5 Things You Must Do Before Launching Your Website
The checklist that catches the mistakes that quietly cost businesses traffic, leads and trust in the first week.
1. SSL certificate, actually verified
Every browser flags a site without HTTPS as "not secure" — that alone will drive visitors away. Don't just assume it's on; open the site in an incognito window and check for the padlock yourself.
2. Analytics installed and firing correctly
Install GA4 before launch, not after — you can't get back the data from your first week of real traffic. Then actually test it: visit your own site and confirm the event shows up in real-time reports.
3. Google Search Console connected
Without this, you're flying blind on how Google actually sees your site — indexing errors, which queries bring traffic, and whether your sitemap was even accepted. Submit your sitemap the same day you launch.
4. robots.txt double-checked
A single leftover "Disallow: /" from a staging environment can quietly keep your entire live site out of Google. This is the single most common and most expensive launch mistake — check it manually, don't assume.
5. Backups running, and tested
Automatic daily backups are step one. Step two — the one almost everyone skips — is actually restoring one to confirm it works. A backup you've never tested is a hope, not a plan.
Launching soon and want a second pair of eyes?
We'll run this checklist for you before you go live — and build the tracking that comes after it.