Campaign Website Launch Checklist: Before You Go Live

The Stakes of Your Campaign Website Launch

Your campaign website launch is a pivotal moment. It's often the first public signal that your campaign is real, professional, and ready to compete. A flawless launch builds momentum and credibility; a problematic launch—broken links, slow loading, or embarrassing errors—can damage your campaign's reputation before it even begins.

The good news: with proper preparation, you can ensure your launch goes smoothly. This comprehensive checklist covers everything from technical testing to SEO setup to announcement strategy, giving you a reliable roadmap to a successful campaign website launch.

Pre-Launch Technical Testing

Technical issues are the most common source of launch problems, and they're entirely preventable with thorough testing.

Cross-Browser Testing

Your website must work correctly on all major browsers. Test thoroughly on:

• Chrome: The dominant browser, used by approximately 65% of visitors
• Safari: Essential for iPhone and Mac users
• Firefox: Used by a dedicated user base
• Edge: Default browser on Windows devices
• Samsung Internet: Common on Android devices

For each browser, verify that all pages render correctly, navigation works, forms submit properly, and interactive elements function as expected.

Device Testing

Test on actual devices, not just browser emulators:

• iPhone (multiple generations): Test on both newer and older models
• Android phones: Test on at least two different Android devices
• iPad/tablets: Verify tablet-specific layouts work correctly
• Desktop computers: Test on different screen sizes and resolutions

Link Verification

Broken links destroy credibility. Check every link on your site:

• Internal navigation links
• Footer links
• Social media profile links
• External resource links
• Image links and embedded media
• Download links (PDFs, documents)

Use automated link-checking tools, but also manually verify critical links to donation pages, signup forms, and contact information.

Form Testing

Forms are conversion points—where visitors become supporters. Test every form thoroughly. For guidance on effective forms, see our articles on volunteer signup forms and email list building:

• Donation forms: Process test transactions (then refund them)
• Email signup forms: Verify data flows to your email platform correctly
• Volunteer forms: Confirm submissions are captured and notifications work
• Contact forms: Test that messages arrive at the correct destination

Test form validation: what happens when required fields are empty or invalid data is entered? Error messages should be clear and helpful.

Speed Testing

Page speed impacts both user experience and search rankings. Before launch, test load times using:

• Google PageSpeed Insights
• GTmetrix
• WebPageTest

Target scores of 90+ on PageSpeed Insights for mobile. Address any flagged issues before launching.

Security Verification

• SSL Certificate: Verify HTTPS is working on all pages (look for padlock icon)
• Donation security: Confirm PCI compliance for payment processing
• Form security: Ensure forms are protected against spam and malicious submissions
• Admin access: Confirm strong passwords and limited admin access

Content Review

Content errors can be more damaging than technical issues. A thorough content review is essential.

Proofreading

Have multiple people proofread all content. Look for:

• Spelling errors
• Grammatical mistakes
• Punctuation issues
• Factual accuracy
• Consistent formatting

Pay special attention to the candidate's name spelling (including proper capitalization), district information, and election dates—errors here are particularly embarrassing.

Image Review

• Verify all images load correctly
• Check image quality on different screen sizes
• Confirm you have rights to use all images
• Verify alt text is present and descriptive for accessibility
• Ensure images of real people have appropriate permissions

Legal Compliance Review

Campaign websites have specific legal requirements. See our complete guide to FEC website disclaimer requirements for detailed compliance information:

• Paid-for disclaimer: Required disclosure of who paid for the site (typically "Paid for by [Committee Name]")
• Privacy policy: Required if collecting personal information
• Terms of service: Recommended for all websites
• Donation disclaimers: Required disclosures about contribution limits and eligibility

Consult with campaign legal counsel to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local requirements.

SEO Setup and Configuration

Search engine optimization ensures voters can find your campaign when they search. Complete these SEO fundamentals before launch. For a deeper dive, see our comprehensive campaign website SEO guide.

Technical SEO Foundations

• XML Sitemap: Create and verify your sitemap is accessible
• Robots.txt: Ensure search engines can crawl your site (no accidental blocking)
• Canonical URLs: Set canonical tags to prevent duplicate content issues
• Mobile-friendly verification: Confirm Google sees your site as mobile-friendly

On-Page SEO Elements

For every page, verify:

• Title tags: Unique, descriptive titles under 60 characters including candidate name and office
• Meta descriptions: Compelling descriptions under 160 characters
• Header structure: Proper H1, H2, H3 hierarchy
• Image alt text: Descriptive alt text for all images
• Internal linking: Logical internal link structure

Local SEO (Critical for Campaigns)

• Google Business Profile: Claim and optimize your campaign's Google Business listing
• NAP consistency: Name, Address, Phone consistent across all online presence
• Local keywords: Include district/city/state names in relevant content
• Schema markup: Add local business and political campaign structured data

Search Console Setup

• Create Google Search Console account
• Verify site ownership
• Submit sitemap
• Check for crawl errors
• Set up email notifications for issues

Analytics Configuration

You can't improve what you don't measure. Set up analytics before launch so you capture data from day one.

