The Custom Website Design Checklist
40 items across strategy, design, content, SEO, and performance — everything a custom site needs before launch.
We use this checklist on every SiteFyd project. It is the difference between launching a site you are proud of and discovering broken forms three weeks later.
Print it, share it with your designer, or fork it for your internal process. No email required.
The Checklist
Defined business goal
Single sentence: what does this site need to do for the business?
Target audience documented
Persona, pain points, decision triggers.
Top 3 competitor sites identified
What you like, what you would change.
Content inventory complete
Every page, every copy block, every image source.
Sitemap signed off
Page hierarchy approved before any design begins.
Wireframes approved
Layout decisions locked before visual design.
Brand guidelines documented
Colors, fonts, logo usage, tone of voice.
Mobile-first design review
Every page tested at 375px wide first.
Accessibility WCAG 2.1 AA pass
Color contrast, alt text, keyboard navigation.
All images optimized
WebP format, responsive srcset, lazy loaded.
Lighthouse mobile 90+
Performance, accessibility, best practices, SEO.
Core Web Vitals green
LCP under 2.5s, INP under 200ms, CLS under 0.1.
Title tags unique per page
Under 60 characters, primary keyword included.
Meta descriptions unique per page
Under 160 characters, action-oriented.
H1 on every page (exactly one)
Matches search intent for that URL.
Internal linking strategy
Every page reachable in 3 clicks from home.
JSON-LD schema applied
Organization, WebSite, BreadcrumbList minimum.
Open Graph + Twitter cards
Custom OG image per top page.
Canonical URLs set
Prevent duplicate-content issues.
robots.txt + sitemap.xml live
Submitted to Google Search Console.
404 page is helpful
Links to top hubs, not a dead end.
All forms tested end-to-end
Submission, email delivery, error handling.
Analytics installed
Google Analytics 4 + a privacy banner if needed.
Cookie consent (if EU traffic)
GDPR-compliant banner before any tracking.
Privacy policy + terms live
Linked in footer on every page.
SSL certificate active
All pages serve over HTTPS, no mixed content.
Security headers configured
CSP, X-Frame-Options, HSTS.
Backup plan documented
Daily backups with restore tested.
Hosting + DNS documented
Account credentials in a password manager.
Email deliverability tested
SPF, DKIM, DMARC records set.
All links work
No 404s on internal links — run a crawler.
Cross-browser tested
Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge — desktop and mobile.
Real device tested
Not just DevTools — at least one iPhone and one Android.
Page speed under 3s
On a real 4G connection, not just fiber.
Search intent matched
Every page answers the query someone typed.
CTA on every page
Clear next action above the fold.
Trust signals visible
Reviews, logos, certifications where appropriate.
Soft launch tested
Send to 10 trusted users before public launch.
Search Console + Bing Webmaster
Both verified and sitemap submitted.
30-day review scheduled
Calendar reminder to review analytics + iterate.
FAQs
Can I share this checklist with my designer?
Yes — that is the point. Send them the link or print the page. We do not gate it behind an email form.
Do I need every item before launching?
Items 1-25 are non-negotiable. Items 26-40 can be addressed in the first 30 days post-launch.
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