The Product Launch Checklist You Need to Prevent Launch Day Disasters
Picture this: You hit ‘Go Live’, sit back and wait for the sales to roll in…you wait, and wait, and wait … and when you realize you aren’t getting ANY sales, you know something has to be wrong. It might be that your checkout link is broken, your email sequence didn’t send to the right list, or that your mobile checkout is not optimized. That’s why testing before your launch isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential! There is no worse feeling than knowing money was left on the table because you didn’t do your due diligence with a product launch checklist.
Why a Product Launch Checklist is Critical
Testing before going live gives you the same view that customers will have - so you can catch any of embarrassing mistakes before they do. Because if they catch them? They’re probably going to leave the page faster than you can say, “the 49ers are going to the playoffs this year”.
You want to know and view the exact flow that your customers will go through when they are making their purchases. It’s so much easier and less stressful to fix a broken link or confusing checkout flow during testing versus while the product is supposed to be making you money. Pre-launch testing also gives you the chance to see whether your messaging actually makes sense when someone walks through the process step by step.
How to Use a Product Launch Checklist
When I’m getting ready to launch, I always use a product launch checklist to make sure everything works exactly as it should. Here are 5 tips I keep in mind when I’m testing:
Be as client-facing as possible. Pretend you’ve never seen your own site before - what stands out? What’s confusing?
Use a different email. That way, you see what real customers actually receive.
Make a $1 test product. It’s an easy way to confirm checkout works without charging yourself the true cost of a product or service.
Create a test discount code. Use it to trigger automations like delivery emails or onboarding sequences.
Ask a biz friend or partner to test. It’s always a great way to get feedback on messaging and anything that might seem confusing. Having a different set of eyes sees things differently than you do.
The 4 Key Areas of a Product Launch Checklist
1. Money Flow
Payment should process smoothly, confirmation pages should display correctly, and your thank-you message should send without delay. I like to test this by using the $1 test product and test discount codes.
2. Email Systems
Run through your sequences. Does each message arrive in order and on time? Double-check that names and links populate correctly. Many sequences take a few days or weeks to complete. Make sure you have enough time before launch to test the whole sequence, or create a duplicate test sequence with an accelerated timeline.
3. User Experience
Check your site on mobile, tablet, and desktop devices. Are buttons tappable? Do forms resize correctly? Are there any confusing steps? Did you know that up to 60% of your customers use mobile devices to complete purchases? Testing ensures their experience flows smoothly.
4. Behind the Scenes
Review your analytics and automations. Are your tracking pixels firing? Do customers get instant access to what they bought? Every link should lead exactly where it’s supposed to. This sets you up for a smooth recap of launch and the ability to have data to review what went well during launch.
Testing takes a little extra time, but saves you from frantic fixes and embarrassing DMs later. Plus, it ensures you aren’t leaving money on the table when your offer finally goes live. Sometimes things will happen outside of your control, but with these tests, you’ll launch knowing everything works exactly how it should.
Want a product launch checklist that you don’t have to create yourself? I’ve got 10 must-do tests (plus an emergency contact sheet for your next launch) in my free Launch Emergency Prevention Kit here: subscribepage.io/1jQxom