Google Analytics 4 Setup

• Create GA4 property
• Install tracking code on all pages
• Verify real-time data is flowing
• Configure data retention settings
• Set up standard event tracking

Conversion Tracking

Configure tracking for key conversions:

• Donation completions
• Email signups
• Volunteer form submissions
• Event RSVPs
• Contact form submissions

Custom Dashboards

Create dashboards focused on campaign-relevant metrics:

• Daily visitor counts
• Traffic sources (social, search, direct, referral)
• Geographic distribution of visitors
• Conversion rates by source
• Top-performing content

Additional Analytics Tools

Consider implementing:

• Facebook Pixel: For retargeting and social analytics
• Heatmapping tools: To understand how visitors interact with pages
• A/B testing tools: For optimizing conversions over time

Integration Verification

Confirm all third-party integrations are working properly before launch.

Email Platform Integration

• Test that signups flow to your email platform
• Verify automated welcome emails send correctly
• Confirm segmentation tags are applied properly
• Test unsubscribe functionality

Payment Processing

• Process test donations and verify receipt
• Confirm donor information is recorded correctly
• Test recurring donation setup
• Verify compliance receipts are generated and sent

CRM Integration

If using campaign CRM tools (NGP VAN, NationBuilder, etc.):

• Verify data syncing is active
• Test that contact records are created correctly
• Confirm custom fields are mapping properly

Social Media Integration

• Social share buttons work correctly
• Open Graph tags display proper images and text when shared
• Social profile links are correct

Backup and Recovery

Before launching, ensure you have safety nets in place.

• Full site backup: Create a complete backup of your website
• Database backup: If applicable, backup your database separately
• Document access credentials: Ensure key staff have necessary login information
• Recovery plan: Know how to restore from backup if needed
• Support contacts: Have contact information for technical support readily available

Launch Day Announcement Strategy

A website launch without announcement is a missed opportunity. Plan your announcement strategy in advance.

Pre-Launch Preparation

• Draft press release announcing the website launch
• Prepare social media posts with compelling visuals
• Brief key supporters and surrogates on messaging
• Queue email announcement to existing contacts
• Coordinate timing with any related campaign announcements

Launch Day Execution

• Morning: Final technical verification, then flip the switch
• Mid-morning: Send press release to media contacts
• Late morning: Deploy social media announcements
• Midday: Send email announcement to supporter list
• Afternoon: Monitor for issues, respond to media inquiries
• Evening: Share launch celebration content on social media

Announcement Content Ideas

• Candidate video introducing the website
• Behind-the-scenes content from website development
• Interactive elements encouraging exploration
• Special launch-day donation matching
• Early supporter recognition

Post-Launch Monitoring

The first 48 hours after launch require vigilant monitoring.

Technical Monitoring

• Check uptime monitoring for any outages
• Monitor server performance under real traffic
• Review error logs for any issues
• Test all forms multiple times throughout the day
• Verify analytics data is capturing properly

User Feedback

• Monitor social media for feedback about the site
• Check for inbound emails or messages reporting issues
• Ask trusted supporters to browse and report any problems
• Review analytics for unusual patterns (high bounce rates, abandoned forms)

Quick Response Protocol

Have a plan for addressing issues quickly:

• Designate a technical point person for launch day
• Have hosting provider contact information ready
• Prepare holding page in case of major issues
• Plan communication strategy for any public-facing problems

The Complete Campaign Website Launch Checklist

Use this summary checklist to ensure nothing is missed:

One Week Before Launch

• Complete all content and final revisions
• Finish cross-browser and device testing
• Verify all integrations are working
• Complete SEO setup
• Configure analytics
• Create backups
• Prepare announcement materials

24 Hours Before Launch

• Final content proofread
• Test all forms one more time
• Verify donation processing
• Check all links
• Brief launch day team
• Queue social media posts
• Prepare email announcement

Launch Day

• Final technical verification
• Launch website
• Execute announcement strategy
• Monitor for issues
• Respond to feedback
• Celebrate with your team

First Week After Launch

• Daily technical monitoring
• Review analytics data
• Gather user feedback
• Address any issues discovered
• Plan first round of optimizations

Common Launch Mistakes to Avoid

• Launching on Friday: If issues arise, you want business-hours support available
• Skipping mobile testing: Most visitors will be on mobile devices
• Forgetting to test donations: The most important conversion path
• No monitoring plan: Issues can go unnoticed without active monitoring
• Weak announcement: A great site nobody knows about won't help your campaign
• Perfectionism paralysis: Don't delay launch waiting for perfection—launch and iterate

Launch Your Campaign Website with Confidence

A successful campaign website launch sets the tone for your entire digital campaign. By following this comprehensive checklist, you can launch with confidence, knowing you've addressed the technical, content, and strategic elements that matter most.

Remember: your website is a living platform that will evolve throughout the campaign. Launch day is just the beginning. What matters most is getting a solid foundation in place and continuously improving based on real data and feedback.

Ready to build and launch a professional campaign website? CandidateSites provides everything you need—from professionally designed templates to integrated donations and email signup to built-in SEO optimization—so you can focus on your campaign while your website works for you. Start building your campaign website today and launch with the confidence that comes from a platform designed specifically for political campaigns.

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