Once all the functionality and task of the Magento website are completed with proper testing and you are just at the corner to launch it, this is the time to rethink and ensure that everything is on its place. Be careful and have a look through below critical points which are mostly overlooked but are quite important before a Magento website goes live no matter how tight your timeline is and you’re under pressure from client.
Following is a Magento Final Launch Checklist which includes everything you need to get your Magento website up and running efficiently.
# Deactivate all unnecessary modules
It is sensible to disable any module which you are not using in your Magento website since they can affect overall website performance mainly making is slow.
# Favicon
The Favicon is the little icon which is shown next to your URL in the address bar. It represents your brand. Users identify it easily particularly when using multiple tabs in a browser. It may appear to be a minor issue but a very important one.
# Delivery/Shipping details
This is one of the most curious things an online buyer eagerly wants to know that when will be their order delivered and what will be the delivery charges? State your delivery information accurately and ensure you have not missed any essential delivery information customer must need to know before they make purchase from your store. Wrong calculation and misleading shipping/delivery information result in cart abandonments and a hassle in customer service.
# Leverage advance search feature
Finding correct product in the shortest time is a key factor for high conversion in eCommerce website. Advance search feature helps in reducing the barriers of locating desired product of customers promptly. Make sure your advance search feature is retrieving most relative products.
# Set your tax rules correctly
If you sell globally then multiple tax rules can apply so it is important to check that the obligatory tax amounts are correctly calculated and the figures are clearly shown to the buyer before a credit card is pulled out from the wallet. To set tax rules properly you need to check what region your customer belongs to based on which tax rules is applied. You also need to ensure that products are properly categorized: one’s which are taxable and one’s which are not.
# Set up brand page
Many customers like to shop through brand name, make sure you have set up brand pages accurately which will help them locate their favorite brand product easily.
# Make sure you have set up newsletter subscription
If you have not integrated newsletter subscription feature into your Magento website then your business could be missing out on valuable conversions. It’s an important means to have repeat business and to keep in communication with your customers about your offers, events, discounts etc.
Test the email sign up form that customer can sign up and unsubscribe. Test the template and modify as needed.
# Test website speed
There are unlimited options available to test speed of your Magento website. It is important to own a fast loading website in order to get credit in Google search result as well as to have good conversion. The faster your website is it’s going to give better results. If you can afford dedicated server it’s going to be a good value for having fast loading website.
Combine all your JS and CSS files into one file and use the optimized products image. Best way is to check in websites like gtmetrix.com or pingdom.com and get better grade. Check all necessary validations.
# Contact Details Are Clearly Visible and Correct
Help customers to contact you easily. Show your contact number or email ideally in header area so that your customer find it very simple to contact you for support.
# Give proper name to an image and utilize alt tag
Instead of using 123.jpg it is recommended to use proper product name such as 39_hd_led_tv.jpg and use complete name of the products in alt tag. This is good for SEO.
# Create custom 404 page
Modify the default 404 page and place the links properly which will guide visitor to land on desired page.
# Change logo on the invoice
By default Magento shows its own logo on the invoice thus it is essential to check when you hit print invoice, it should show your brand logo.
# Check payment gateways
Make sure your payment gateway is ready to integrate in live website. It’s highly recommended to always place few test orders and thoroughly confirm that orders are smoothly placed and transaction goes through successfully.