Website checklist before you launch
Written by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, Melbourne. Updated .
Most launch problems on a small business website are small and fixable, and most are found by a customer instead of by you. This list finds them first.
Go through it on your own phone, then on a computer.
What it says
- What you do, who it is for and where, clear in the first screen.
- A starting price or a clear way to get one.
- Real photos of your work, not stock.
- One obvious way to enquire or book.
How it works
- It loads quickly on a phone connection.
- The phone number is tappable and rings the right number.
- The form sends, and you receive it. Test it with a real submission.
- Every link and button goes where it should.
- Nothing scrolls sideways or hides behind a banner on a small screen.
What Google needs
- Each page has its own title and short description.
- Your business name, phone and email match your Google Business Profile.
- The site is submitted in Search Console, with a sitemap.
- Analytics is installed before you run any ads.
The boring but necessary bits
- Your ABN and contact details are on the site.
- A privacy policy that matches what the site actually collects.
- Your terms, if you take bookings or payments.
Before you tell anyone
Ask two people who have never seen it to find your phone number and book a job, without help. Where they hesitate is where to fix it.
More guides for new businesses
- Logo or website first for a new business
- What to do after registering an ABN
- New business launch checklist, Melbourne
- How to name a business in Australia
- Business name vs company name in Australia
- Do I need a website for a small business
- What is a brand identity for a small business
- Brand guidelines for a small business
- How to get your first customers as a new business
- Google Business Profile for a new business
- How much a new business should spend on ads
- What photos a new business needs
- Landing page or website for ads
- Social media profiles for a new business
- How to start a business in Melbourne
- How to start a clothing brand in Australia
- How to register a brand name in Australia
- Do I need an ABN to start a business in Australia
- Sole trader or company in Australia
- Do I need to register for GST
- How to choose a .com.au domain name
- How to get a logo for a new business
- Business email for a new business
- Privacy policy for a small business website in Australia
- What to post on social media when you start a business
- Setting up a business in Victoria
All of them are on the guides page.
Who is behind this
Urban Launch is built and run by Urban Media (ABN 28 169 446 902), a Melbourne studio founded by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo. Urban Media makes video, design and websites for clients including Box Hill United, Brighton Grammar and Porsche Club Victoria.
If you want to talk to the people doing the work, call 0456 785 904. More about who we are, and how to check us, is on the About page.
Common questions
- Do I need a privacy policy?
- If your site collects personal information, such as a contact form, you should say what you collect and why. Check the OAIC site or ask a lawyer for what applies to you.
- How do I check my site on a phone?
- Open it on your own phone on mobile data, not wi-fi, and try to enquire. Then borrow someone else's phone.
Start with a Launch Call
Live and generating enquiries within 45 days, or we keep working at no extra cost until you are. The Launch Call is where we check it is the right fit before we book anything in. For a real example, read the Airwize case study (12 conversions, meaning leads that became sales, in the first month of Google Ads from $70 of ad spend, our figures). You can also read how a launch package compares with hiring separately, or go to the packages and prices on the homepage.
More: Brand and website package, Melbourne, Startup package for a new business, Melbourne, Branding, website and photography package, Melbourne.