Before launching an online store, confirm that payments, tax and shipping are set up correctly, that the site is fast on mobile, that tracking respects consent, and that legal pages are in place. Then place real test orders from start to finish. This checklist walks through each area in the order most teams find useful.
Are payments set up and tested?
Switch your payment gateway from test mode to live mode, and confirm the account is fully verified so payouts are not held. Offer the methods your customers expect in each market: cards, wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, PayPal, and local options where they matter. Check currency settings, refund handling and how failed payments are shown to the customer.
Make sure order confirmation and payment receipt emails send correctly and come from your own domain. Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC records so they do not land in spam.
Are tax and shipping settings correct?
Tax rules depend on where you sell and where your customers are. Confirm whether prices are shown with or without tax for each region, that the right rates apply, and that invoices meet local requirements. If you are unsure, ask an accountant before launch rather than after.
For shipping, check zones, rates, free shipping thresholds and delivery estimates. Test addresses in each country you serve. If you ship internationally, be clear about duties and who pays them. Unexpected charges at the door lead to refused parcels and poor reviews.
Is the store fast enough?
Most shoppers browse on their phones, often on mobile data. Test your home page, a category page, a product page and checkout with Google PageSpeed Insights and on a real mid-range phone. Compress and correctly size images, remove apps or plugins you do not use, and make sure caching and a CDN are configured.
Pay special attention to checkout. Extra scripts there slow down the step that matters most.
Is tracking working, and does it respect consent?
Install analytics, usually Google Analytics 4 through Google Tag Manager, and check that key events fire: product views, add to cart, begin checkout and purchase, with the right value and currency. Connect advertising pixels for any platforms you plan to use.
If you have visitors from the UK, the EU or other regions with privacy laws, add a consent banner that actually blocks non-essential tracking until the visitor agrees. Configure consent mode so platforms receive the right signals. Test it in a private browser window.
Have you covered the SEO basics?
Give every important page a unique title and meta description. Write original product descriptions rather than copying the manufacturer's text. Use clean, readable URLs. Add alt text to product images. Make sure product structured data shows price, availability and reviews where you have them.
Submit your XML sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. If you are replacing an old site, map every old URL to its new equivalent with permanent redirects. Missing redirects are one of the most common causes of lost traffic after a launch.
Are your legal and trust pages in place?
At a minimum, publish a privacy policy, terms and conditions, a returns and refunds policy, a shipping policy and a cookie policy. Show your business name and contact details clearly. Requirements differ by country, so have these pages reviewed by someone who knows the rules where you trade.
Trust signals help too: clear contact options, honest delivery times, secure checkout and genuine reviews.
Have you placed real test orders?
Place several orders using live payment methods and small amounts. Try a guest checkout and a logged-in one, a discount code, a free shipping order and an international address. Then refund one to confirm the full cycle works.
Follow each order through your back office. Check stock levels update, notifications reach the right people, invoices generate and any connected systems, such as accounting or fulfilment, receive the data correctly.
What should you do after launch?
Watch the first days closely. Check orders, payment logs, error logs and Search Console daily. Look at where shoppers drop out of checkout and fix obvious friction quickly. Collect early customer feedback and ask happy customers for reviews.
Set up uptime monitoring and automated backups if they are not already running. Plan a regular routine for updates and security patches, especially on self-hosted platforms.
Keep the checklist for next time
Save this list and use it again whenever you change themes, add a market or replace a payment provider. Most launch problems are small settings that nobody checked.
If you would like a second pair of eyes before you go live, technocity can run through a pre-launch review of your store with you.
