Checklist with 5 Steps to Review Before Publishing Your Site with WordPress in 2021

Creating your own page on the Internet does not require a high knowledge of technology, but you have to provide high quality content if you want to stand out in the virtual world. And a little more. Newbies (and not only them) often use WordPress when creating and publishing their first website as it is a more convenient platform for those who do not have much experience with the subject.

To ensure the quality of your WordPress website, there are a few things you should check. Make a list of steps to complete before the final launch of your website and make sure everything works perfectly and without potential glitches.

To help you with the process, we have prepared a sample roadmap (checklist) with the 5 steps that should be completed before publishing your website and presenting it to the rest of the world. A list like this will help you to follow the launch process more easily and check if each item is working properly.

1. Check if Everything Is Installed Correctly     

The first phase of the process focuses on the installation of the most essential elements of a web page, which are the following:

•  Domain: Check if the domain and URL of your page are well written. These aspects help the user to find you, and it is essential to do them perfectly. Select a name that is related to the topic and your business and is easy to remember.
•  Web hosting: Web hosting is a very important factor that determines the speed, reliability, and performance of a web page . It is necessary to choose one whose servers work perfectly, without failures, or problems that would affect your SEO negatively. 

The third part of the first phase is the installation of WordPress, that is, checking if the CMS works well. The WordPress CMS allows you to build your website and design it how you want. It is often included in the web hosting you already have and does not require additional installation, but if your hosting does not offer such a service, you can download the installation file from the official WordPress website.

This phase can be observed as a reminder to check if the fundamental elements of WordPress are established in a correct way. If everything is ready, we can move on to the next phase.

2. Make sure your Website is Well Protected     

When it comes to the Internet, protection is a crucial issue that should not be overlooked. WordPress offers many plugins that can help you take your website protection to the next level and launch it without worrying about potential problems and it is recommended to use them to ensure that no one else can access your data. The aspects that require your attention are the following:

• Username: If you used the default name admin during installation, now is the time to change it to a more personalized name.
• Password: Instead of putting weak passwords ( 123456 , qwerty , etc.), which are convenient for hackers, use a password generator and protect your site entirely.
• The database prefix: Don't forget to change your database prefix (if you use the default wp_ prefix ).
• Spam: Eliminating spam 100% is not always possible, but there are several ways to reduce it. For example, you can configure the comments section and review the options that determine whether visitor comments have to be approved before posting or if users have to register before leaving comments. This can reduce spam and provide a higher level of protection.
• Backups: It is not necessary to list reasons why you should make backup copies from time to time since it is a primary option to save your data in case of server failures, cyberattacks, or other problems that can affect security of your essential data.

3. Take into account the configuration of your website in WordPress     

The configuration phase involves a certain level of the technical part of the process since you must focus on the organization of the website, which includes the taxonomy of the site, the correction of 404 errors, creation of the site map, creation of the different pages , and configuration of other equally important elements. Let's see more details:

• Site Taxonomy: Site Taxonomy refers to how you want to deliver your content, categories, tags, posts, and more.
• 404 errors: A 404 error informs the user that the desired page does not exist. These errors are not good for SEO (which we will talk about later) and should be identified and corrected using the most appropriate tools and plugins .
• Sitemap: Sitemap helps visitors navigate your page more easily. This map can be created with certain plugins or tools.
• The theme of your site: WordPress offers a lot of themes that you can choose and adapt to your needs.
• Adaptation to mobiles: You should not forget to check if your website can be adapted to devices with a small screen. This factor is essential since it influences the SEO positioning of your page.

4. Don't Forget About SEO Optimization     

You should not forget to optimize your website for search engines before launching it if you want to achieve success on the Internet and if you want your effort to pay off. It is essential to optimize all aspects of your page, including written content, images, videos, sales pages, etc. In this way, search engines can identify your content and give your page the opportunity to be seen by users.

Here are some suggestions regarding SEO optimization:

• Optimize images and add the alt tag : It is essential to optimize your images with the alt tag , especially if they take up a lot of space, before publishing the website to avoid loading problems.
• Create landing pages : If you want to highlight certain content, product, or service, it is recommended to create a separate page (landing page). These pages are convenient for SEO as they promote a specific objective and do not distract the visitor from the main objective.
•  Add translations in multiple languages: This is a perfect technique for those who want their page to become an international site.
• Check if your site works in several search engines: It is essential to test the functionality of your website in several browsers to ensure that it is available to all users.
• Check SEO of the particular content: Use the tools to check if your content meets the requirements more or less established by Google - the number of characters (no more than 70 in titles and less than 160 in meta-descriptions), keywords mentioned in titles, and more.

In addition, it is recommended to do the checks from time to time to correct errors and make the necessary updates. Understand that SEO is a continuous process that requires constant and non-stop work. It is unlikely that you will see results immediately, but you should wait for a period to pass - it is important not to give up, but to be persistent; the results will come in the end.

5. Prepare for Launch     

We finally reached the last phase of our roadmap. If you have completed all the steps in an effective way, it is time to do a few more things before the launch of your wonderful page. This phase is most important for those developing the page for a client, but can be useful for those who created the site for themselves.

Let's see what you must complete to finish the check:

• Collect all documentation: Collect all usernames, passwords, server access, FTP accounts, and other important data and create a document for your client.
• Keep in touch with your client: It is suggested to keep in touch with your client through email or occasional meetings to see if all is well with the website.
• Include website in portfolio: If you want to enrich your portfolio and present yourself as a WordPress professional developers, add the website to your CV and take advantage of many job opportunities that you will have in the future.

Conclusion - Is a Checklist Sufficient to Ensure the Functioning of My Website?

A checklist like this can help you a lot when it comes to reviewing all aspects of your WordPress website, and it is recommended to have it as long as you develop a web page. Of course, all the aspects already mentioned require your constant attention since you never know what can happen and for what reason. The plugins offered by WordPress will facilitate your work and you can always count on them when making improvements to the website.