Testing is the step that turns a website draft into a usable, reliable public site. It helps you find broken links, confusing navigation, layout issues, and problems that only appear on certain devices.
Launching without testing often leads to avoidable errors that affect trust and performance. A structured review before publishing reduces rework and makes the first version of the site easier to maintain.
This page expands on Step 9 of the Essential Steps to Build a Website, focusing on how to test a site, what to verify before going live, and what to review immediately after launch.
Table of Contents
What to Test Before Launch
Before a site goes live, test the parts visitors interact with first. Prioritize issues that block usage, hide information, or break key actions.
- Navigation – Menus work, links go to the correct pages, and page labels match what users expect.
- Key actions – Buttons and calls-to-action lead to the correct destination and are easy to find.
- Forms – Contact forms submit correctly, required fields behave as intended, and confirmation messaging is clear.
- Content accuracy – Names, prices, addresses, dates, and service details match what you actually offer.
- Basic accessibility – Text is readable, contrast is sufficient, and interactive elements are usable without precision clicking.
Testing does not need to be complex. The goal is to prevent obvious friction and ensure the site behaves consistently.
Usability and Navigation Checks
Usability testing focuses on whether someone can complete basic tasks without confusion. The simplest method is to walk through the site as if you are visiting it for the first time.
Use a short checklist:
- Can a visitor understand what the site is for within a few seconds?
- Is it obvious where to go next from the home page?
- Do page headings describe what the page contains?
- Are important details visible without hunting through the page?
- Is contact information easy to find from multiple pages?
If you can, ask someone unfamiliar with the site to perform one or two tasks and note where they hesitate. Small navigation fixes at this stage prevent larger changes later.
Technical Checks and Performance
Technical checks confirm that the site functions correctly behind the scenes. These items are easy to overlook when focusing on design and content.
- Broken links – Verify internal navigation links and any external references you included.
- Missing images – Confirm images load and do not appear stretched, cropped incorrectly, or pixelated.
- Page speed – Check that pages load quickly enough on typical connections and that large images are not slowing down key pages.
- Error pages – Make sure common mistakes (like a wrong URL) do not lead to confusing or blank pages.
- Security basics – Confirm the site uses HTTPS and that administrative access is protected with strong credentials.
Performance is not only about speed. It also includes stability, predictable behavior, and avoiding layout shifts while a page loads.
Cross-Device and Browser Testing
A page can look correct on one device and break on another. Cross-device testing checks layout, spacing, and touch usability across common screen sizes.
At minimum, test:
- A phone-sized screen (touch navigation, scrolling, button spacing)
- A tablet-sized screen (menu behavior, column stacking, readability)
- A desktop-sized screen (layout width, spacing, image scaling)
- At least two major browsers (layout differences, form behavior)
Focus on the pages that matter most: home page, primary service or product pages, and the contact path. Fixing small spacing and alignment issues improves clarity and reduces user effort.
Launching and Post-Launch Review
Launching is not the end of the process. After the site is public, do a short review to confirm the live version behaves the same as your test version.
Immediately after launch, re-check:
- Menus and key links on the live domain
- Forms and any email delivery related to submissions
- Mobile layout on a real phone, not only a preview
- Any pages that were recently edited or moved
- Whether new visitors can find the site and understand what to do next
Once the site is stable, document what you tested and what you fixed. A simple record makes future updates easier and reduces repeated mistakes.