What to Do After Your Website Launches (The Post-Launch Checklist You Actually Need)
You did it. Your website is live.
You've spent weeks (maybe months) planning, designing, writing, refining. You've agonized over color choices and rewritten your homepage three times. You've checked every link, optimized every image, read through your copy one more time.
And now it's out there. Published. Live on the internet.
So... now what?
This is the moment where a lot of people exhale with relief and then sort of freeze. The launch felt like the finish line, but it's actually the starting line. Your website isn't a static thing you build once and forget about. It's a living part of your business that needs some care and attention.
But not as much as you might think. And not in the overwhelming ways you might fear.
This post is your guide to what actually matters after launch. Not every possible thing you could do, but the essential things you should do to make sure your new site works for you.
The first 24 hours: Make sure everything actually works
Before you start promoting your site or sharing it widely, take a few hours to test everything thoroughly. You've probably already done this, but do it again now that you're live.
Test every single link
Click through your entire site as if you're a visitor. Every navigation link. Every button. Every call to action. Every footer link. Make sure they all go where they're supposed to go.
Pay special attention to:
Your contact form (fill it out and submit it to yourself)
Your booking link if you have one
Any download links for freebies or resources
External links to your social media or other platforms
Email links (make sure they open your email program correctly)
Broken links on a brand new site make you look careless. Twenty minutes of clicking now saves you from losing potential clients later.
Check your mobile experience
Pull up your site on your actual phone (not just the desktop preview of mobile). Better yet, check it on multiple devices if you can. An iPhone and an Android. A tablet. A friend's phone.
Make sure:
All text is readable without zooming
Buttons are easy to tap (not too small or too close together)
Images load properly and aren't cut off weird
Forms work on mobile (this is where they often break)
Navigation is easy to use with your thumb
More than half your visitors will see your site on a phone first. If the mobile experience is frustrating, they'll leave.
Test your forms multiple times
Your contact form is one of the most important elements on your site. Test it thoroughly.
Fill it out and submit it. Did you receive the submission? Does it go to the right email? Does the person who submitted it get a confirmation message or email?
If you're using a form integration (like connecting Squarespace forms to your email platform), make sure that connection is working. Submit a test form and verify it shows up in your email system.
Nothing is worse than launching your site and finding out a week later that your contact form hasn't been working and you've missed inquiries.
Check your page speed
Use a free tool like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to check how fast your site loads. If your scores are in the red (especially on mobile), you might need to optimize your images or simplify your design.
Fast loading times aren't just nice to have. They affect your search rankings and whether people stay on your site or bounce immediately.
If your speed is slow, the most common culprit is large, unoptimized images. Compress them before uploading, or use a tool like TinyPNG or Squarespace's built-in image optimization.
Set up basic analytics
If you haven't already, now is the time to connect your site to analytics. At minimum, set up:
Google Analytics - Free and gives you comprehensive data about your traffic, where people come from, what pages they visit, how long they stay.
Google Search Console - Also free. Shows you what search terms bring people to your site, any technical issues Google finds, and helps you submit your sitemap.
Most website platforms (Squarespace, Showit, WordPress) have built-in analytics too. Use those for a quick overview, but Google Analytics gives you much more detail.
You want this set up from day one so you're collecting data from the start. You can't go back and get historical data if you wait to set this up.
The first week: Get the foundation solid
Once you've confirmed everything works, spend your first week setting up the systems that will help your site succeed long-term.
Submit your sitemap to search engines
Your sitemap is basically a map of all your pages that helps search engines index your site. Most platforms generate this automatically.
Find your sitemap (usually at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml) and submit it through Google Search Console. This tells Google "hey, my site exists, please start indexing it."
Without this step, it can take much longer for your site to start showing up in search results.
Set up your email signature
Update your email signature to include your website URL. Every email you send is now an opportunity for someone to visit your site.
Keep it simple:
[Your Name]
[Your Title/Business Name]
[Website URL]
[One relevant link - booking, services, etc.]
