Quick WPEngine Site Launch Checklist
Here’s a quick WPE Site Launch checklist for launching WordPress sites for the first time on WPEngine assuming you’ve already done the basics like setting your permalinks, etc.
- Delete any unused pages and that “Hello World” post
- Make sure that your contact form is working correctly and mailing the right people.
- Make sure your privacy policy page has been setup and is included in your footer navigation.
- Set your footer copyright date to update automatically
- Ensure SEO information has been added to your pages and posts
- Test on some actual mobile devices. Okay yes this is basic but it’s easy to overlook and use mobile emulation modes in your browser. There is no substitute for testing a site on as many mobile devices as you can.
- Setup free SSL certificates for both domain versions
- In wp-config.php set define( ‘DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT’, true ); to block file edits in themes or plugins from the WordPress backend.
- Test your Google Analytics setup and configure goals. Also consider anonymizing IP addresses with your GA tag by swapping out your gtag line with this snytax: gtag(‘config’, ”, { ‘anonymize_ip’: true });
- Setup Google Webmasters for all domain variations.
- Spell check your pages. Consider using Grammarly for this and while you’re at it make sure your writing is bold and clear.
- Replace your WPEngine urls with your domain urls in the database. You may want to use a plugin for this.
- After your dns has been pointed, change your WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) to your new web address in WordPress settings > General at /wp-admin/options-general.php
- In WPEngine’s Domains panel, set your primary domain and redirect the other domains
- In WPEngine’s SSL panel, ensure the certificates are set for all urls and WordPress admin pages for WP-Login and WP-Admin are set to HTTPS only
- Go to the Utilities panel and reset your file permissions if anything has been loaded over sftp or ssh and enable Object caching
- Ensure you haven’t Password Protected the site in the Utilities panel.
- Check the site for broken links.
- Test what your site will look like if it’s put on Social Media with
- Set a “Launch” backup point in WPEngine.
Bonus WordPress Site Launch Checklist
- Setup a prior soft launch date for the site where co-workers, friends and family members can try out the site as your secret QA team.
- Notify your secret QA team of the soft launch.
- Prepare your social media and email blasts.
- Prepare to link to your WPEngine from your other websites.
- Actively request feedback from your secret QA team. If you have time, create a way where they can send the feedback anonymously.
- Thank your team and get to work on adjustments if they’re merited.
Final Checklist After (Successful) Soft Launch
- Test new adjustments.
- Add links to site on other websites.
- Fire off social blasts.
What did I miss in this checklist?
Photo by Ryan Wong