Website Launch Checklist
When the designing is done and the content is completed (including spell checked!), after your companion mobile site is adjusted, and the domain name is connected to the website, there are still a few more things to do before calling your website ready to go to work for you.
Here’s a list of things you’ll want to take care of:
1. Review the main word or phrase in your header and make sure it’s set as an H1 size font.
2. Review all page titles and make sure those are H1 or H2 size fonts.
3. Review all photos and be sure those have completed alt tags – in a Wix website, those will be called "alt text".
4. Check all buttons, text links, social media icons, and forms to ensure they go where you intend.
5. Add a favicon if you can so your website stands out among the set of browser tabs that are open. In Wix you'll find the place for adding a favicon under Site Settings > Domain & Hosting.
6. Review all page SEO settings, and complete the page title, page description and keywords. Make sure these are different or at least relevant for each page. Use this handy online tool for putting all the pieces together with character counts: http://www.seomofo.com/snippet-optimizer.html
7. Check how the site looks in multiple browsers and on various devices using tools like browserling.com and screenfly.com. Or use your own devices. Try to check all the following:
cell phone (different models and sizes, if possible)
tablet
laptop
desktop
Google Chrome
Safari
Firefox
yes, even Internet Explorer
Make adjustments as needed until the site looks good everywhere.
8. If you plan to be an active website owner, and like to obsessively track your traffic stats, you will want to add an analytics function to your website. In Wix, you can easily add Google Analytics from Site Settings > Analytics. Statcounter can also be added by using the html code installer. And Wix also provides an app called Web-Stat, found in Add>More>Web-Stat.
9. Submit your site to Google and Bing. Just type or paste in your home page url at:
Note -- if you have a Gmail account, and your inbox is open, this link should open up directly. If your Gmail isn't already open or you don't have an account, you'll need to login or create an account.
Note -- this page should open directly with no extra login or account required.
I personally don't bother with submitting to other search engines because these two have almost all of the searches online in 2016, and I'm leery of the spam I'd attract if listed in off-the-wall search engines in random countries where I'm not likely to attract clients.
11. Be sure to go to all the locator directories and social media accounts you have and add or update your website url listing.
12. Write a few great social media posts and including a link to your site, to entice traffic to start flowing your direction.
13. Blog daily or at least a few times a week for the first couple months. This will generate interest in your site by both potential clients when you post links to those blogs on social media, and interest from search engines.
