larger images (such as product photos or hero images). This will significantly improve load times without sacrificing visible quality.
- Use tools like TinyPNG to compress images by 30-70% without a noticeable loss in quality. JPEG images typically compress better than PNGs, so consider converting PNGs to JPEGs when possible.
- Use concise and descriptive alt text. The ideal length is around 10-15 words. This helps improve SEO and accessibility while keeping the descriptions easy to read.
- Use headings with an H1 for your main topic and H2-H3 for subtopics, with a maximum of 3-4 subheadings per section. This makes your content scannable.
8. Set up tools that track and tune performance
Category: Content Optimisation
You can’t improve a site you’re not tracking. What you need to do is set up tools that show:
- Where visitors come from
- What they care about
- Where you’re losing them
To help search engines effectively rank your site, you should focus on these key elements:
| Element | Focus |
| Relevant Keywords | Use targeted keywords in content, meta tags, and URLs. |
| Quality Content | Offer valuable, original content. |
| Mobile-Friendly Design | Ensure your site works well on all devices. |
| Page Speed | Optimise loading times for better user experience. |
| Optimised Meta Tags | Craft compelling title tags and meta descriptions. |
| Internal Linking | Strengthen site structure with clear internal links. |
| Backlinks | Earn quality backlinks from reputable sites. |
| User Experience | Prioritise easy navigation and clear layout. |
| Alt Text for Images | Use descriptive alt text for images. |
| Secure Website (HTTPS) | Ensure your site is secure. |
What to do:
- Link your site to Google Analytics and Google Search Console. These give you a clear picture of who’s visiting, what they’re doing, and what you need to improve.
- Add meta titles, descriptions, and set clear page URLs—straight from your Crazy Domains dashboard:
- Run a test crawl to make sure your pages are indexable and your sitemap is working.
9. Get real people to test your site
Category: Testing & Feedback
What makes sense to you might frustrate someone else. Get fresh eyes on your site and pay attention to how real people use it.
What to do:
- Ask a small group of people, ideally your target audience, to navigate your site. Instruct them to note anything they find confusing, frustrating, or broken, such as unclear navigation or slow-loading pages.
- Use tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg to record screen sessions as users perform key tasks (e.g., filling out a form, searching for products, or checking out). This will help you identify where they struggle.
- Sort the feedback, fix what slows people down, and tighten up the user experience before you go live.
10. Make your site mobile-first
Category: Testing & Compliance
Most people will visit your site on their phones. A smaller screen doesn’t mean smaller expectations. Your layout, text and buttons need to be made for mobile. If it’s hard to read or difficult to tap, they’ll move on without a second thought.
What to do:
-
Test your website across a range of screen sizes to ensure it’s responsive. Use Crazy Domains’ website tools to easily preview how your site looks on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
What to check
- Look for any content that overlaps, misaligns, or gets cut off on smaller screens.
- Take a moment to browse your website on your phone and click through each page. Pay attention to elements that feel too small, too close together, or off-balance.
- Test all clickable elements (like buttons, links, and forms) to ensure they are easy to tap on mobile devices. Buttons should be large enough and spaced adequately to prevent accidental clicks.
11. Tell search engines what to skip
Search engines don’t need to crawl every page on your site. A robots.txt file helps you control what they see and what they leave out. It keeps admin pages out of search results and protects sensitive areas from being indexed.
Do this:
- Create a plain text file called robots.txt.
- Add rules to guide bots—use User-agent to target them and Disallow to block pages.
- Upload it to the root of your domain (e.g. yourdomain.com/robots.txt).
- Run it through Google Search Console’s robots tester to catch mistakes.
Pro Tip: Keep important pages open to crawlers. Don’t accidentally block your homepage or product pages.
12. Set up a business email that looks legit
If you’re still using a Gmail address for your business, it’s time to level up. Your domain should match your inbox. People trust branded emails—and spam filters do too.
Do this:
- Pick a professional email plan from Crazy Domains.
- Create addresses like [email protected] or [email protected].
- Connect your inbox to whatever email client you use—Outlook, Apple Mail, or Gmail.
Bonus: Branded emails boost your deliverability rate, so your messages don’t land in junk folders.
Website Post-Launch Checklist
Launching your site is just the beginning. After it’s live, make sure it’s running smooth, fast, and visible to the right people. Use this checklist to lock in performance and avoid surprises down the road.
