The hard work is done. Your new WordPress website is ready to launch. Below is a checklist to ensure everything you should do, gets done. Please note, each website will vary in terms of features and functionality:
- Scan the source code of the website to ensure there are no instances of the development URL.
- Check for any broken links in your site website using this tool https://www.brokenlinkcheck.com/.
- Install Better WP Security plugin (or similar) and configure.
- Remove the default WordPress theme assuming your new site is using a different theme (TwentyFourteen).
- Check SEO (YOAST) plugin is activated (or a similar search engine optimisation plugin).
- Ensure all your title tags and meta descriptions are populated and unique for every page.
- Ensure robots.txt is configured and is not blocking your website (visit https://www.fivebyfive.com.au/robots.txt for an example).
- Check to ensure search engines are not being discouraged in the WordPress ‘reading’ settings.
- Ensure the Google Analytics tracking code is installed and successfully receiving data.
- Setup goal tracking via Google Analytics.
- Setup monthly reporting via Google Analytics to send you a report of website statistics.
- Ensure your site has been verified via Google Webmaster Tools and submit an XML sitemap.
- Link Google Analytics and Google Webmaster tools.
- Change the WordPress general settings to your email address.
- Check that there is a custom favicon.ico setup (small icon which appears in the browser tab and address bar).
- Ensure all your enquiry forms are working and submissions are arriving in your inbox.
- Ensure a CAPTCHA code is setup on your forms to stop any automated spam.
- Remove any page/posts that are in the trash tab.
- Check all blog posts are attributed to the correct author.
- Check to ensure your site loads in under three seconds using this tool – https://tools.pingdom.com/.
- Take an offsite backup of your website and store locally on your computer or external hard drive.
- Ensure there are regular weekly/monthly backups being taken and sent to an offsite site such as Amazon S3 or Dropbox.
- Ensure the ‘admin’ username for the WordPress login has been removed OR changed (important for WordPress security).
- Test both the ‘www’ and ‘non-www’ versions of your domain name to ensure these are working correctly.
- Website has been tested on a mobile device.
- Cross browser and platform (PC and Mac) testing has been completed.
- If there is online ordering on your site, do a test order.
