What's Next?
All you need to know to prepare for your website launch.
Glossary
Domain Registrar
A company that allows users to buy and register domain names for websites.
DNS
Domain Name Server, the system that automatically translates internet addresses to the numeric machine addresses that computers use. This is commonly your domain registrar.
Domain Propagation
The process of updating name servers around the world following any changes to your DNS records. It can take up to 48 hours to complete.
Website Hosting
Is a service that stores and maintains a website's files and applications on a server, making the website accessible to the public.
Website Migration
Website migration is the process of duplicating your website from one hosting environment to another.
It’s important to note that migration doesn’t physically transfer and remove your website from the existing host, but instead it creates a copy. After the new migrated website is live, you’ll need to cancel the original hosting plan if it’s no longer needed to avoid ongoing charges.
Step 1
Preparation for Launch
Locate Your Existing Website Services
When preparing to launch a new website or migrating your existing one, it’s essential to know where your website services are located so we have everything needed for a smooth launch.
You’ll need to gather information on the following:
- Who is your domain name registrar?
- Does your domain registrar control your DNS settings?
- Where is your existing website hosted?
- When does your website hosting renew, and will that affect our timeline for launching your new website?
If you know the answers to these questions and have access to the necessary accounts, fantastic! If not, there’s a bit of homework to complete.
1. Who is your domain name registrar?
Refer to the next resource, "Gather Domain Access," for details on how to locate this information.
2. Does your domain registrar control your DNS settings?
Your domain registrar may not control your DNS settings (we know, it can be confusing). To confirm, please provide us with working credentials for your domain registrar account, and our team can verify if we have DNS access. Alternatively, an internal IT provider or someone on your team can also verify this.
3. Where is your existing website hosted?
It’s important to locate this information so our team can gather resources for the new website development. It’s also helpful for reviewing your subscription services and planning to cancel hosting once your website is launched or migrated. If you're not sure where your website is hosted, use this tool to find out more.
4. When does your website hosting renew, and will that affect our launch timeline?
Please review your current hosting plan to determine its renewal date. If our project timeline aligns, we’ll coordinate the website launch to occur before your hosting renewal date.
Gather Domain Access
To successfully launch your new website, our team will need access to your domain’s DNS settings. This information is needed prior to launch. If we do not have it before the scheduled launch day, the website publishing will be rescheduled.
Not sure where your domain records are managed?
If you don’t have access to your domain and DNS settings, please check these resources:
- You or our team can perform a WHOIS lookup to view public details of your domain. This can quickly show who your domain register is and what your name servers are.
- Enquire with your IT provider or current website manager - they should have access.
- Enquire with the team or vendor who coordinated your previous website launch.
- Search email records for references to domain name renewals. The person getting the email should have an account with your domain registrar.
Choose a Website Publishing Method
There are two options for website publishing - our team or yours:
1) Provide our team direct access to your domain and DNS settings:
The simplest and most efficient option is to provide us with direct access to your DNS provider, which is commonly your domain registrar. This allows our team to make the necessary updates, troubleshoot if needed, and ensure that your website is live with limited delay. We’ll handle all the technical details and keep you informed throughout the launch process.
You can provide login credentials or add our team directly to your account:
- GoDaddy: Resource here to invite a delegate to access your account
- Network Solutions: Log into your account, navigate to Accounts & Users, select your domain account and click Add User.
2) Collaboration with your team to launch:
If someone on your team prefers to manage DNS settings internally, or you don't feel comfortable providing us with your domain credentials, we can provide you with the details and instructions needed to launch your new website. Note: Your team will be responsible for troubleshooting if any DNS issues may arise.
Whichever option you choose, we’ll work closely with you to ensure a smooth and timely transition when launching the site.
Website Testing Checklist
Prior to the website launch, our team will conduct a thorough website testing process. This includes testing desktop, tablet, and mobile responsiveness, verifying that all website links function correctly, configuring URL mapping, ensuring that form submissions are properly received by your team, etc. These checks are crucial to ensure a smooth user experience when the site goes live.
SEO and Analytics Setup
Before the website launch, we will complete the on-site SEO by adding page titles and meta descriptions to improve search visibility. In addition, we will configure analytics and conversion tracking so your website traffic and performance data are captured without any reporting downtime once the site is live.
