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You\u2019ve finally wrapped your arms around your brand\u2019s new website. It\u2019s sleek. It\u2019s fast. It makes your old site look like a MySpace profile circa 2006. But before you hit that big shiny launch button and cue the champagne, let\u2019s have a little heart-to-heart about what can (and will) go sideways if you don\u2019t plan this thing properly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Launching a website isn\u2019t just flipping a switch. It\u2019s more like choreographing a halftime show \u2014 every beat matters, every light has to hit just right, and one rogue backup dancer (read: <\/span>broken link<\/span><\/a> or missing redirect) can blow the whole thing up.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So whether you\u2019re refreshing a current site, <\/span>migrating a website<\/span><\/a> to a new domain, or launching a brand-new one, here\u2019s everything you need to know about planning a website launch \u2014 complete with research, examples, and the checklists you need to make your project manager weep with joy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n A bad launch can tank your traffic and SEO and leave your team playing digital Whac-A-Mole for weeks as problems pop up.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Common pitfalls we see when businesses rush launches include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s fix that, shall we?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Before you even think about going live, this is your prep kitchen. No one wants to serve raw chicken. Here\u2019s your <\/span>mise en place<\/span><\/i>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Start your <\/span>content audit<\/span><\/a> by crawling your current site with a tool like Screaming Frog. This helps identify what pages exist; what\u2019s ranking; and what should be migrated, <\/span>updated<\/span><\/a>, or given a proper Viking funeral.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Action step:<\/span><\/b> Create a spreadsheet that includes:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Keep what works, ditch what doesn\u2019t, and rewrite what\u2019s outdated.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Every old URL that\u2019s going away needs to be accounted for. If not? Say goodbye to your SEO equity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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1. Perform a content audit.<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n
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2. Create a redirect map.<\/span><\/b><\/h3>\n