🧠 Website QA Checklist for Non-Tech Owners (Launch-Day Edition)

Use this friendly checklist to spot issues before and right after you go live.
Check items you’ve verified. Share with your dev/designer to fix anything you flag.

0. Pre-Flight: What You Need Handy

Admin logins available (website, domain/DNS, hosting, email, analytics)
Brand assets final: logo, colors, fonts, favicon, social icons
Final offers/pricing approved
Legal copy ready (privacy policy, terms, refund/shipping if applicable)

1. Home & Key Pages Work End-to-End

Homepage loads without errors
Top navigation links all go to the right pages
Footer links work (About, Contact, Privacy, Terms, Socials)
Key pages exist & open: Services, Pricing, About, Contact, Blog
No “Lorem ipsum,” placeholder images, or “Coming soon” text
Spelling and grammar look clean on every page

2. Calls-to-Action (CTAs) & Forms

Primary CTA is obvious on every page (e.g., “Book a Call,” “Get a Quote”)
CTAs scroll/focus to the correct section or open the right page
Contact/Quote forms submit successfully (test with your own email)
You receive the form email/notification within a few minutes
Auto-reply/thank-you message is friendly and accurate
Phone numbers are clickable on mobile and ring the correct number
Email links open a draft to the correct address
Calendly/booking widgets load and confirm appointments

3. Mobile & Cross-Browser

Site looks good on your phone (no cut-off text, images, or buttons)
Header doesn’t cover content; sticky nav isn’t blocking anything
Buttons are comfortably tappable (not cramped)
Test in at least two browsers (Chrome + Safari/Firefox/Edge)

4. Speed & Performance (Simple Owner Checks)

Pages load quickly on your phone over cellular (not just Wi-Fi)
Large images don’t “pop in” late or shift layout while reading
Video/animation doesn’t stall the page

💡 Ask your dev for a Lighthouse/Core Web Vitals pass on key pages.

5. Content Accuracy

Business name, address, phone (NAP) are correct everywhere
Hours of operation are accurate
Pricing is correct and consistent
Team bios, credentials, licenses, and service areas are correct
Testimonials are approved and real; star ratings match the source
Before/after or portfolio images are the final versions

6. Images & Media

Logo looks sharp (not blurry) on desktop and mobile
No stretched/squished photos; key subjects aren’t cropped off
Favicon appears in the browser tab
Social share image (OG image) shows the right brand when sharing a link

7. Accessibility Basics (Quick Wins)

Every image that conveys meaning has a sensible alt text
Link text is clear (avoid “click here”)
Color contrast is readable (light text on dark, or vice versa)
You can tab through links/buttons with the keyboard

8. SEO Essentials (Owner-Level)

Each page has a unique, human-readable title in the browser tab
Each page has a clear H1 headline matching the topic
Meta description reads like a simple ad for the page
URL slugs look clean (e.g., /services/heat-pump-installation)
Internal links connect related pages (services ↔ case studies ↔ contact)
Business info matches your Google Business Profile

9. Analytics, Tracking & Pixels

Google Analytics (or equivalent) is installed and shows live visitors
Form submissions/quote requests are tracked as conversions
Ad pixels (Google/Facebook/etc.) are installed only where intended
Cookie banner (if used) doesn’t block CTAs or break tracking

10. Legal, Privacy & Compliance

Privacy Policy and Terms of Service pages exist and are linked in footer
Cookie notice shown if required in your region
If you collect personal data, a brief statement of use is present
If taking payments, refund/return/shipping policies are published

11. E-Commerce (If Applicable)

Test checkout from product → cart → payment → confirmation email
Taxes, shipping rates, and delivery estimates are correct
Promo codes function and calculate totals correctly
Receipts and order notifications go to the right inboxes

12. Security & Backups

Site uses HTTPS (lock icon in address bar)
Admin login URL isn’t publicly linked; strong passwords in use
A backup plan exists (host or dev confirms automatic backups)
You’re viewing the live domain, not a staging preview

13. Domain, Email & Integrations

Domain points to the live site (no “Not Secure” warnings)
Branded email works (e.g., hello@yourdomain.com)
Contact form sends to the correct business inbox
CRM/zap integrations create leads in the right place
Map embeds show the correct address

14. Final Read-Through & “Real-World” Test

Read the homepage aloud — does it sound like you?
Show a non-tech friend: can they tell what you do in 5 seconds?
Try a full user journey: Google your brand → homepage → service → form/booking

15. Launch-Day Switchlist

Remove any “noindex”/“password protection” on the live site
Flip DNS to the live site (dev/host will confirm propagation)
Verify SSL is active on the live domain
Verify analytics is recording traffic on the live domain
Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console
Post a launch announcement (social, email list, GBP “update”)
Monitor error reports, form leads, and site uptime for 48–72 hours

30-Day Post-Launch Quick Checks

Search your brand name on Google — your homepage should appear first
Check top pages in analytics — do they match your goals?
Review form conversion rate and lead quality
Capture at least 3 new reviews and add them to the site