Pre-launch Checklist

In this episode Wes and Scott discuss their pre-launch checklists. They talk about performance, accessibility, compatibility, SEO, analytics, and more - all the things you should check before launching something to the world. Sentry - Sponsor If you want to know what’s happening with your errors, track them with Sentry. Sentry is open-source error tracking that helps developers monitor and fix crashes in real time. Cut your time on error resolution from five hours to five minutes. It works with any language and integrates with dozens of other services. Syntax listeners can get two months for free by visiting Sentry.io and using the coupon code “tastytreat”. .tech Domains - Sponsor Finding a great domain name is tough with so many names already taken. If you’re looking for a domain name for your startup, side project, or anything at all, check out .tech Domains. Syntax listeners can get 90% off both one-year and five-year registration by visiting go.tech/syntax and using the coupon code “syntax”. Show Notes 1:45 - Overall Let robots do the work for you - use auditing tools Lighthouse SEO Checkers Accessibility checkers like axe 2:58 - Performance Compress those images Build process Cloudinary ImageOptim imgIX Minify Code Splitting Smaller bundles where it makes sense A future where it’s done for us Run page speed tests like Google PageSpeed Insights Don’t service worker on launch Syntax Ep 50 - Progressive Web Apps 11:43 - Compatibility Test on actual browsers that need to be supported Ask people to check on their devices Use a service like Browserstack Browser resolution and ratios Cache busters 16:00 - Sales / Credit Cards Use package.lock Have multiple people test your checkout Make sure your company name is listed on customer’s credit card bills Have a phone number listed for disputes 24:55 - Tips from the Trenches Secure API endpoints Scale up server just in case Early access Soft launch Make sure URLs are correct - no “localhost:3000”, etc. 31:25 - Content Check spelling and grammar A working 404 page Check for leftover placeholder text → launching with lorem ipsum is not good 34:39 - Accessibility Alt text Run color contrast checker Run Lighthouse Correct tab order Use the site with keyboard only and make sure it’s a good experience 37:35 - SEO Sitemap created and uploaded to Google Webmaster Tools SEO checkers Meta tags Correct heading hierarchy 41:55 - Analytics Google analytics Facebook tracking pixel Drip 43:23 - Server config & access .htaccess redirects where needed robots.txt prevent indexing of some pages Enable GZIP Caching Cloudflare or other CDN 46:12 - Company Processes Make sure tests are passing Git issues are closed Merge pull requests Write documentation on processes (readme, etc.) Deploy to staging environment and test production build No unwanted logs or errors left in production build DNS Propagation ××× SIIIIICK ××× PIIIICKS ××× Scott: Swindled Podcast Wes: FIFO Bottles Shameless Plugs Scott’s Level Up Pro Wes’ Advanced React Course - use the code SYNTAX for $10 off Tweet us your tasty treats! Scott’s Instagram LevelUpTutorials Instagram Wes’ Instagram Wes’ Twitter Wes’ Facebook Scott’s Twitter Make sure to include @SyntaxFM in your tweets