Resources/Guides/Guide

Final website launch checklist

In Chapter 9, you'll get your final website checklist to make sure you're ready for visitors. Don't forget to do these 8 things before you launch.

You’ve reached the final chapter of this guide. Congratulations! By now, you’ve:

Selected your website domain
Chosen a website-building platform
Researched and planned your website content
Built your homepage, sales pages, and additional website pages
Crafted a logical header navigation and footer
Personalized your site with cool graphic design features

You’re almost ready to share your work with fans and potential customers, so here are a few final things to check.

Final website checklist (8 steps to take before launch)

Check your permalinks
Make sure each page has a meta description and SEO image
Check your buttons
Delete filler text
Update your site’s meta description, SEO image, and favicon
Look at your website on desktop and mobile
Run your site through Grammarly
Send your site to a few friends and loved ones for feedback

#1 Check your permalinks

Permalinks are the individual URLs where each page lives on your website.

For example, the permalink for my About page is https://yourbestroadtrip.podia.com/about

You can edit the permalinks for each page of your website by clicking the gear icon next to the page name in the website editor.

Make sure the links are concise without long strings of autogenerated numbers.

A few words describing what’s on the page work great.

Also, it’s best to remove dates from your permalink structure so your content doesn’t look outdated in the future. Once you start sharing your links far and wide, it’s better not to change them.

#2 Check page descriptions and SEO images

In addition to updating permalinks, you should also check the SEO descriptions and images for each page. Make sure each page has a few sentences explaining what it contains since this can help with your SEO rankings. (It’s okay if you don’t have an image for each page. If you leave this blank, Podia will use your default website SEO image instead.)

You can edit the description and image for each page of your website by clicking the gear icon next to the page name in the website editor.

#3 Check your buttons

Make sure all your buttons and links go where you want them to go. It can be easy to accidentally forget to type in a destination link, and now’s a good time to test. When I went through Your Best Road Trip, I found several places where I’d left a button pointing nowhere, so really do try to click on everything.

#4 Delete filler text

If you used filler text (like Lorem ipsum) make sure to delete it before going live. When you insert a new section into your site, it will often autofill in some text so you can see what the section looks like. Make sure you’ve swapped in your own words or deleted any text you’re not using. I’ve even seen corporate sites that forget to do this!

#5 Add your site meta description, favicon, and SEO image

Your site meta description, default image, and favicon are small details that can make your page look more professional.

Meta description: Your meta description should be short, no more than 1-2 sentences, and include a high-level synopsis of the work you do.
Default image: This is the image that appears in the preview when your website is shared. It might also appear alongside your website in search results. You can create a generic brand image using Canva or use your logo.
Favicon: Look at the tabs you have open in your browser. Do you see the little images next to each one? These are favicons. You can use Canva to create one of your own.

To edit these features, click on the “Site settings” button at the bottom of the left-hand editing menu.

Upload your favicon and add your description and image, then click “Publish”.

Now when visitors have your website open, they’ll see your little icon in the tab along with the name of your page.

#6 Check your website on different devices

Pull up your website on your mobile device and desktop. Try to view it on as many different screen sizes as possible. Are there any areas that look wonky? Now’s the time to adjust.

#7 Run your entire site through Grammarly

Grammarly is a free online spelling and grammar checker. It’s an excellent resource for catching typos on your site, so I highly recommend copying and pasting every piece of text you’ve written into Grammarly before publishing.

(I just pasted my website text for Your Best Road Trip into Grammarly and found several small errors. Don’t skip this step!)

#8 Ask for feedback from loved ones

Finally, send your website to a few trusted friends or loved ones for feedback. They can let you know if something’s hard to read, the navigation is confusing, a product needs more explanation, or a page is showing up funny on their devices. Sometimes looking at something for hours makes us miss details others see right away.

If you don’t have anyone you feel comfortable asking, head to the Podia creator community . It’s free for all Podia users, and you can post your website in the “I made this” topic to get feedback from other creators.

Remember, done is better than perfect. The beautiful thing about websites is that you can update them whenever you want. If you notice a typo next week, you can hop in and fix it. If you want to change your About page or decide that a picture isn’t working for you anymore, that’s an easy fix too. Don’t let perfectionism prevent you from launching. Let’s get your work out there!

Where to promote your website

Now that you’ve got a website that will make the titans cry tears of joy, it’s time to promote it. Here are some places you can share your snazzy new link.

Put your website in your link in bio on social media (bonus points if you make a dedicated link in bio page on your website! Here’s how to do it )
Link to your website from your YouTube videos and channel homepage
Add it to your email footer
Add it to your professional profile on LinkedIn
Create business cards if you’re interacting with your target audience face to face (conferences, summits, word of mouth)

You have a website, now what?

You’ve sorted out your website, which means you’ve tackled a huge piece of the online entrepreneurship puzzle! After you’ve taken a nap and treated yourself to some ice cream to celebrate, here are some other things you can do to build your business.

Start your email list

All creative business owners should have an email list. Your email list is a great way to connect with your target audience in a more intimate setting – their inbox. You don’t have to worry about algorithms and advertisers stealing your audience's attention. For Podia users, you can start building your email list for free.

Here are some resources to help you grow your email list:

Create a digital product to sell

Chances are, you’ve got knowledge that other people are willing to pay for. Writing an ebook, creating an online course, offering coaching, or even hosting an informational webinar can be great ways to help others and earn income.

For first-time creators, a digital download like an ebook or printable is a good place to start.

Here are helpful guides about creating digital products:

Create an online community

Like building an email list, a community allows you to connect with followers in a curated space. Online communities can be free or paid, and you can set one up for free with Podia.

Here are some resources to help you build your community:

Congratulations on creating a beautiful, free website for your online business

I want to extend an enthusiastic double-high-five to you for the work you’ve done on your website. Building a website is no small task, and you’ve done an amazing job. Websites ultimately act as an extension of ourselves in the digital world, and now you’re ready to share yours with pride.

Podia lets you build your entire website for free and even start selling digital products, so if you’re still looking for a place to call home, we’d love to have you.

That’s all there is to it! Now you’re ready to delight, inspire, inform, entertain, and educate your friends, fans, and customers. Have fun out there!