A launch checklist for a small business website

Use this checklist before a small business website goes live. It covers what visitors need and what search engines look for.

Content

1. Say what you do in one sentence at the top of the home page.
2. List your services in plain words, each with its own section or page.
3. Show proof: real photos of your work, customer quotes you have permission to use, or example projects.
4. Add an about page so visitors know who they are dealing with.
5. Check spelling, names, phone numbers and email addresses. One wrong digit costs you a customer.

Contact and conversion

1. Make the next step obvious: a clear button such as "Get a quote" on every page.
2. Test your contact form end to end. Submit it and confirm the message actually reaches your inbox.
3. Ask for only what you need. Every extra field lowers the number of people who finish.
4. Show a real way to reach you, such as an email address and, if you take calls, a phone number.

Mobile and speed

1. View every page on a phone. Most visitors will.
2. Compress images. Modern formats such as WebP are much smaller than large JPEGs.
3. Give images width and height so the page does not jump while loading.
4. Run a free speed test such as PageSpeed Insights and fix the biggest items.

Search basics

1. Give every page a unique title and description.
2. Use one clear heading (H1) per page.
3. Add alt text to meaningful images.
4. Create a sitemap and a robots.txt file so search engines find your pages.
5. Register with Google Search Console and submit your sitemap.
6. Add structured data for your business so search engines understand who you are.
7. If you serve a local area, create a Google Business Profile.

Trust and legal

1. Use HTTPS on every page.
2. Publish a privacy policy, especially if you collect information through a form or accounts. See our guide to privacy policies and terms.
3. Include any license or registration numbers your industry requires.
4. Check accessibility: readable text size, enough color contrast, and keyboard-usable forms.

Operations

1. Know who hosts the site and who to call if it goes down. See hosting and maintenance.
2. Make sure the domain is registered in your name and set to renew.
3. Set up email on your domain so your address matches your business.
4. Back up the site and any data it holds.

After launch

Re-test the contact form, watch Search Console for errors, and update the site when your services or contact details change. A site that is current earns more trust than one that looks abandoned.