Web Site Checklist

Web Development & User Experience

WordPress Template Creation
Create an XML Sitemap
Configure Google Webmaster Console and Yahoo! Site Explorer Functional Testing
Verify all bespoke/complex functionality
Verify search functionality (including relevance of results)
Verify on common variations of browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome etc.), version (6, 7, 2.2, 3.1 etc.) and platform (Windows, OSX, Linux)
Verify on common variations of Screen Resolution
Verify all forms (e.g. contact us, blog comments), including anti-spam features, response emails/text, etc.
Verify without JavaScript, Flash, and other plug-ins
Verify all external links are valid
Configure backup schedule, and test recovery from backup
Protect any sensitive pages (e.g. administration area)
Placement of robots.txt where necessary
Security/Penetration test
Turn-off verbose error reporting

Stage 2
Typography and Layout

Check for incorrect punctuation marks, particularly apostrophes, quotation marks and hyphens/dashes
Verify headings
Check for widow/orphan terms in important paragraphs
Spelling and grammar
Capitalization
Recurring/common phrases
Check for hard-coded links to staging domain
Ensure no test content on site
Ensure important old/existing URLs are redirected to relevant new URLs, Standards and Validation

Stage 3
Load Test

Check image optimization
Check and implement caching where necessary
Verify total page size/download time
Minify/compress static (JavaScript/HTML/CSS) files
Optimize CSS
Check correct database indexing
Verify configuration at every level (Web server, Database, any other software e.g. Content Management System)
Configure server-based logging/measurement tools (e.g. database/web server logging)
Create custom 404/error pages
Create a favicon

Stage 4
Search Engine Visibility, SEO Metrics

Stage 5
Post-Launch