004 – How to Launch a Website Properly

In this episode, Pete and Jeff consider the elements you need to consider when preparing a website for launch.Pre-requisitesWe're assuming you already have:Built the site properlyBrowser-checked it the responsive layoutsPopulated it fullyFigured out your caching Pre-LiveUnblock Search EnginesSEO Plugins & Basic Set UpBusiness Details in Schema / SEO Plugin301 Redirects of old URLs to new URLsSite Title / Tagline (remove "Just another WordPress Website", etc)Are Web and Home URLs updated to live siteRemove standard posts / hello world contentMake sure GA4 is installedMake sure tracking codes are copied over from the previous siteEnsure all plugins / themes / wordpress updates are complete (even if they're not on a maintenance plan, you should hand the site over with 0 updates required).Run an SEO Health AuditMake sure there is only 1 H1 tag per pageRun a full check for any placeholder textMake sure forms submitTake payment gateway of of Test / Dev Mode (if applicable)Check load times on all page templates are less than 3 seconds (absolute maximum)Check Social Media links are correctConfirm 404 page is set correctlyEnsure Cookies and Privacy Policies are correct / up-to-dateInstall security plugin (like Wordfence of iThemes)Check all contact forms go to the clients email address Post-LiveSubmit to Google Search Console (this might involved submitting a new (different) sitemap.xml URLMake sure SSL Certificate is installedSet up Instant Indexing for Bing and GoogleSet up maintenance plan (if the client has signed up)Send Website Owners Manual (with agreement for maintenance plan if they're not signed up already)Ensure all licensed plugins have the new (live) domain authenticated on them