A small business website checklist before you go live

I've launched enough small sites to have a list of things I always forget. So here it is, written down, mostly for me.

Content

• Phone number and address are correct (check twice, seriously)
• Prices match what you actually charge
• No leftover "Lorem ipsum" anywhere, including the footer
• Every image has a short alt text

Technical bits

• Favicon shows up in the browser tab
• Site works on a cheap Android phone, not just your laptop
• Contact form actually sends somewhere. Send yourself a test.
• Page title and description set for Google

Trust

• Privacy policy and refund policy pages exist
• Real photos of you or your team, if you can
• A way to reach a human

After launch

Submit the sitemap in Google Search Console. Then leave it alone for a week and watch what people do. You'll learn more from that week than from any redesign.