Launching a website can be quite exciting but also a little overwhelming because there are a lot of factors that you need to keep in mind. User experience is one of those factors and the main topic we’re talking about today.  In this article I summarized 7 essential steps for a website launch to make the process of publishing a website easier for you!

1. Test every link

Checking every link and assuring that there are no broken links on your website is a crucial step for having a good user experience. A bunch of broken links can frustrate your users and make them turn away from your website. Links on your homepage are also a crucial factor for search engine ranking because they can impact the ability of search engines to index a site properly. This means a site can miss out on traffic. To verify that every link is working, you just have to test/click them all. Start with your home site and go through all the subpages. Don’t forget to check the footer links and the menu links too. Assuring that visitors can easily navigate the site, without being led to a dead end, increases the overall user-friendliness and user experience. 

2. Optimize your images

In this step you need to find the balance between visual aesthetic and website performance. Images play a big role in the overall look and feel of your website and they help engage the audience. But if the images are too big, they can slow down your website drastically. Make sure you resize, compress and format your images but also keep the quality of the image up. Read more on how to optimize your images here. By reducing file sizes without compromising quality, we ensure faster loading times, a smoother user experience, and improved SEO rankings. 

3. Check the site on a smartphone and tablet

Over 55% of website traffic comes from mobile devices. Statistics like these make it one of the most important steps to check your website for responsibility. Read more on what responsive design is and why it is important here. Check your website on as many devices as possible to make sure your users have a seamless experience on your website. Key factors of checking your website on all devices are the responsiveness, readability and functionality. Make any adjustments as needed with custom CSS and media-queries for different breakpoints for your design. 

4. Test your forms

To make the user experience not only smooth but also productive, test all the forms you have on your website. Forms play a huge role on how your clients or potential clients can get in touch with you, so functionality is very crucial. While checking your forms, make sure to keep following key points in mind: 

• Is it easy to fill out the form?
• Do the error messages make sense? 
• Is it communicated whether data is collected or not?
• Do users need an auto response email after they submit a form?

5. Test your social media links

Social media links and active social media accounts communicate authenticity and build up trust. Make that count by checking if your accounts are linked correctly. Social media has become a big part of engaging with your audience, so make sure you also link your website on your social media accounts and vice versa. If your social media accounts are linked with icons, make sure that they are clearly visible and also placed in the footer of your website. 

6. Check your social preview links

This is a step that most people like to forget or don’t even know about. You have control over the preview image when you share your website’s link and these preview links determine how your website appears when shared on social media platforms. In this step we test if the title, featured image and description are accurately represented. 

7. Proofread your content

Proofreading is an important and often underestimated step when launching a website. It’s the final sweep that can make all the differences in how people perceive your online presence. Read through your website, from the headlines, over the paragraphs and to the contact information. Pay attention to grammar, spelling and formatting to make sure your message is communicated clearly and effectively.