The Website Launch Checklist
40+ tasks between you and a website that actually works. Skip them at your own risk.
1Before You Build
Define your target customerCritical
Who are they? What problem do they have? What words do they use to describe it? Every design and copy decision flows from this.
Research your competitors
Look at the top 3 competitors in your area. What do their websites do well? What's missing? You don't need to copy them — you need to beat them.
Choose your domain name
Keep it short, memorable, and brandable. Avoid hyphens, numbers, and clever misspellings. YourBusiness.com > Your-Biz-123.com.
Gather your content
Photos, logos, testimonials, service descriptions, pricing, hours, and contact info. The more you have ready, the faster your site launches.
Set up Google Business ProfileCritical
Claim your listing, fill out every field, add photos, and verify your address. This is free and crucial for local SEO.
2Design & Development
Mobile-first responsive design
60%+ of your traffic is mobile. Design for phones first, then expand. If it looks great on mobile, it'll look great everywhere.
Fast loading speed (under 3 seconds)Critical
Compress images, minimize code, use lazy loading. Every second of delay costs 7% in conversions.
Clear navigation
5–7 main menu items max. Logo links home. Users should find any page in 2 clicks or less.
Compelling hero section
Your headline should explain what you do and why someone should care — in under 8 words. Add a CTA button above the fold.
Trust signals
Reviews, certifications, years in business, 'As Seen In' logos. Visitors decide in 3 seconds whether to trust you.
CTAs on every pageCritical
Every page needs a clear call to action. 'Get a Quote,' 'Call Now,' 'Book Online.' No orphan pages.
3SEO Essentials
Unique meta title for every pageCritical
Under 60 characters, includes target keyword. This is what shows up in Google search results.
Meta descriptions for every page
Under 160 characters, persuasive, includes a call to action. This is your ad copy in search results.
Proper heading hierarchy (H1–H6)
One H1 per page (your main topic). H2s for sections. H3s for subsections. Don't skip levels.
Image alt text
Describe every image for accessibility and SEO. 'John installing AC unit in St. George home' > 'IMG_4392.jpg'
XML sitemap
Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console so Google can find and index all your pages.
Schema markup (JSON-LD)
Add LocalBusiness, Service, FAQPage, and BreadcrumbList structured data. This enables rich snippets in search results.
Google Search Console setupCritical
Verify your site, submit your sitemap, and monitor for crawl errors. Free and essential.
Google Analytics setup
Install GA4 to track traffic, conversions, and user behavior. You can't improve what you don't measure.
4Content & Copy
Homepage with 500+ words
Your homepage should explain what you do, who you serve, why you're different, and what to do next. Not a slideshow and a logo.
Individual service pages
One page per service, each with unique content, FAQs, and a CTA. Don't lump everything on one page.
About page with your story
People buy from people. Share your story, your mission, and your team. Add photos — stock photos kill trust.
Contact page with multiple options
Phone, email, form, address, map, and hours. Make it absurdly easy to reach you.
Local landing pagesCritical
If you serve multiple cities, create a unique page for each one. 'Plumber in St. George' should be a different page than 'Plumber in Cedar City.'
5Pre-Launch Testing
Test on multiple devices
iPhone, Android, tablet, desktop. Check every page, every form, every button.
Test all forms
Submit every form yourself. Make sure emails arrive, confirmations show, and nothing breaks.
Check all links
Click every internal and external link. Broken links hurt SEO and user trust.
Test page speed
Use Google PageSpeed Insights. Aim for 90+ on mobile. Fix anything flagged as 'Opportunity.'
SSL certificate activeCritical
Your URL should show 'https' with a lock icon. No exceptions.
404 page exists
Create a custom 404 page with navigation and search. Don't let dead links become dead ends.
6Post-Launch
Submit sitemap to Google Search Console
Tell Google your site exists and where to find every page.
Set up Google Business Profile link
Add your new website URL to your Google Business Profile.
Monitor for 404 errors
Check Search Console weekly for the first month. Fix any crawl errors immediately.
Start building backlinks
Get listed in local directories, industry associations, and Chamber of Commerce sites.
Plan ongoing content
A blog post every 2–4 weeks keeps your site fresh and builds organic traffic over time.
Track conversionsCritical
Set up goal tracking in Google Analytics. Know which pages generate leads and which don't.
That's a Lot of Work. We Know.
FunnelDonkey handles every item on this checklist — automatically. Custom design, SEO, copy, testing, and launch. Starting at $499.