Website launch checklist
- Olya Black
- Jan 3, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 17
You’ve spent weeks (maybe months) designing, writing, tweaking, and perfecting your website — and now it’s time to go live. But before your website starts welcoming real visitors, there’s one more step that’s just as important as the design itself: the final checklist.
Some settings on your Wix Studio website only become available once you upgrade to a premium plan and publish the site — which means they often get overlooked. They’re not strictly essential (many sites go live without them), but they’re the kind of details that make sure your website is fully set up — running at its best, not just the bare minimum.
At Olya Black Studio, we run a process called the Pre-Flight Check — a final sweep where our team goes through all the often-missed settings before launch. It’s our way of making sure nothing small slips through the cracks.
Here’s our Website launch checklist we rely on:
1. Responsive design
Even though we take care of responsiveness throughout the build, we always do a final check across multiple screens — including large desktops, small laptops, and mobile devices.
During this check, we share and flag anything that looks off so it can be fixed before launch. Responsive design can be deceptively tricky — layouts that seem perfect in the editor may behave differently in the real world.
Wix Studio provides great tools to identify overlaps and misalignments, but not everything is automatically detected. Sometimes it’s a button that’s too wide, a heading that scales poorly, or a layout that needs max/min width tweaks. That’s why human eyes still matter.
2. Licensed Font and Imagery
We double-check that all fonts and imagery used are properly licensed for web use. We want to make sure our clients have the rights to showcase visuals without risking copyright infringement.
Using licensed fonts ensures your typography is legal, consistent, and displays correctly across browsers and devices.
3. Navigation
A common challenge in website builds is managing buttons, especially when duplicating sections or pages. Often, duplicated buttons retain old links or have no link assigned at all, which can cause confusion or broken navigation once the site is live. Before launch, meticulously check that every button directs visitors to the correct page or triggers the intended action.
Additionally, ensure all buttons have clear, accessible labels or aria-labels to support users navigating with assistive technologies. This improves accessibility and provides a better experience for everyone.
Testing buttons thoroughly helps avoid frustrating dead ends and keeps your site user-friendly.
4. SEO Titles & Descriptions adn URLs
Make sure every page on your site—including dynamic pages and Wix Business Solutions pages—has a unique, relevant SEO title and meta description. We also double-check every URL slug to ensure it’s clean, descriptive, and easy to read
5. Favicon
It’s a tiny thing, but it makes your site feel complete.
The “favicon” (from “FAVouriteICON”) is a small image displayed next to the name of a website in browser title bars or bookmark lists. The standard size for a favicon is 16 x 16 pixels. Despite the accepted standard size, we recommend publishing a larger image (minimum 48 x 48 pixels). You don't need it to be this exact resolution, but the image must be a square shape. The preferred file format for the favicon is PNG, as it supports a transparent background and will be displayed correctly by any browsers.
If your logo doesn't have any icon (logomark), you need to come up with it. Using a full logo or a detailed image is not recommended, as it won't be legible at a small size. We always create a favicon in our branding packages (this is responsive logo design).
6. Social media sharing (OG image)
This is the image that appears when someone shares your link on social media or in messaging apps. It’s a small detail with a big impact. Often, it’s missing entirely, showing an outdated screenshot, or worse—just your logo cutoff awkwardly. Before launch, set a clear, well-designed OG image that represents your brand or page content. This makes your links look polished, clickable, and intentional when shared.
When creating websites for our clients, we usually design the banner specifically for sharing, because we care how links look on social networking platforms. The banner includes a thematic picture or branded illustration, the logo, and the main message or description of your company/service. A link with this custom-made image without doubt increases the chance that users will follow it and land on the site.
In the general settings of your Wix website, you can upload an image like this. You can also go further and customise the look for each page of your website by uploading individual images in their SEO settings.
7. Error page 404
Every website needs a proper 404 page — the fallback page shown when someone tries to access a URL that doesn’t exist. On Wix, one quick way to set this up is by simply creating a page in your editor and setting the URL slug to error404. This automatically overrides the default generic 404 and lets you design something more helpful (and more on-brand). Ideally, your 404 page should include a friendly message, a way back to the homepage, or even a search bar — anything that turns a dead end into a helpful detour.
We pay special attention to the design of 404 pages so that any lost users arrive at the branded error page and understand where they are, why, and how to find the way home.
Read more about setting up 404 pages and our examples of error pages in our article "The 404 (Page Not Found)"
8. Automations & Notifications
Don’t forget to check your website’s automation settings before launch. This includes setting up and testing all user interaction triggers — like form submissions, bookings, purchases, or chat messages. Make sure notifications are connected to the correct email addresses, chat tools, or integrations with platforms like Facebook or WhatsApp.
Double-check which actions trigger emails (to you or to your users), and confirm that they arrive as expected. Test every form and button that’s supposed to send a message, alert, or confirmation — it’s not done until the emails land where they should.
9. Cookies and site privacy policy
In the additional basic settings block (“Settings” > “Advanced”), Wix provides tools to comply with data protection regulations. Always be aware of these regulations in your area and update the privacy policy on your site whenever changes are made. This demonstrates transparency of actions and increases the level of trust from site visitors.
10. Accessibility (for special needs)
Accessibility isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s essential. Wix Studio includes a range of built-in tools to help make your site usable for everyone, including people who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technologies. Before launch, use Wix’s Accessibility Wizard to scan your site for common issues like missing alt text, poor colour contrast, or non-descriptive link labels. Make sure interactive elements (like buttons, forms, and menus) are keyboard-friendly and have clear labels. Also, check that headings follow a logical order (H1, H2, H3…) to support screen reader navigation.
A few quick wins:
Add alt text to all images.
Use sufficient contrast between text and background.
Label all buttons clearly — avoid generic labels like “Click here.”
Ensure forms have field labels, not just placeholder text.
Building accessibly doesn’t mean compromising on design — it means your beautiful website works for more people. More on that topic you can read in our recent post "Accessibility is not optional".
11. Legal pages
Legal pages like Privacy Policy, Terms & Conditions, and Returns Policy are often forgotten or created but never linked. It can be a legal risk and a trust issue for visitors. Make sure you have the links to all policies in the website footer
12. Business Info
Before launch, do a quick sweep in the dashboard to make sure your business details are up to date and spelled correctly. The information in your site settings is especially important, as it often feeds into automated emails, invoices, contact forms, and other system-generated messages.
Now your Wix website is ready for a launch
Testing your website before launch isn’t just a quick once-over — it’s a project of its own. This behind-the-scenes work is what transforms a good website into a reliable, professional, and trust-building experience for your visitors.
Sometimes, even after all the checks, something small might slip through. And that’s okay. Websites are living things. What matters is launching with intention, being ready to tweak as needed, and knowing you’ve built a strong foundation.
