Pre-Launch Checklist

Introduction

A thorough pre-launch checklist is the key to a successful website relaunch. It ensures that all technical, content, and SEO-relevant aspects are reviewed and optimized before going live. This systematic approach minimizes risks and maximizes the success chances of the new web presence.

Technical Pre-Launch Checklist

Server and Hosting

Server performance optimized (load times under 3 seconds)
SSL certificate installed and configured
CDN (Content Delivery Network) set up
Backup system configured and tested
Monitoring tools installed (e.g. Google Analytics, Search Console)
Error handling and 404 pages implemented

Database and Backend

Database optimized and indexed
Data migration successfully completed
API endpoints tested and documented
Security updates installed
Database backups created

SEO Pre-Launch Checklist

On-Page SEO

Title tags optimized for all pages (50-60 characters)
Meta descriptions created (150-160 characters)
H1-H6 hierarchy correctly implemented
Alt texts written for all images
Internal linking reviewed and optimized
Canonical tags set
Schema markup implemented

URL Structure

URL redirects from old to new structure configured
301 redirects tested
Sitemap.xml generated and validated
robots.txt reviewed and updated
URL parameters correctly handled

Core Web Vitals

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) under 2.5 seconds
First Input Delay (FID) under 100 milliseconds
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) under 0.1
PageSpeed Insights Score above 90

Content Pre-Launch Checklist

Content Quality

All texts checked for spelling and grammar
Images optimized and compressed
Videos optimized and embedded
PDF documents optimized and linked
Contact information updated
Imprint and privacy policy revised

Multilingual

Hreflang tags correctly implemented
Language switcher functional
Translations complete and correct
Country-specific content adapted

Functionality and UX

Forms and Interactions

Contact forms tested
Newsletter subscription functional
Search function implemented and tested
Comment system activated
Social media integration functional

Responsive Design

Mobile optimization (320px - 768px)
Tablet optimization (768px - 1024px)
Desktop optimization (1024px+)
Touch navigation tested
Cross-browser compatibility ensured

Security and Compliance

Privacy and Security

GDPR compliance checked
Cookie banner implemented
Privacy policy updated
SSL encryption active
Security headers configured
Penetration test conducted

Legal Aspects

Imprint complete and current
Terms and conditions revised
Right of withdrawal implemented
Copyright clarified

Testing and Quality Assurance

Functionality Tests

All links functional
Forms send correct emails
Payment processes tested
Login/registration functional
Admin area accessible

Performance Tests

Load times measured
Mobile performance tested
Stress tests conducted
Uptime monitoring activated

Go-Live Preparation

Launch Planning

Launch time set (low traffic)
Rollback plan created
Team notifications sent
Monitoring intensified
Support readiness ensured

Post-Launch Monitoring

Google Search Console monitored
Analytics data controlled
Error logs reviewed
User feedback collected
Performance metrics tracked

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Technical Pitfalls

Forgotten 301 redirects lead to 404 errors
Missing canonical tags cause duplicate content
Unoptimized images slow down load time
Missing SSL encryption harms ranking

SEO Traps

Title tags too long or too short
Missing meta descriptions
Broken internal links
Missing alt texts for images
Unstructured URL hierarchy

Checklist for Different Website Types

E-Commerce Websites

Product catalogs fully migrated
Payment processing tested
Shopping cart functionality checked
Order confirmations configured
Returns process documented

Corporate Websites

Team pages updated
Company data correct
Press area revised
Career pages functional
Investor relations current

Blog/Content Websites

Article categories structured
Author profiles created
Comment moderation activated
RSS feed configured
Social sharing optimized

Tools and Resources

SEO Tools

Google Search Console
Google PageSpeed Insights
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
GTmetrix
SEMrush Site Audit

Performance Tools

Google Lighthouse
WebPageTest
Pingdom
GTmetrix
Chrome DevTools

Monitoring Tools

Google Analytics 4
Google Search Console
Uptime Robot
Pingdom
New Relic