Web Design Launch Process Checklist – Comprehensive (2025 Update)

At PaperStreet we are often asked what our process is for launching a new website. Clients wonder what is involved after they give us final approval to push their project live. The process all of our websites go through during the launch phase is fairly extensive and is outlined below.

What You Can Expect From the PaperStreet Law Firm Web Design Process

Modern Website Design Elements

• Large Photos – High-quality images reflecting practice areas, firm culture, and locations.
• Video Integration – Feature videos to highlight firm differentiators quickly.
• Icons & Interactive Elements – Use icons, animations, sliders, and hover effects for better engagement.
• Call to Action (CTA) – Display phone numbers, key messages, and prominent contact forms.
• Testimonials & Reviews – Showcase Google ratings and client testimonials prominently.
• Accolades & Recognition – Feature awards and certifications in a structured grid.
• Real People & Spaces – Use professional team and office photos to enhance authenticity.
• Long Scrolling Homepages – SEO-friendly and engaging; organizes content effectively.
• Fast Page Speed – Achieve a Google Page Speed Score of 90+.

Content & Marketing Strategy

• Comprehensive Resource Center – Establish authority with a legal hub of informative content.
• Regular Content Updates – Publish fresh blog posts, articles, and guides weekly.
• High-Quality Content – Invest in professional writing for compelling, audience-targeted messaging.
• Ebooks & White Papers – Repurpose blog content into downloadable resources.
• Live & Interactive Social Media – Engage users with live video, 360 images, and interactive posts.
• Microinfluencers – Leverage smaller, highly engaged social media influencers.
• Law Hub & Content Marketing – Focus on relevant, fresh content to match user intent.
• Niche Marketing – Target specific practice areas and demographics for better engagement.

Digital Advertising & Lead Generation

• Google Ads Optimization – Maintain:
  • Quality Score – Above 6+
  • CTR – Above 3% (10%+ is excellent)
  • Conversion Rate – 5-10%
  • Cost Per Lead – Ideally under $50
• Call-Only Campaigns – Streamline client calls directly from search ads.
• Social Media Ads – Stay competitive as costs rise.
• Extended Ad Format & Rich Media – Utilize engaging video, interactive tools, and gamification.

Social Media & Online Engagement

• Active Presence on Key Platforms – Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
• Live Video & Streaming – A rising trend in engagement.
• Search Impression Share – Maintain at least 70% to maximize reach.
• Directory & PR Listings – Yahoo Directory, PRWeb, Blog Directories, and Trade Links.

Additional SEO & Ranking Strategies

• Optimize Meta & Title Tags – Craft unique and keyword-rich tags for each page.
• Alt Tags for Images – Improve accessibility and SEO.
• Internal Linking & Footer Optimization – Strengthen site navigation and keyword relevance.
• Domain Longevity – Register domains for multiple years for SEO benefits.
• RSS & Social Sharing – Distribute content via Twitter, LinkedIn, and syndication platforms.

Launch Step 1: Final Review & Approval

Once your firm gives us final approval of the testing link we will schedule the launch.  We need a minimum of two business days to adequately prepare for a launch.  Depending on our schedule, more than two days’ notice may be necessary.

Launch Step 2: Scheduling

We only launch websites between Monday and Thursday during normal business hours.  We do not launch websites on Friday due to any unexpected issues that may occur over the weekend (when PaperStreet is closed). PaperStreet only launches websites during normal business hours as modern propagation times ensure the website will not have any downtime.

Launch Step 3: Gathering Technical Information

In order to launch your new website we need your hosting information as well as Google Analytics login credentials.  This information should have been provided in your project brief (at the very start of the project).  If the information on file is missing or no longer accurate we will contact you for the new or updated information.

Launch Step 4: General Technical Preparation

As part of our preparation for pushing your website live, we focus on important technical

1. 301 Redirects – We ensure all pages currently indexed by Google are redirecting to their new pages on the new website.
2. Title Tags – We ensure that title tags were created or transferred from the old website, and that every page has a unique Title Tag
3. Meta Descriptions – We ensure that all meta descriptions are unique.
4. URLs – We make sure all URLs are search friendly.
5. Links – We make sure that there are no broken internal or external links.
6. SEO Review – We perform a final SEO review based on best practices and the most recent industry standards.

Launch Step 5: Tracking Codes

We transfer over all tracking codes.  If you are currently running a Google Adwords campaign or any form of internet marketing campaign that needs to be transferred to the new website, we will migrate all of the tracking codes as well as the landing pages.  If you are using a third party team we will need them to provide the tracking codes and URLS to the landing pages.  This can include:

1. Google Analytics
2. Google AdWords & Google Remarketing
3. Call Tracking (need to know your vendor)
4. Chat Programs & Pop-Ups

If you have any specific tags or tracking that needs to be transferred, please make sure we have that information prior to launch.  We will try to use existing Google Analytics, but will need login information.

About Our In-House Launch Checklist

The process for launching a website at PaperStreet is very comprehensive. We have an internal checklist just for the launch process that typically takes an entire day to complete (depending on the size of the website).  We have included our checklist below so you may reference the tasks being completed during your launch day. You may view our full website launch checklist here.  This is our internal checklist we follow on the day of your project going live.

Website is Live

Once we have finalized processing our launch checklist we will send you a confirmation email containing all of the necessary information to access your new website via the content management system, the contact form database and your Google Account, as well as any additional information that is necessary to share.

If you have any issues post launch, you can see a ticket to [email protected] for support. We are available to assist your firm.