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What should you check before a new website goes live?

Ascent Vision · Published October 25, 2026

Before a new website goes live, tap every phone number and send a test through every form from a phone, and make sure each one reaches a person. Check that the services, area and hours are right, that a visitor sees a clear thank-you step, and that every old page address still leads to its new page. Confirm the domain, hosting and logins are in the business's name. Then watch the first week's inquiries by source.

Inquiries first: phone links and forms

A website's main job is to turn a visitor into an inquiry, so test that path before anything else. On your own phone, tap every phone number and email link on the site and confirm each one opens the right number or address. Fill in every form with a real test message and confirm it lands in an inbox someone reads, not only in the builder's list of entries.

If a test does not arrive, the related answer on contact forms that stop sending email lists the usual causes. It is worth repeating the test from a second phone or computer, since a form can work on one device and fail on another.

The details a customer acts on

• Business name, phone number and email, the same on every page.
• The services you offer, worded the way customers ask for them.
• The towns or area you serve, stated plainly.
• Opening hours, including any emergency or after-hours line.
• Any license number or insurance line you show, current and correct.
• No placeholder text, sample photos or leftover template pages.

What a visitor sees

Read the whole site on a phone, not only on the builder's preview screen; the related answer on whether a website needs to work on phones has a quick check. After a test inquiry, the visitor should see a confirmation that says when you will reply, as the related answer on what a thank-you page should say sets out.

The web address should start with https on every page, including the one with the form; the related answer on HTTPS explains why and how to check.

Old addresses, and who holds the keys

If the new site replaces an old one, every old page address that customers have saved or other sites link to should lead to its new page rather than an error. The related answer on whether a new website or domain will hurt your Google results explains why, and what to ask the builder to handle.

Before you pay the final invoice, confirm that the domain name, the hosting account and the website builder login are in the business's name, tied to an email address the business controls, and that the business holds the passwords itself. The related answer on what you should get from a website review includes the same ownership check.

The first week after launch

It usually helps to launch on a day when someone can watch the phone and inbox, not just before a holiday or a busy weekend. During the first week, send one more test inquiry, and record where each new inquiry came from: search, AI answer, social, referral, paid, email, campaign or direct.

Then compare the count with the weeks before the launch. The related answer on telling whether a website change worked sets out a fair comparison, including what to do when the numbers are too small to read.

Related answers

• Why is my website's contact form not sending me emails?
• Will a new website or a new domain name hurt how you show up on Google?
• How do you tell whether a change to your website worked?
• Does a small business website really need to work well on phones?
• What should a website say after someone sends an inquiry?
• Does a small business website need HTTPS?
• What should you get from a website review?