Claim your website on relevant platforms
Depending on your business type:
Add your website to your Google Business Profile if you have one
Update your website on any directories you're listed in
Update your Pinterest profile to link to your site
Add your site to your LinkedIn profile
These are small tasks that take five minutes each but create multiple pathways for people to find you.
Create a simple backup system
Most platforms have automatic backups, but it's worth understanding how to export your content just in case.
For Squarespace, you can export your pages as XML. For WordPress, you can export your entire site. For Showit, save copies of your design files.
You probably won't need this, but having a backup plan gives you peace of mind.
Start your content calendar
If you plan to blog or create resources regularly, now is the time to plan your content schedule. You don't need to write everything at once, but having a plan keeps you consistent.
Even if it's just "one blog post per month on the first Monday," that's a plan. Put it in your calendar. Treat it like any other business task.
Consistent content is what keeps your site alive and growing. Plan for sustainability, not perfection.
Share your site (thoughtfully)
You don't need a big launch announcement unless that feels right for you. But you should start sharing your site in natural ways:
Add it to your social media bios if you use social media
Mention it in conversations when relevant
Share it with past clients or colleagues who might be interested
Include it in your introduction when you're in networking situations
Your website is your home base now. Let people know where to find you.
The first month: Build momentum
After the initial setup week, spend your first month establishing good habits and watching what's working.
Review your analytics weekly
Set aside 15 minutes each week to check your analytics. You're not looking for vanity metrics or stressing about traffic numbers. You're looking for patterns and insights.
Questions to ask:
Which pages are people visiting most?
Where is traffic coming from (search, social, direct, referrals)?
What's your bounce rate (people who leave immediately)?
How long are people staying on your site?
Are people finding your contact page or services page?
Early data won't be conclusive, but you'll start to see what's resonating and what might need adjustment.
Publish your first few pieces of content
If you haven't already, publish your first blog posts or resources. Don't wait for perfect. Get something valuable out there.
Your first few posts are important because they:
Give search engines more content to index
Show visitors your site is active and current
Start building your content library
Help you find your rhythm with content creation
Aim for helpful over impressive. What questions do your ideal clients ask? Answer them clearly and thoroughly.
Set up email collection
If you haven't already, create at least one way for people to join your email list. This could be:
A simple newsletter signup
A free resource or guide they can download
A welcome series for new subscribers
A waitlist for your services if you're booking out
Your email list is the audience you own. Social media followers can disappear with an algorithm change. Email subscribers are yours.
Make it easy to join, and make it clear what they're signing up for.
Check for any broken links or issues
Do another round of testing. Sometimes issues appear after launch that you didn't catch initially. Browser updates, device differences, or integration glitches can cause problems.
Click through your site again. Test your forms again. Make sure everything still works as intended.
Respond to any feedback or questions
If people are reaching out with questions or feedback about your site, pay attention. They're giving you valuable information about what's working and what's confusing.
Common feedback in the first month:
"I couldn't find [specific information]" - maybe your navigation needs adjustment
"Your contact form didn't work" - time to troubleshoot
"I love [specific page]" - note what's resonating
"What does [this service] include?" - your copy might need more clarity
Early feedback helps you refine before your site has been seen by thousands of people.
Start building backlinks naturally
Backlinks (other websites linking to yours) help with SEO and bring referral traffic. You can start building these naturally by:
Guest posting on relevant blogs or podcasts
Getting listed in directories relevant to your industry
Collaborating with other businesses who might link to you
Creating resources that others want to reference
Don't stress about this in month one, but start thinking about opportunities.
The first quarter: Establish your rhythm
After the first month, you're past the urgent post-launch tasks. Now you're settling into sustainable maintenance and growth.
Develop a maintenance schedule
Create a realistic routine for keeping your site current. This might look like:
Weekly:
Check that contact forms are working
Respond to any website inquiries
Publish new content if that's your schedule
Monthly:
Review analytics and note any patterns
Update any outdated information
Add new testimonials or portfolio pieces
Check for broken links
Quarterly:
Deep review of your analytics
Update your about page if anything has changed
Refresh any stale content
Consider what's working and what could improve
This doesn't have to be rigid, but having a general rhythm prevents your site from becoming stale or neglected.