Final Edits & Content Finalization
Prior to launch, our team will complete all final edits to your site based on your latest requests and discussed timeline. These edits should pertain to the current content on the site and should not include new content additions. Please note that if the scope or time required for these edits exceeds the planned timeline, the website launch date will be adjusted accordingly.
Step 2
Day of Launch
Day of Launch Timeline
Launch Timing: We typically aim to launch websites mid-morning, Monday-Thursday to ensure that our team is available to monitor the process closely and address any issues that may arise. However, the exact launch time may vary depending on any final reviews, adjustments, or updates needed before we make the site live. We do not launch websites on a Friday or a holiday to avoid any communication issues that may fall on a weekend or outside of our business hours.
What You Can Expect: On the day of launch, our team will conduct a final review of the site to check for any last-minute adjustments and confirm everything is functioning as expected. Once the final green light is given, we’ll proceed with the launch. The project manager will notify you once the site is propagating and keep you updated on any important developments during the launch process.
Expected Launch Downtime or Maintenance Periods
What to Expect: During the launch process, there may be a short period of downtime or limited access to your website as the DNS (Domain Name System) changes propagate across the internet. While DNS propagation time is out of our control and can vary by location and service provider, we typically find that the new website will be live within 10-30 minutes. However, in some cases, it may take up to 24 to 48 hours for the changes to fully propagate worldwide.
How You Can Prepare: We recommend informing your team of the expected downtime, so they are aware of the transition period. If your business depends on online sales or booking systems, it's a good idea to prepare for a potential short gap in availability and communicate this with your customers, if necessary. Rest assured, we’ll monitor the site closely to ensure everything goes live smoothly and any downtime is minimal.
Troubleshooting: Not Seeing the New Website
Use mobile data to view the website:
If you’re unable to see your new website after launch, try accessing it using your mobile data instead of your internal Wi-Fi network. If the new website is visible on mobile data but not on your internal network, this may indicate that your internal internet’s IP address cache needs to be updated.
In such cases, you may need to clear your browser cache or contact your IT team to refresh the internal DNS settings.
Some people see the new website and others see the old website:
Don't worry. This means your website is propagating through the internet.
Step 3
Post-Launch
Go-Live Communication Plan
What to Expect: The launch of your website is an exciting milestone, and it’s important to communicate it effectively to your audience. However, we recommend waiting to send any announcements or communications about the new website until the day after launch to ensure the DNS propagation is fully complete. Once your website is live, you may want to share the news with your customers, partners, and followers to generate excitement and drive traffic to the new site.
How You Can Prepare: We suggest creating a plan for announcing your website launch across multiple platforms, such as:
- Sending an email announcement to your subscriber list
- Posting updates on your social media channels
- Updating social media channel cover art to reflect any branding updates
- Sharing the news through blog posts or newsletters
- If you have a new domain name, update your business profile listings (e.g., Google My Business, LinkedIn, Facebook)
- Creating an online advertising campaign to drive website traffic
Additionally, it’s helpful to notify your internal team and stakeholders so they are ready to support any questions or feedback you might receive during the initial rollout from customers or partners.
We encourage you to discuss the go-live communication plan with your Dayta pod. We can provide you with assets such as graphics or messaging to help promote the website launch. These services are additional to website development and are a great use of your tactical budget.
Canceling Your Old Hosting Plan
Once your new website is live, you'll need to cancel your old website hosting plan if your hosting provider has changed. However, please ensure that you only cancel the hosting services. Be careful not to cancel other services tied to your domain, such as domain registration or email hosting, as these are separate from website hosting and are critical to keeping your website and email functioning.
If you’re unsure which services to cancel, we’re happy to guide you through the process to ensure everything is handled correctly.
After Your Website is Launched
Once your website is live, our team will perform a few final steps to ensure a smooth post-launch experience:
- We will verify that your analytics are tracking properly so you can monitor website performance from day one.
- We’ll submit your website for indexing with Google and Bing to ensure it starts appearing in search results as quickly as possible.
- Finally, our project manager will send you a website completion document, which includes important information such as how to log into your website and manage the content.
Ongoing Website Updates
Websites are never truly "complete" but rather constantly evolving to expand content, add new features, and meet changing business needs. While the initial website development is finished, any future updates or additions fall outside the original scope of work. That said, we’re here to support you with these updates and help you with any new scope of work as your website continues to grow.
