The importance of testing your website

It is a very exciting time when you go to launch (or re-launch) your website. There is a world of possibilities out there and the anticipation of global domination within your industry is now staring right back at you from your computer screen.

You’ve emailed potential clients. You’ve paid for Adwords and a social media campaign. You have even taken out an advertisement in a glossy publication.

And then you receive your first email:

“Hi there. I tried to purchase a pair of women’s golf gloves from your website and the page didn’t work.” 

Not a good start.

This is a very common problem for businesses who launch their website prematurely – that is, without testing it first.

Here is a very simple check-list on things to check on your website before it is launched:

1. Homepage displays correctly.
2. All menu items click through to correct pages (yes you need to check EVERY single page link).
3. eCommerce functionality is set-up and working correctly.
4. You understand how the eCommerce functionality works so you know which orders to process.
5. All images are loading correctly.
6. Contact details are correct and any Contact forms are being distributed to the correct email address (just enter your contact details and a fake query in your contact form and make sure you are receiving the email).
7. Check for spelling mistakes.

One of the best ways to double-check your website is GO FOR LAUNCH is by getting friends to check it for you. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes will pick up an obvious error that you have missed.

Then and only then, when you are satisfied that your website has been checked, is it ready to launch. You want to make your first impression, a good one and not ‘404 Page Not Found’.

If you would like to speak to one of our team about creating a new website or re-designing an existing one, give us a call today.