Website launch checklist: 10 things to check before you go live
A new website is easiest to fix before anybody sees it. These are the checks we make on every site before it goes live.
Does every page have its own title?
Each page needs a unique title under about 60 characters that says what the page is, because the title is what search results show first.
Do old addresses redirect in one step?
Every moved page should redirect straight to its new address with a 301, because chains of redirects slow every visit and dilute links.
Does the main content load quickly?
The largest element on the page should appear within 2.5 seconds, so the hero image should be sized, compressed and never lazy-loaded.
Is the site secure?
The site should load only over HTTPS and send security headers such as HSTS, so browsers never fall back to an insecure connection.