11-point checklist to complete before launching a WordPress website

Preparation before launching a WordPress website

Launching a WordPress website is a crucial step that requires careful planning. Every day, a large number of new websites are created, so you should prepare yourself to make your website stand out from day one.

In this article, we have compiled an important checklist that you should complete before launching your WordPress website.

1. Install a backup system for the website

Backing up data is important because if a problem occurs, you will be able to easily restore your website. There are both free and paid WordPress backup plugins that allow you to set up automatic backups and save files on the Cloud, such as Dropbox, Amazon S3, or Google Drive.

Recommendation: Use the Duplicator plugin or upgrade to Duplicator Pro for more comprehensive backups.

2. Protect the security of the admin area

WordPress is a popular content management system, making it a target for hackers. You can mitigate risks by restricting access to the admin area and enhancing security measures, such as using Cloudflare to improve website security and performance.

3. Check for 404 errors on the website

Broken links on web pages can affect user experience. You should check for pages that return a "404 Not Found" error using Google Search Console or plugins that automatically alert you to 404 errors.

4. Check the website's email system

If your website has issues with sending emails, such as notification emails not being sent to users, you should switch to using SMTP, which is the standard for sending emails, instead of using the PHP mail() function, to ensure that emails are sent and received correctly.

5. Test all forms on the website

Check that all forms, such as the contact form, subscription form, or feedback form, are functioning correctly, including verifying that the submitted data is sent to the designated email.

6. Improve the user experience for the eCommerce website

If you are using WordPress for an online store, you should test the shopping cart system, payment system, and order processing to ensure they work smoothly. Try placing a real order to check if users can proceed without any issues.

7. Check images, videos, and slideshows

Images and videos that display incorrectly can make your website look untrustworthy. Ensure that the files are of good quality, load quickly, and can be displayed on all devices and browsers.

8. Test the social media connection system

Check that the links to your social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, are functioning properly. Additionally, you should enable Twitter Cards and Facebook Open Graph Metadata to make content sharing more effective.

9. Test the website's performance

A slow-loading website negatively impacts user experience and SEO rankings. Use speed testing tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or Pingdom and install caching plugins like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache to improve performance.

10. Install Google Analytics

Google Analytics is an essential tool that helps you track the behavior of website visitors and analyze the performance of your website. Don't forget to install Google Analytics before launching so you can start collecting data from day one.

11. Check the SEO settings

SEO optimization  Helps your website have a higher chance of ranking better in search results.  Use SEO plugins like All in One SEO or Yoast SEO to help optimize your website for search engines.

Reviewing these items will help ensure that your WordPress website is fully ready for launch.  Don't forget to test everything again before publishing to ensure that visitors have the best experience.