Checklist: 10 to-dos after the website launch

How are the visitors doing, what does Google know about the website, does it have errors, how can the world even find out about the existence of the website? Better invest a few more hours in completing the following to-dos.

1. Have the website checked by Search engine indexing. WordPress websites often forget to check the box in the settings (Read) under Prevent search engines from indexing this website to remove.
2. Establishment of a Web analysis
   Create an account with Google Analytics or at least address Matomo (formerly Piwik). Forget the web statistics provided by your provider. You need to know what is really happening on your website, so you can't avoid better website analysis.
   If possible, use the Google Tag ManagerThis allows you to set up additional measurement for events (clicks on PDF files, on e-mail addresses, on telephone numbers, etc.), and also very easily implement the Facebook Pixel.
3. Also remember to comply with the GDPR in the EU and Switzerland. Tracking may only take place AFTER visitors have given their consent. To do this, you need a consent management tool, such as complianz, Usercentrics, Cookiehub, o.a.
4. Password protection the web statistics
   Regardless of whether you use the web statistics provided by your provider or not: block general access to these web statistics using a password (if your provider has not already done so). It is nobody's business but your own what happens on your website.
5. Registration with the Google Search Console (formerly: Webmaster Tools)
   With the Google Search Console you can quickly find out about the ranking of your website on Google, whether the website has broken links, what the Google crawler was able to capture on your website, which links point to your website, how you could speed up the website, and much more.
   The Bing search engine also offers a similar service.
6. Optional: Entry of the website with reputable Web catalogs and Bookmark services
   Get first links to your website through entries in renowned catalogs, such as Bellnet, Onlinestreet, German indexor 1001Links. Which other partners could link to your website?
   Set links in bookmarking systems such as diigo.
   For companies that are visited by customers, an entry at Google My Business which, strictly speaking, has nothing to do with the new website, but it should be mentioned nonetheless.
7. Supplement your E-mail signature and your Social Networks Profiles
   Add the URL of the homepage to your e-mail signature. Add the address of the homepage to your Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, XING and LinkedIn profile.
8. Creation of a PR release
   Write a press release. This can be sent free of charge to openPR and similar online PR portals be published.
9. Online media monitoring
   Let us help you by using Google Alerts or TalkWalker Alerts continuously inform you whether and where your website (your name, your association, your company) has been mentioned in online media, blogs, on general websites or in various tweets or Facebook status messages.
10. Monitoring Your website
    Do visitors often find themselves standing in front of closed doors? Find out how the accessibility of your website really is. You can use free monitoring services such as monitis or UptimeRobot.

And anyway: raise a glass to the website launch, you've earned it.