Author Website Launch Checklist: What to do after publishing your site
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Here’s the first in a short series of blog posts where I take you behind the scenes in working with me. I’ll focus on some aspects of the project where I notice my clients are often surprised.
Today, let’s dig into my website launch checklist, specifically: what you should do after publishing your author website but before telling anyone about it!
Despite what you might think, the work is not over, after your website goes live. I have a smooth and efficient 2-week process and I usually aim to make my client’s website public by Thursday afternoon of our second week.
Why? Because it takes time after launch, for quality control and to set my client up for ongoing success.
Here’s a checklist for a new website of the tasks I do, after my client’s new author site is officially live
I design and build using Squarespace (and love it), but most of these tasks will apply, regardless of the tool that you use. Save 10% off your first subscription of a Squarespace website by using the code PAULINE10.
For many things on this list, I’ve already spent time perfecting them before going live. But I always include these tasks after we publish the website too.
> Technical checks
Check the header and footer are working correctly
Check every page and every link, especially anchor links
Run a dead link checker, just to be sure
Test any link redirects that I set up, especially if the client migrated from an old website
Check hidden pages, like the 404 not found page or invitation-only resource pages
Make sure that file downloads (like a reader magnet PDF, or book club discussion questions) are working
Check the top announcement bar, if used
Make sure the pop up, if active, is showing and working correctly
Fill out the contact form, and make sure my client receives the email message from it
Sign up for my client’s email list and make sure the automated sign up process works as intended
Remove the “test” sign ups for their email list, that I used while developing the website
Leave a comment on a blog post and make sure approvals and notifications happen as planned
Schedule an appointment through the integrated scheduling calendar, if used
Place a test order in the online store, if used
Check any other integrations used, for example the Accessibility widget and blog share buttons.
Make sure the website’s favicon is showing up correctly
Check every page on different sized screens, especially mobile. Responsively is my favorite tool for this.
Review the website load speed, using a tool like Pingdom
> SEO checksRun an SEO analysis tool like Screaming Frog, to make sure I didn’t miss any best-practice SEO settings
Check that the SSL certificate is in place so that browsers don’t reject the site as insecure and not trustworthy
If part of our scope together, help my client to submit their new website sitemap through Google Search Console.
Remove any dead or draft pages that we eventually decided not to use in the live website
> Backups & tidyingTake screenshots and PDF snapshots of every website page
Make a basic, worst-case site backup in xml format (this is a WordPress format, so not super-useful, but better than nothing!)
Use the section “heart” icon to make a mini backup of every section on every page
Send my client a congratulatory message that the website has passed my initial checks, with the go-ahead to start sharing it with others (see part 2 of this series, coming soon)
> Training, handover & promotionHold one or more training & handover Zoom calls with my client, showing them how to accomplish the tasks they’re most likely to do on the new site. Examples often include: updating their bio, adding a blog post, or sending the first email to their new email list.
Add recordings from these personalized training sessions to a secret page inside the website, so my client has a mini training library to refer to later
Remind my client to cancel their existing hosting, if they migrated from another provider
If my client had a previous Squarespace website (for example, version 7.0), help them request a refund for the time not used on their old payment subscription
Possibly update my portfolio to showcase the new website
Schedule when I’m going to share the client’s new website on Instagram
Schedule when I’m going to share the client’s new website, thereby promoting my client and their work, with my email list
Update my notes including any custom CSS code I used, and tidy my project files so that I am well-placed to help out in future, if needed
Ask my client for feedback on working together, so I can keep improving and refining this process
Continue to monitor any significant changes from Squarespace that would impact my client’s website, continue to support and amplify their work, and be available for future training or website updates, when agreed
All of these things happen after my client thinks their author website is “done”
This checklist for a new website is a great illustrator for the difference I make in assuring a high quality result for you. I know what’s necessary and I have my eye on both the big picture and these details. This means you don’t have to worry about this list, or in most cases, even know that these tasks exist.
In other words, you can get on with the work you love.
Note: Squarespace offers a website launch checklist here, but it also covers multiple steps before you publish. This is my more comprehensive list for the details I check right at the end of a project.
In the next article in this series, I’ll give tips on how and where you should share your new website, to get the most impact from it.
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The 36 tasks above all happen near the end, with the website going live. For the project overall, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of tasks involved in making a professional quality website. My guess is you’d prefer not to spend your time and energy navigating all of these.
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