A new website: checklist for before and after launch

Published 8 October 2026 4 min read

It is easy to keep putting off the launch of a new website. There is always one more text to polish or a photo that should be retaken. But the site does not have to be finished on launch day. A few basics need to be right, and the rest can follow.

This list works for a company and an association alike. It has three parts: what the site must have, what to check before launch and what can wait.

Part 1: what the site must have on launch day

1. Who you are, what you do and where

The first screen should answer these questions in two lines. “Bookkeeping and payroll for companies in Oulu.” “Volleyball club in the Lahti region, juniors and a recreational league for adults.” History and values belong further down.

2. How to reach you

A phone number that can be tapped on a phone and an e-mail address that someone reads. For an association, a shared address (such as board@ or info@) is better than the chair’s own, because it does not change with the person.

3. What you offer and what it costs

For a company, services and prices, or at least the price range. Without a price, many readers assume it is more expensive. For an association, what you do, the membership fee and how to join.

4. Opening hours or upcoming events

If you have premises, the opening hours. If you are an association, the next meeting, training sessions or event. Keep this part short enough that someone will keep it up to date.

5. A few real photos

Three is enough: the premises or entrance, the people or the work, and one photo of what you do. Stock photos are easy to spot. Make sure the people in the photos have given permission.

6. Privacy and identification

A privacy policy if the site has a form or visitor statistics. A cookie banner if you use tracking that needs cookies. The footer should also show the official name of the company or association and its business ID or association register number, so readers know who they are dealing with.

Part 2: check before the link goes out

Open the site on a phone. Try a poor connection too. Most readers arrive on a phone.
Send every form once yourself. Does the message arrive, and at the right address?
Tap every link and phone number.
Read the texts aloud. That is the best way to catch typos and outdated details.
Check the language versions. If the site has several languages, ask someone who knows the language well to read them.
Domain and e-mail. Does the address work both with and without www? Does e-mail on your own domain still work after the name servers have changed?
Old pages. If you are replacing an old site, check which old subpages show up in search results or are linked from other sites, and make sure their information is on the new site. Google updates its results within a few weeks.
Google. Update the link and details in your Business Profile, and add the site to Google Search Console.

Part 3: can wait for the first few weeks

These are useful, but none of them is a reason to delay the launch.

A long introduction and history. Write it calmly once the first rush is over.
News or a blog. Only when there is something to say and someone with time to write.
More languages. Needed if your readers speak other languages, but they do not block the launch.
Embedded social media feeds. They slow the page down and break. A link is enough.
An online shop or member register. A project of its own. Do not tie the launch to it; a link will do to start with.

Decide who keeps it up to date

Many websites go stale because nobody knows whose job updating is. Agree on it before launch.

Who updates and who approves? In a company it can be the same person. In an association it is good to have at least two people with access and to write the responsibility into the board’s duties.
Where are the logins? Everyone who updates the site should have their own login. A shared password gets lost when people change.
What gets updated regularly? Prices, opening hours, the board, events. Put a reminder in the calendar.

On our sites everyone who updates has their own login and role, and a change is made by writing what needs to change. You see a preview before publishing, and you can go back to an earlier version. That way updating does not depend on one person.

Two weeks later

Book half an hour in the calendar two weeks after launch. Then go through: are the contact details, prices and times still right, have messages come in through the forms, and does the site show up on Google when you search for your name? Something has usually changed. That is normal, and it is why updating needs to be easy.

Still wondering about something?

Just ask. We usually answer the same working day, even if it’s not about an order.