Refine based on what you're learning
After three months, you'll have enough data to make informed decisions. Look at your analytics and ask:
What pages have the highest traffic? Consider creating more content on those topics or making those pages even stronger.
What pages have high bounce rates? Something about those pages isn't working. Maybe the content doesn't match what people expected, or the page is confusing, or there's no clear next step.
What search terms are bringing people to your site? This tells you what you're ranking for. Are these the right terms? Do you need to create more content around these topics?
Where is most of your traffic coming from? If it's all direct (people typing in your URL), you might need to work on SEO or other discovery methods. If it's all from one source, you might want to diversify.
What are your conversion rates? How many people who visit your contact page actually contact you? How many blog readers sign up for your email list? These rates tell you if your calls to action are working.
Use this data to make small, strategic improvements. You're not redesigning. You're refining.
Add more content strategically
By month three, you should have a sense of what content resonates with your audience. Double down on that.
If your blog post about [specific topic] got way more traffic than others, write more on that topic. If your resources page is popular, add more resources.
Content that performs well is telling you what your audience needs. Listen to that data.
Consider seasonal updates
Depending on your business, there might be seasonal elements to update:
Holiday availability or scheduling
Seasonal services or offerings
Updated portfolio work from recent projects
New testimonials from recent clients
Refreshed photos if your old ones feel dated
You don't need to overhaul everything. Small seasonal updates keep your site feeling current.
Build your email list consistently
Your email list should be growing steadily. If it's not, consider:
Is your signup form easy to find?
Is it clear what people are signing up for?
Do you have a compelling reason for people to join (free resource, valuable newsletter content)?
Are you mentioning your email list in your content and conversations?
Your website's job isn't just to look good. It's to turn visitors into subscribers and subscribers into clients.
Common post-launch mistakes (and how to avoid them)
After working with dozens of clients through their launches, I've seen the same mistakes repeatedly. Here's how to avoid them:
Mistake 1: Treating the launch as the finish line
Your website launch is the beginning, not the end. The real work is building traffic, creating content, and converting visitors into clients over time.
Avoid this by: Setting 3-month and 6-month goals for your site. What do you want it to accomplish? How will you know if it's working?
Mistake 2: Obsessing over traffic numbers too soon
In the first weeks and months, your traffic will be low. That's normal. New sites take time to build authority with search engines and to become known.
Avoid this by: Focusing on quality over quantity early on. Are the right people finding you? Are they taking action when they do?
Mistake 3: Changing everything immediately
You launched on Monday, got feedback from three people by Friday, and now you want to redesign your whole homepage. Slow down.
Avoid this by: Collecting feedback for at least a month before making major changes. Distinguish between "this could be better" feedback and "this is broken" feedback.
Mistake 4: Not promoting your site
You built it, but you're not telling anyone about it because you're worried it's not perfect or you feel weird about self-promotion.
Avoid this by: Remembering that your website is a tool to serve your ideal clients. If you don't tell people about it, you're actually making it harder for the right people to find you.
Mistake 5: Neglecting SEO basics
You spent all this time on design and forgot to add page titles, meta descriptions, alt text, or any of the foundational SEO elements.
Avoid this by: Going through each page and making sure you've covered the basics. This takes an afternoon and makes a huge difference over time.
Mistake 6: Not collecting emails
Your site is getting traffic, but you have no way to stay connected to those visitors. They leave and you have no way to reach them again.
Avoid this by: Setting up at least one email collection point immediately. Newsletter signup, free resource, anything that lets people opt in to hear from you.
Mistake 7: Abandoning your content plan
You had big plans to blog weekly. You published two posts and then life got busy and it's been three months.
Avoid this by: Setting a realistic content schedule you can actually maintain. One quality post per month is better than ambitious plans you won't follow through on.
Tools and resources to help you maintain and grow
You don't need a million tools, but a few well-chosen ones make maintenance and growth much easier.
