20 Ecommerce Checks Before Your Store Goes Live
Test product data, checkout, pickup, delivery, mobile pages, search basics, and site ownership before customers use a new online store.
The store looks finished. Before you send customers to it, test the work that can cause an order to be wrong: product choices, price, availability, pickup, delivery, and payment. Run these checks with a small sample from the catalog, then repeat them when the store changes in a material way.
For the reasons behind each setup decision, see 12 things that matter when building a retail website. This checklist focuses on what to verify before launch.
Products and store details
- Check representative products. Confirm the name, brand, model or SKU, specifications, images, and category for products from each important department.
- Test product options. Select the available size, finish, package quantity, or other variation. Confirm the selection, price, image, and availability match.
- Review price and unit information. Make clear whether a price applies per item, package, length, volume, or another unit. Verify the displayed price against the approved source.
- Check availability wording. A live count should only appear if inventory is reliably connected. Otherwise, use an accurate status or a clear confirmation step.
- Confirm store information. Check hours, phone number, branch addresses, pickup instructions, and seasonal notices against what each store currently does.
Ordering, pickup, and delivery
- Complete a test order. Use a supported test mode or agreed internal process. Confirm the order reaches the right account and can be reviewed by staff.
- Test the payment options. Confirm accepted payment methods, tax settings, and the final amount shown before a customer submits the order.
- Review pickup by location. Choose a branch and check that the confirmation tells the customer where and when to collect the order.
- Test delivery rules. Try valid and invalid delivery locations, fees, order sizes, and products that need special handling. Make sure an unavailable option cannot be selected.
- Read the order messages. Check confirmation emails, receipts, back-order notices, and enquiry replies for accurate timing and contact details.
If the POS connection, delivery zones, or product source is still unclear, talk with Lookelo about the setup before launch. Confirm what the existing systems can support before promising automatic stock or pricing updates.
Phone, access, and site behavior
- Use a real phone. Browse categories, select a product option, open the cart, and finish the test order on a mobile device.
- Check keyboard and screen-reader access. Navigate menus and forms without a mouse; confirm controls have clear labels and images that carry product information have useful text alternatives. Use the W3C accessibility guidance as a starting point.
- Check page loading and layout. Review key pages with PageSpeed Insights and fix visible issues that slow or obstruct the shopping task. A score is diagnostic; it isn't a sales forecast.
- Follow every important link. Test category links, product links, contact options, policies, and footer links. Check that no launch link still points to a preview site.
- Review forms and messages. Submit each contact or quote form and verify it reaches the intended inbox with enough detail to respond.
Search, security, and ownership
- Check titles and page descriptions. Give key store, category, and product pages unique wording that describes the visible content.
- Review crawl access and canonical URLs. Make sure important pages aren't accidentally blocked or marked
noindex; confirm canonical URLs point to the preferred public versions. - Check product information for search. If you use product structured data, validate that price, availability, and product details match the page. Google's ecommerce structured-data documentation describes supported product information; eligibility doesn't guarantee a rich result.
- Confirm site access and recovery. The business should know who controls the domain and platform accounts, where backups or exports are kept, and how to reach hosting or payment providers.
- Assign ongoing work. Name who handles product changes, hours, policy updates, platform notices, and the next review. Include recurring support in writing if someone else will manage it.
The checks depend on the store's real catalog, connected systems, and fulfillment process. Keep a short record of what was tested, what failed, and who owns the fix. For the ongoing responsibilities after launch, see what ecommerce website management includes.
Frequently asked questions
Should I test every product before launch?
Check every product if the catalog is small. For a larger catalog, use a documented sample that covers each product type, variation, price rule, and fulfillment path, then verify the import and exception process. High-impact or regulated items may need individual review.
How often should I run this checklist again?
Repeat the relevant checks after changes to the theme, checkout, payment settings, inventory connection, shipping or delivery rules, and important product templates. There's no need to redo every item after an unrelated text correction.
Can I open the store before the full catalog is ready?
Yes, if the first set of visible products is accurate and customers can understand what is available. Keep incomplete listings unpublished, or give them a clear status and next step.
Once the store is live, assign someone to maintain the details customers depend on. Lookelo's ecommerce website management service explains the ongoing work.
