A handy step-by-step guide for making the most of your digital marketing investment Before, During, and After the launch.
So you did the thing. That’s awesome. But just because your website is launched and now live for the internet to see doesn’t mean it’s going to automatically start working for you. Wouldn’t it be nice if it did?! Before we take you down the website launch checklist of places to add or update your website URL, we want to offer a quick look at what should be happening on/inside your website at the time it goes live.
Before: What to Do Pre-Launch
Before you shout your URL from the rooftops or post it to your social media stories, confirm with your web developer (that’s us!) that a few key functions are installed, connected, and working in the website code. These pieces are part of our pre-flight checklist at Neat + Nimble, and we welcome a quick confirmation conversation as part of pre-launch approval with clients.
Install Google Analytics (GA4)
A WordPress plugin like Google Site Kit, or code added manually to the head tag, gives you the longest range of insights down the road. For a brand new site, this can happen any time during the build. If you’re refreshing an existing site, it’s often saved for launch day so tracking carries over seamlessly from the old site to the new one.
Quick note: We help clients set up their own Analytics account and then grant us access, so you always own your data and keep your records if you ever make a change. It’s part of our practice as a company that values transparency and autonomy. We want a lasting client relationship to be a choice, not a feeling of being stuck just because we helped you in the beginning.
Connect Google Search Console (GSC)
Adding your site through Site Kit on WordPress, or connecting it manually, matters for the same reason as Analytics. The longer it’s installed, the more data and history you’ll have for decisions later.
We connect client sites through our own Search Console account so we can manage the data and connections that tend to be more advanced than most clients want to review. If you have a Search Console account and prefer to grant us access, we’re happy to connect it that way.
Generate a Sitemap
WordPress creates one on its own, and most SEO plugins support generation too. A sitemap is an XML file, written in Extensible Markup Language, that gives search engines like Google and Bing a map of your pages so they can crawl and index them. Without one, search engines have to find your pages by following links, which can mean slower indexing and some pages getting missed entirely.
We confirm your sitemap is generated and submitted as part of our pre-flight checklist, so this one is handled for you. It’s still worth knowing it exists, since it’s one of the first things to check if a page isn’t showing up in search. Submitting it to Bing Webmaster Tools as well as Google covers both indexes, which matters now that several AI search tools draw on Bing’s index too.
During: What We Do on Launch Day
On launch day, we test your site across common devices and browsers, and we submit every form to confirm the messages land in the right inbox. We confirm Analytics, Search Console, and your sitemap are connected and reporting. Then we go live, removing any maintenance mode or splash page and making the home page the official version. If it was set to “disable” during the development process, we also update your WordPress reading settings to allow search engines to index the site.
Approximately thirty days later, we send you a check-in email to hear how things are going, what’s working, and what you’d like to adjust.
One ask before we flip the switch: open the site on your own phone and computer. You know how your customers show up, and a second set of eyes on real devices catches things we can’t.
After: Your Post-Launch Checklist
Once your site is live, the next set of tasks are for you. They’re simple, and they’re where your new site starts earning its keep. Links from credible places help search engines trust your site, and consistent information across the web helps people (and search engines and AI) confirm you’re the real thing. None of this promises a ranking. It builds a foundation that compounds over time.
Take it for a test drive
- Browse every page on your phone, your tablet, and at least two browsers
- Submit each form yourself and confirm you receive the message
- Click every button and menu link
Why it matters: You’re the best judge of what your customers will experience. Catching a broken button on day one is a lot better than hearing about it from a lost lead. We do this on our side too, but we’re human, so having a second (or third) set of eyes helps catch anything that is accidentally missed.
Places to Update with Your New Website
1. Google Business Profile
- Update the website URL
- Confirm hours, phone number, address, and service categories
- Add a few fresh photos
Why it matters: For local businesses, this profile often shows up before your website does. It also feeds Google Maps, and AI search features can pull business details from it.
2. Directories and Listings
- Chamber of Commerce and industry association member pages
- Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, and any industry-specific directories
- Keep your business name, address, and phone number identical everywhere
Why it matters: Each listing that links to your site is a small vote of credibility. Consistent details make it easy for search engines to confirm they’re all the same business. Contact us if you’d like help drafting new bios for your social profiles.
3. Social profiles
- Update the website link on every profile, including:
- TikTok
- LinkedIn company page
- Threads
- X
- YouTube
- Link-in-bio tools
- Refresh bios so they match your new messaging
Why it matters: These are some of the most visible places people look you up, and old links send them to the wrong place. If your message has evolved, so should your listings. Contact us if you’d like help drafting new bios for your social profiles.
4. Email signatures, print, and everyday materials
- Email signatures for every team member
- Invoices, proposals, business cards, brochures, and packaging
- Any QR codes pointing to old pages
- *If you have old redirects in tools like Bit.ly or other link shorteners, be sure to setup new re-directs if needed to avoid 404 errors.
Why it matters: Every touchpoint should send people to the same place and look like the same brand.
5. Partners, vendors, and people who already link to you
- Make a list of businesses, suppliers, and collaborators who link to your old site
- Send a short, friendly note with your new URL and ask them to update it
Why it matters: Redirects carry most of the value from old links. A direct link to your new site is cleaner and keeps working even if redirects change later.
6. Press and past media mentions
- Search your business or organization name (and your own name) for articles, podcasts, and blog features
- Where an article links to an old URL, ask the publisher to update it
- Where an article mentions you without a link, politely ask whether they’d add one
Why it matters: Links from credible publications are among the strongest signals your site can earn. Now that your site is built, these mentions are worth going back to. Most writers are glad to fix a link, and the request takes two minutes.
After: What to Update the First Year After Your Website Launches
- Put a quarterly reminder on your calendar to review your website for outdated info or signup for our WordPress Care and Website Maintenance Service.
- Add new projects, team members, and testimonials as they happen
Why it matters: A site that stays current gives search engines and visitors a reason to trust it.
Want a Hand After Launch?
Everything above is doable on your own, and plenty of our clients do it. If you’d rather have someone in your corner, that’s what we’re here for. We built your site, we know how it’s put together, and we’re around after launch for updates, check-ins, and the “can you look at this?” questions that come up as your business grows. Your accounts stay yours, and you’re free to go your own way any time. We trust we’ll earn a future of working together.
Learn more about how we design and develop websites that keep working after launch.