Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking at a local WordPress Meetup group to cover off on the process of putting a WordPress website live. I thought it was worthwhile summarising some of the key points of this talk, because it’s a really important process to get right.
Going live with a new WordPress website is always an exciting milestone for any business. I’ve helped numerous clients navigate this process smoothly. Today, I’m sharing some insights to help you understand what goes into launching a WordPress site and how to ensure a successful transition.
The background preparation
Unfortunately launching a website isn’t as simple as just about flipping a switch. It requires careful planning and preparation. Here are some key steps we take to ensure a smooth launch:
- Check for email hosting: Check if you are utilising email hosting on the website’s domain, as any hosting changes could affect your email hosting.
- Backup of existing site: Take a backup of the existing site to prevent loss of content or information that could be needed in the future.
- Setup redirects: Ensure that redirects are setup to map any URLs that have changes, which is important both for users and also your search visibility.
- Backup of old DNS information: Before making any changes, any existing DNS information is backed up, incase of an unexpected issue.
- Choose quality providers: Ensure you’re setup on a platform I trust for hosting, DNS and domains.
WordPress specific checks
WordPress is a great platform and choice for almost any website, but like anything it’s important it’s setup and configured well for your business. With this in mind, there are lots of WordPress specific checks and tasks I’ll run through before putting a site live:
- Content review: Double checking all content, images and links are in place and working as expected, and ensuring that any default, demo or placeholder content has been removed.
- Ensure everything is up date: Checking that WordPress, and all plugins and themes are up to date, and there are no plugins or themes installed that aren’t required and in use.
- User audit: Checking that all user accounts on the site are required, that they have the correct roles and secure passwords setup.
- Check WordPress settings: Ensuring the settings have been configured for the business, which is important for SEO, security, reducing spam and the ongoing operation of the site.
The go live process
When your site has had final approval from your end, it’s time to put it live. This process can be vary depending on your site, but here is a simplified overview of the process.
- Domain Connection: We point your domain name to hosting for your new website. This involves updating DNS settings, which essentially changes the addresses and services that your domain is connected to like your hosting and email.
- SSL Setup: We ensure your site is secure by setting up an SSL certificate, giving your site that important “https” prefix.
- Final Checks: Once the site is live, we perform a series of checks to ensure everything is working correctly on the live environment.
Post launch activities
The work doesn’t stop once your site is live. Here are some important post-launch steps I take to help set your new website up for success.
- Setup Google Analytics: So you can monitor traffic and results from your website
- Search Engine Notification: We submit your new site to Google and set up an essential tool called Google’s tool Search Console to help monitor and stay on top of your search visibility
- Performance tests: We conduct speed tests and monitor your site’s performance to ensure it’s running optimally.
- Backup confirmation: We verify that regular backups are in place to protect your new site.
Why professional help matters
While it’s possible to launch a WordPress site on your own, having professional assistance can make a significant difference. At Presstwood Design, we bring years of experience to ensure:
- A smooth, stress-free launch process
- Minimal downtime during the transition
- Preservation of important data and SEO rankings
- Quick resolution of any unforeseen issues
In closing
Launching your new WordPress website should be an exciting time for your business. With proper planning and expertise, you can ensure your new site makes the impact you’re aiming for.
If you’ve recently put a website, and looking for the best way to kick-start your online presence, check out our website launch guide – it’s covers off the key things that can make a difference for a new site to help it get established and start working for your business.
Ready to launch your new WordPress site? Let’s talk about how we can make your website launch a success, get in touch here.
