The short answer

Test the website as a visitor, a search engine, an assistive-technology user, and the person who must recover it later. Check content, links, forms, purchases, mobile behavior, accessibility, performance, analytics, security, redirects, backups, and ownership before changing the domain.

Run a written prelaunch test

Use real devices and current browsers, not only the builder preview. Check:

• Every page title, heading, link, button, image, phone number, price, and address.
• Navigation, search, 404 page, redirects, favicon, and social sharing image.
• Forms, validation, spam protection, confirmation page, email delivery, and CRM record.
• Checkout, taxes and shipping where applicable, receipt, refund path, and failed payment.
• Keyboard navigation, focus visibility, labels, contrast, zoom, captions, and image alternatives.
• Phone, tablet, and desktop layouts.
• Analytics consent and conversion events.
• HTTPS, backups, account permissions, and recovery contacts.

W3C’s Easy Checks give a practical first accessibility review, while warning that a few checks cannot determine full conformance (W3C Easy Checks). Bring in an accessibility specialist when the project needs deeper evaluation.

Test speed with context

Measure representative pages, not only the empty homepage. Google’s Core Web Vitals currently cover loading, interactivity, and visual stability, with recommended “good” thresholds including LCP within 2.5 seconds, INP at 200 milliseconds or less, and CLS at 0.1 or less at the 75th percentile (web.dev Web Vitals). Fix oversized hero media, unnecessary scripts, font loading, and unstable layout before chasing tiny scores.

Rehearse launch and rollback

Back up the old and new sites. Record current DNS. Lower DNS time-to-live in advance when appropriate. Choose a low-risk launch window, confirm who is available, and define the rollback trigger.

After launch, repeat forms, checkout, analytics, redirects, indexing controls, certificate, and email checks on the public domain. Remove staging noindex or password protection only after confirming the live site. Keep the checklist with the handoff record.

Sources and further reading

• W3C: Easy Checks for Web Accessibility
• web.dev: Web Vitals

A free next step

Not sure which business fits you yet?

The free Freedom Path Assessment can help you compare your strengths, schedule, income goals, and preferred way of working before you commit to a business direction.

Take the Freedom Path Assessment Free

Helpful WAHMN tool

A useful next step is the Website Launch Checklist. It helps you test a client's forms, links, mobile pages, claims, access, security, and customer path before go-live.

Related Questions

• How do I build a credible web design portfolio before I have paying clients?
• Who should write a client's website copy, and should web designers sell copywriting too?
• What should a professional website handoff include so the client can take over safely?
• When should a landing page remove the navigation menu, and when should it keep it?

Related WAHMN resource

If you want to turn this website task into a service or build a stronger process for your own site, this system walks through the work in more depth. See Website & Landing Page Build System.