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