For analytics and SEO:
Google Analytics (free) - comprehensive traffic data
Google Search Console (free) - search performance and indexing
Ubersuggest or similar (free basic version) - keyword research and SEO ideas
For content creation:
Grammarly (free basic version) - catch typos and improve clarity
Hemingway Editor (free) - make your writing clearer and more readable
Canva (free version works fine) - create simple graphics for blog posts
For email marketing:
Flodesk - beautiful, intuitive email design
ConvertKit - powerful automation and segmentation
Squarespace Email Campaigns - if you're all-in on Squarespace
For project management:
Notion or Trello - organize your content calendar and maintenance tasks
Google Calendar - schedule your content and maintenance reminders
Simple spreadsheet - track your analytics and growth over time
For image optimization:
TinyPNG - compress images before uploading
Squarespace or Showit built-in optimization - use the platform's tools
Canva - resize images to optimal dimensions
For backups:
Your platform's built-in backups - know how they work
Manual exports - save copies quarterly just in case
Password manager - keep all your login credentials secure
You probably already have access to most of these. Don't feel like you need to sign up for everything. Start with the essentials and add tools as you need them.
What success actually looks like in the first three months
Let's set realistic expectations for what "success" means in your first quarter with a new website.
Success is not:
Thousands of visitors immediately
Fully booked calendar from day one
Perfect analytics with amazing conversion rates
Ranking #1 on Google for your dream keywords
Success is:
Your site is working properly and forms are being submitted
You're getting some organic search traffic (even if it's small)
You've published consistent content and established a rhythm
You're collecting email addresses and growing your list
You've gotten a few inquiries or bookings through your site
You understand your analytics and what they're telling you
Your site feels like a true representation of your business
You have systems in place for ongoing maintenance
That's real success. Sustainable, measurable, meaningful progress.
Real numbers from real businesses:
To give you a reality check, here are some typical first-quarter numbers from service-based businesses with new websites:
Traffic: 50-200 visitors per month in month one, growing to 100-500 by month three (if you're creating content and promoting your site)
Email signups: 10-50 new subscribers in the first quarter (if you have a clear opt-in and are promoting it)
Inquiries: 2-10 contact form submissions or discovery call bookings (depends heavily on your niche and how you're promoting)
Search rankings: Maybe showing up on page 2-3 for some of your target keywords by month three
These aren't impressive numbers. But they're normal, healthy numbers for a brand new site. If you're in this range or better, you're doing well.
If your numbers are lower, don't panic. Look at what you can improve: Are you creating content? Is your site optimized for search? Are you promoting it consistently?
Your website is a long-term investment
Here's what I want you to remember: your website is not a sprint. It's not even a marathon. It's more like tending a garden.
You plant seeds (content, optimization, promotion). You water and maintain (updates, new content, technical care). And over time, things grow.
Some things bloom quickly. Other things take seasons. But if you're consistent and intentional, your website becomes a steadily increasing source of visibility, credibility, and clients.
The compound effect of consistent effort:
Month one, you publish two blog posts. They get minimal traffic.
Month three, those posts are starting to rank. You've published six more posts. Traffic is growing slowly.
Month six, your original posts are bringing steady traffic. Your newer posts are gaining traction. People are finding you through search.
Month twelve, you have a library of content. Multiple pages rank well. Your email list has grown. You're getting regular inquiries through your site.
None of this happens overnight. All of it happens with consistent, intentional effort over time.
That's the real post-launch work. Not a mad dash to fix everything or promote everywhere. Just steady, sustainable progress.
What to do right now
If your site just launched or is about to launch, here's your immediate action plan:
Today:
Test every link and form on your site
Check your mobile experience
Set up Google Analytics and Search Console
Make sure you're receiving form submissions
This week:
Submit your sitemap to search engines
Update your email signature with your site URL
Create a simple content calendar for the next 3 months
Set up at least one way for people to join your email list
This month:
Publish your first 2-3 blog posts or resources
Review your analytics weekly
Share your site in natural ways with your network
Start building the habit of regular maintenance
This quarter:
Establish a sustainable maintenance routine
Create at least 6-10 pieces of quality content
Build your email list consistently
Refine based on data and feedback
That's it. Nothing overwhelming. Just steady, intentional progress.
Your website is live. The real work is just beginning. But you're ready for it.