Building a website on the WordPress platform is only the first step toward a successful launch. Before handing the website over to a client or launching it in production, it is important to make sure everything works properly and securely. Here is a detailed checklist to help you review every aspect of a WordPress website before delivery.
1. Functionality Testing:
- Navigation: Check that all menus and links lead to the correct pages and sections.
- Forms: Test all feedback, comment, order, or subscription forms.
- Search: Make sure the search function works properly and displays relevant results.
- Comments: Check that the commenting function works and, if necessary, set up comment moderation.
- Social Buttons: Make sure the buttons for sharing content on social media work properly.
2. Compatibility Testing:
- Browsers: Open the website in different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and make sure it looks and functions equally well.
- Devices: Test the website’s responsiveness on different devices: desktops, tablets, and mobile phones.
- Operating Systems: Make sure the website displays correctly on different operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
3. Security:
- Updates: Make sure all plugins, themes, and WordPress itself are updated to the latest version to prevent vulnerabilities.
- Backups: Create backups of the website files and database to prevent data loss.
4. Performance Optimization:
- Loading Speed: Check the website’s loading speed using tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix, and make the necessary optimizations to improve performance.
- Caching: Enable caching to speed up page loads and reduce server load.
- Image Optimization: Make sure all images are optimized for the web and do not slow down page loading.
5. SEO:
- Meta Tags: Check that every page has title, description, and keyword meta tags.
- URL Readability: Make sure page URLs contain keywords and are user-friendly.
- Sitemap: Create and submit a sitemap to search engines to improve indexing.
6. Content Review:
- Spelling and Grammar: Proofread all content to eliminate spelling and grammar errors.
- Relevance: Make sure all information on the website is up to date and relevant to the company or website topic.
- Link Testing: Click all links to make sure they lead to the correct pages and are error-free.
7. Functionality Testing:
- Purchases (if applicable): Test the process of purchasing products or services to make sure it works flawlessly.
- Subscription (if applicable): Make sure users can successfully subscribe to updates.
- User Account (if applicable): Test the functionality of user accounts, if available.
Once you have gone through this entire checklist, your WordPress website will be ready for delivery or launch in production. Remember that thorough review and testing will help avoid many problems in the future and ensure that clients and users are satisfied with your website.