Launch day: the hour-by-hour checklist (and the week-after plan)

Launch day runs on the checklist, not on adrenaline. Here is the hour-by-hour sequence — and the week-after plan that catches whatever slips.

Launch eve (the night before) □ Full backup (files + database) □ The 15-point pre-launch checklist green □ DNS TTL lowered (if migrating) □ Announcement drafts written (WhatsApp, Instagram, email) □ Sleep — a rested launcher catches what a tired one misses

Hour 0–1: the technical switch □ Domain connected / DNS flipped (migration playbook if moving) □ https loads with padlock — every page □ Force-https working (http redirects) □ Forms submit AND land where you monitor □ WhatsApp buttons fire to the right number

Hour 1–2: the final human pass □ Phone walkthrough: home, one product/service, contact — on mobile data □ A second person clicks independently — fresh eyes catch fresh things □ PageSpeed sanity check (one number, 30 seconds)

Hour 2–3: the announcements (in order) 1. WhatsApp Business status + broadcast list 2. Instagram post + story with link 3. Google Business Profile post 4. Email to existing customers Each with the same asset: one good screenshot + one clear line + the link.

The week after (the safety net) □ Day 1–2: monitor uptime alerts, answer the feedback messages fast (early visitors are your best QC team) □ Day 3: Search Console — indexing started? Errors? □ Day 5: analytics review — where do visitors land and leave? □ Day 7: the first blog post publishes (the compounding begins) + first review asks go out

Launch is a managed sequence, not a leap. The checklist makes it boring — and boring launches are the ones that work.