13. Scan your site like a search engine would
You want search engines to find the important stuff and ignore the rest. Run a crawl to catch any issues like broken pages or missing titles that could hold you back.
What to do:
- Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to simulate a crawler.
- Fix issues like 404 errors, duplicate pages, and empty meta tags.
- Resubmit your sitemap to Google Search Console so they see your updates.
Why it matters: Search engines can’t rank what they can’t read. You’re basically handing them a clean map of your site.
14. Set performance benchmarks early
If your site is new, you won’t have much data yet. Doesn’t matter. Start tracking now so you know what’s working and what’s not a few weeks down the line.
What to do:
- Use Google Analytics and set it up with your Crazy Domains hosting panel.
- Keep an eye on bounce rates, time spent on site, and where users drop off.
- Check what devices people use. If everyone’s on mobile and your layout breaks on small screens, that’s a problem.
- Compare yourself with competitors using tools like SimilarWeb.
Why it matters: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Knowing your numbers helps you spot small issues before they turn into bigger ones.
15. Tune your site for speed
Website loading speed ranks at the top of the UX priority list, with more than 75% of internet users deeming it crucial. Needless to say, a slow-loading website can lead to higher bounce rates, decreased engagement, and, ultimately, lost revenue.
What to do:
- Configure your website so that returning visitors don’t have to reload every asset. This helps by storing certain elements (like images, scripts, and styles) in the user’s browser, speeding up their next visit.
- Simplify your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files by removing unnecessary spaces, comments, and characters.
- Use a CDN through your Crazy Domains hosting panel to distribute your content across multiple servers worldwide. This ensures that users can access your site from a server closer to their location.
- Regularly test your website’s performance using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights. These tools will give you actionable recommendations on how to optimise your site further for faster loading.
Why it matters: People dislike any kind of waiting. A laggy homepage can cost you sales, clicks, and credibility.
16. Ask real users what they think
Your site might make sense to you, but that’s because you built it. To someone unfamiliar with it, things could be confusing. Get fresh eyes on it and see how they navigate.
What to do:
- Add a short feedback form or use a tool like Hotjar to watch user sessions.
- Run A/B tests on key pages like your homepage or pricing page.
- Check analytics to see where users stall or bounce.
Why it matters: Real feedback beats guessing. Users will tell you (directly or indirectly) what’s annoying or confusing.
17. Stay legal (and accessible)
Privacy and accessibility are essential these days. Getting them wrong can result in fines, lost trust, and frustrated users.
What to do:
- Anytime you change how you collect or use data, update your policy. Keep the language clear and simple, and always link it in your website footer.
- Check your cookie banner. Make sure it’s not just decorative—users should be able to opt-out easily. Avoid sneaky design tricks that push them into accepting.
- Run an accessibility audit. Use free tools to scan your site. Look out for poor colour contrast, missing image alt text, and issues that make it hard to navigate with a keyboard.
- Add ARIA labels where needed. These help screen readers make sense of your content, improving the experience for users with disabilities.
- Test with real users. If possible, involve people with different abilities in your testing. They’ll spot problems that automated tools might miss.
18. Get the word out
A live website is just the beginning—now you need to make sure people actually find it.
What to do:
- Start building your email list early. Use pop-ups, freebies, or sign-up forms to collect emails. Send regular updates, tips, or exclusive offers to keep your audience engaged.
- Post consistently on social media. Share more than just sales—offer behind-the-scenes peeks, customer stories, tips, and industry insights to connect with your audience.
- Reach out to other platforms. Write guest posts, leave helpful comments in relevant forums, or pitch your site to blogs in your niche. It’s a great way to get in front of new audiences.
- Try paid advertising. If you want faster results, run targeted ads on Google or social platforms. Crazy Domains makes it easy to integrate with Google Ads and get started quickly.
- Track what’s working. Use tools like Google Analytics or social media insights to see which channels bring traffic—and double down on what delivers.
Launch Your Website with Crazy Domains Today!
Make sure you spend some time choosing the right domain hosting provider. Crazy Domains provides everything you need to get your website off the ground and perform immediately, including all your domain and hosting setup requirements.
With the foundation laid and your launch checklist completed, all that’s left is to go live. Once you do, stay focused on tracking performance, iterating, and ensuring your site continues to serve your audience as it grows.
Remember, your website is your digital presence in action. Let us handle the behind-the-scenes while you focus on what’s next. Visit our site for more info!
