The Developer’s Checklist for Launching a New Website
Before taking your new website live, follow this comprehensive developer’s checklist to ensure smooth launch, optimal performance, SEO readiness, and mobile responsiveness. Ideal for Indian startups and developers.
Launching a new website is an exciting milestone, whether you’re a freelancer, part of a digital agency, or a startup in India gearing up to go live. But the success of that launch doesn’t just depend on how good the design looks—it’s all about performance, security, SEO, and user experience.
This blog presents a complete checklist for web developers to ensure that nothing important is missed before hitting the “go live” button. From backend setup to mobile responsiveness and analytics, this guide will help you launch a website that’s reliable, fast, and user-friendly.
Cross-Browser and Device Testing
India has a diverse user base using different devices and browsers. Test your website on:
Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
Android and iOS smartphones
Tablets and laptops of various screen sizes
Use tools like BrowserStack or LambdaTest to test your website across different environments.
Mobile Responsiveness
With over 70% of web traffic in India coming from mobile devices, your site must be fully responsive.
Use media queries to handle different screen sizes.
Ensure buttons and links are easily tappable.
Avoid horizontal scrolling.
Optimise layout for portrait orientation.
Page Speed Optimisation
Checklist:
Compress images using TinyPNG or ImageOptim
Minify HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Enable lazy loading and browser caching
Use CDNs like Cloudflare
SEO Essentials
Use proper heading tags
Unique meta titles and descriptions
Image alt tags and clean URLs
Sitemap and robots.txt
Implement schema markup
Secure and Functional Forms
Add validation on all fields
Implement reCAPTCHA
Ensure secure form submissions
Display confirmation messages
SSL Certificate and HTTPS Setup
Install an SSL certificate
Redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS
Fix mixed content issues
CMS and Plugin Updates
Update CMS core, themes, and plugins
Delete unused plugins
Test compatibility
Backup before major updates
404 Pages and Redirects
Custom 404 page
301 redirects for old URLs
Scan for broken links
Analytics and Tracking Setup
Install Google Analytics (GA4)
Connect Google Search Console
Set conversion goals
Backup and Recovery Plans
Enable automated backups
Store backups in the cloud
Test the recovery process
Legal and Compliance Checks
Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions
Cookie consent banners
Follow India’s DPDP Act if collecting data
Final Content and Proofreading
Correct spelling and grammar
Ensure accurate contact details
Remove dummy content
Hosting and Domain Readiness
Choose reliable hosting (Hostinger India, Bluehost India)
DNS properly configured
SSL active and domain renewed
14. Final Launch Checklist Summary
Mobile responsiveness
Cross-browser testing
Page speed optimisation
SEO setup
Secure forms
SSL setup
CMS/plugin updates
404 & redirect management
Analytics integration
Backup & recovery
Legal compliance
Proofreading & content check
Hosting & domain configuration
Conclusion
Launching a website in India isn’t just about building something visually appealing—it’s about optimising performance, ensuring security, and maximising user experience from day one.
This developer’s checklist is your safeguard against missed steps and post-launch headaches. Whether for e-commerce, a local service, or a portfolio, double-check every item before going live.
A smooth, secure, and SEO-optimised website sets the tone for digital success.
