Website Goldmine

Domain is connected and DNS records verified

Ensure the domain is correctly pointed and all DNS records (A, CNAME, MX) are properly set.

SSL certificate installed and active

HTTPS should be enforced and no mixed content errors should appear.

404 and 301 redirects tested

Confirm that missing pages display a styled 404 and that any old URLs are redirected.

Staging environment cleaned up or removed

Remove all staging links and disallow indexing if still online.

Page content matches design and brief

Double-check that all copy and media align with final approved content.

All pages and menus linked correctly

Test the site navigation and internal linking to ensure nothing is broken.

No broken links or missing images

Use tools or manually verify there are no 404s or missing assets.

Metadata (title, description) added for each page

Make sure each page has custom meta titles and descriptions for SEO.

Favicon uploaded and visible

A browser favicon should be correctly installed and displaying.

Open Graph and Twitter Card tags set

Social sharing previews should be customised per page or post.

All forms submit correctly with thank-you message or redirect

Forms should send notifications and display confirmation messages.

Contact details (email, phone) work as intended

Test mailto and tel links to ensure proper device handling.

Interactive elements behave as designed (e.g. sliders, accordions)

Confirm that carousels, accordions, tabs, etc. are working properly.

Mobile navigation and layout tested on real devices

Review mobile menu, responsiveness, and usability on phones and tablets.

404 page is working and styled

Design a branded 404 page and ensure it loads correctly when visiting broken URLs.

Sticky headers, modals, and popups function properly

Test sticky navs, overlays, cookie banners, and modals for proper behaviour.

Pagespeed Insights or Lighthouse score above 85

Optimise for speed — especially on mobile — and aim for high Lighthouse scores.

Image sizes optimised and using next-gen formats (WebP)

Compress and convert images to reduce load times.

Fonts loaded correctly with fallbacks

Load fonts asynchronously and define fallbacks in CSS.

Lazy loading implemented for media

Delay loading of images/videos until they're visible to reduce initial load.

Robots.txt and sitemap.xml present and correct

Ensure search engines can crawl the right content and submit sitemaps to Google.

SEO plugin or tools configured (e.g. Yoast, RankMath)

Ensure plugins are set up with titles, meta descriptions, and XML sitemap enabled.

Basic accessibility check completed (alt text, keyboard nav)

Use screen reader tools or browser extensions to test accessibility.

Contrast ratios pass WCAG guidelines

Make sure all text is readable with sufficient colour contrast.

Keyboard-only navigation works throughout

Ensure all interactive elements can be accessed via tabbing.

Forms are labelled and accessible

All form fields should have labels and ARIA roles where needed.

Site tested across major browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge)

Check for visual consistency and performance.

Functionality checked on desktop, tablet, and mobile

Confirm responsive behaviour and load performance on all screen sizes.

Client login credentials delivered securely

Provide CMS/admin credentials via secure password manager or encrypted link.

CMS access restricted to appropriate user roles

Only give clients and contributors the access level they require.

Backup and restore options in place

Implement automated backups and test the restore process.

Analytics/tracking scripts added (GA4, FB Pixel, etc.)

Install and test tracking codes for Google Analytics, Facebook, or others.

Post-launch support plan shared with client

Inform clients of maintenance, updates, and support availability.

Final site walkthrough or training session scheduled

Offer a session to show clients how to use their CMS or key features.

Design includes support for dark mode

Provide both light and dark UI versions if the website will support theme switching.

Motion/animation references or Lottie files provided

Supply detailed references or exported animations for a polished, interactive experience.

⭐️ If you want the avatar visual itself to be clickable to change, add an indicator on it to show it's editable from that source e.g. a pencil icon

Custom cursor or scroll-triggered effects defined

Highlight unique user interactions that require additional dev logic.

 CMS field structure planned (for WordPress, Webflow, etc.)

Map which sections will be editable in the CMS and how fields should be structured.

Loading states and skeleton screens designed

Show what users will see while content is loading or before interactions happen.

Tone of voice guidelines provided

Helps ensure any additional copy (by developers or clients) matches brand personality.

404 page designed and includes a helpful CTA

Prevents users from hitting a dead-end and adds a branded touch to errors.

Thank-you/success pages for forms or purchases

Guides users after a form submission or checkout and can include CTAs.

Microcopy included (e.g. button text, form hints, empty states)

Clarifies user actions and reduces confusion across the site.

Email sign-up forms designed and styled

Often forgotten — design how your newsletter or lead capture forms should look.

Social sharing preview mockups (OG images)

Show how a shared link will appear on platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

Marketing integration points considered (popups, lead magnets, banners)

Make room for elements like exit intent popups, sticky bars, or newsletter prompts.

SEO-friendly URL slugs planned

Suggest clean, human-readable URLs for each key page (e.g. /services/web-design).

 Tap targets large enough (at least 48x48px)

Ensures buttons and links are usable on touch devices.

Device-specific features accounted for (e.g. click-to-call, sticky contact buttons)

Add mobile-only features like floating phone/email buttons or sticky CTAs.

Touch gestures considered (swiping, dragging, carousels)

Clarify how sliders or accordions should behave on touchscreens.

Dev handoff walkthrough scheduled or recorded

Run through the file together or send a Loom to clarify interactions and structure.

Design annotations used within Figma/XD (naming, notes, hover behaviour)

Leave guidance on transitions, spacing, or animations directly in the design file.

Design tokens documented (colour, spacing, typography variables)

Speeds up development by ensuring consistency and reusability in code.

Breakpoints labelled directly in designs

Include px ranges (e.g. "Tablet: 768–1024px") to remove ambiguity.

Web font load strategy considered (subset, fallback fonts defined)

Speeds up site load and avoids Flash of Unstyled Text (FOUT).

Image format recommendations included (e.g. WebP over PNG where possible)

Help developers optimise performance with modern formats.

Hero image and banner compression recommendations

Prevents slow page loads by planning appropriate file sizes from the start.

Lazy loading guidance for images and videos

Improves load time by only loading visual content when needed.

Browser compatibility requirements listed

Note if site needs to support legacy browsers (e.g. IE11) or just modern ones.

Interactive prototypes provided for complex flows

Useful for forms, onboarding sequences, or anything with step-by-step behaviour.

Accessibility audit suggestions or tools linked (e.g. WCAG, Axe)

Encourage best practice with a few basic tools developers can test against.