WordPress Launch Master Class

Professional Strategies for a Flawless Go-Live

Hartford WordPress Meetup

0. Strategic Context Decisions

• New vs. Replacement: Replacements focus heavily on SEO preservation and redirects.
• Same vs. New Domain: Changing domains adds significant DNS and email complexity.
• Launch Method: Choosing between “pushing” staging to live or a full migration.
• Rollback Plan: Always document exactly how to revert if the launch fails.

1. Preflight: Content & Cleanup

• Placeholder Purge: Delete “Lorem Ipsum,” sample posts, and demo pages.
• Navigation Audit: Verify all menu and footer links for “dead ends.”
• Plugin/Theme Audit: Remove unused code to reduce security risks and “drag.”
• Admin Hygiene: Enforce least-privilege and remove temporary accounts.

2. Migration & URL Correctness

• Database Search & Replace: Safely swap dev/staging URLs for the live domain.
• Hardcoded Link Check: Find links buried in buttons, image captions, and CSS.
• Dependency Test: Temporarily block the dev site to see if the live site breaks.

3. SEO Preservation

• The Redirect Map: Ensure every old URL 301-redirects to its best new equivalent.
• On-Page Metadata: Titles, descriptions, and H1 tags must be verified.
• Indexing Toggle: Keep “Discourage search engines” ON for staging only.
• Sitemap & Robots: Verify your robots.txt isn’t blocking the live site.

4. DNS, Hosting, and SSL

• TTL Planning: Lower DNS TTL 24-48 hours early for faster propagation.
• SSL Ready: Ensure the HTTPS certificate is active to prevent mixed content.
• Server Health: Verify PHP versions and memory limits before the switch.

5. Email Deliverability

• DNS Records: Preserve MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to keep email flowing.
• SMTP Configuration: Use a provider like SendGrid or Mailgun for form notifications.
• Verification: Confirm test emails land in the inbox, not the spam folder.

6. Case Study: Launch Placeholders

• Example: NEFinder
• Strategy: Use a “Coming Soon” page with a signup form to build a lead list before go-live.
• Benefit: Maintains professional branding while DNS propagates.
• Promotion: Align social media handles and bios before the announcement.

7. The “Go-Live” Sequence

• Final Backups: Take snapshots of both the old live site and the new build.
• Switch Domain: Update DNS and site URL references in WordPress settings.
• Save Permalinks: Save settings twice to flush internal rewrite rules.
• Purge Caches: Clear all plugin, server, and CDN caches immediately.

8. Post-Launch Smoke Test

• Critical Forms: Submit test entries and confirm they reach the client’s inbox.
• Console Check: Inspect the browser console for JavaScript errors or missing files.
• Mobile Walkthrough: Test the menu and buttons on a physical mobile device.
• 404 Monitoring: Watch logs for users hitting legacy pages you missed.

9. Stabilize & Document

• Google Search Console: Submit the new sitemap to speed up indexing.
• Update Routine: Set a schedule for core, plugin, and theme maintenance.
• The Owner Guide: Provide documentation on how to edit pages and manage users.