checklist before starting the eshop, ux, web design

Funkčná webstránka predstavuje dôležitý nástroj vášho podnikania. Obzvlášť v prípade, ak je váš predmet podnikania e-shop.

A perfect website is an art in today's world. It is like a painting in a museum, which is viewed by thousands of visitors every day. In the online world, everyone is a critic, people easily remember flaws and don't have to come back to your work. If, after exposure, you find that something is wrong, interventions may require an unwanted withdrawal.

The article was revised and updated in May 2026. Check with specific service providers for technical information.

Building the website itself is very challenging in itself. A step up is the fine-tuning itself. As they say, the devil is in the details. That's why we decided to write this ultimate checklist, in which you will find everything you need to check before launching a website.

The checklist before starting the e-shop is divided from the following points of view:

programming
website functionality
marketing
UX
the others.

Programming

Quality HTML code

Structured data for Google - in search results, "Rich Snippets" allow a better view of the web. It is useful if your e-shop contains reviews or events.

Valid HTML – important in case of potential errors in search engine indexes. Bad HTML validation doesn't hurt search engine rankings, but it can affect structured data.

Correct <title> and <meta description> – this is the first information about the e-shop that the user sees during the search. It also affects search placement.

Correct <meta viewport> – serves for the correct display of a responsive website in mobile browsers.

Correct outline of headings – correct sizes and using headings makes it easier for Google to index the page and easier for users to navigate.

Grammar-free content – improves the clarity of the website. Unnecessary errors discourage users from activity.

Platné odkazy z webu – má dopad na pozíciu vo vyhľadávaní. Stačí použiť jednoduchý nástroj W3 Link Checker.

Accessibility website

Main content and navigation are available without Javascript - important for indexing in search engines. Try disabling Javascript in Developer Tools.

Checking with Web Accessibility Checker – the WCAG service will go through the web and point out possible standard errors.

Adding a WAI-ARIA area – this area saves visually impaired people a lot of time.

Working tab control – it's the equivalent of navigating a page without a mouse. Advanced users and visually impaired people will appreciate it.

Forms have the correct input types – makes it easier to enter content on mobile devices.

Development files are not in production – main directories such as node_modules/, .git/, or the entire content of the database.

Correct setting of the header from the server – use the Redbot.org service, which will correctly explain your server settings.

Correct security header setting - use the SecurityHeaders.io service, which will perform a basic audit of the server header, which will facilitate various types of attacks.

Quality CSS and Javascript code

The code follows the convention – the created documentation makes it easier to sell and share the code further, as well as to comment on it. In this way, the code can be modified more easily if necessary, and the programmer who did not create it can also use it.

Code Quality – the code must be checked automatically before use due to frequent errors or problematic constructions.

Tested Code – CSS and Javascript is good before use to test.

Optimized Code – does not contain optimized code unnecessary data moreover, a is minimized.

README.md – here is described the construction, installation and so on.

Web browsers and their compatibility

Full display on all browsers and devices - most browsers are not very different from each other, but there are a lot of them. Use the tool Browserstack.

Availability for older browsers – should not be underestimated. In older browsers, it is important that the main content is readable and has accessible navigation.

Print version of the page – it is important to ensure that the printing of unnecessary parts is turned off.

Website functionality

Check if the following is working correctly for you:

connected warehouse/ERP
accounting
CRM
all products and their categories displayed
displayed prices
availability in stock displayed
displayed delivery date
the displayed category tree in the menu
displayed product attributes and parameters
product sorting according to parameters
filtering products according to parameters
product pagination
internal search
adding the product to the cart
basket pass
remembering the cart when the user leaves
tested forms in the basket for errors and attacks
sending the order
payment methods
methods of transportation
sent email with order confirmation
order credited to internal systems
product labeling (discount, best seller, last 5 pieces, etc.)
setting discounts and incentives in CMS
application of discounts and incentives in the order
correctly displayed font, line spacing and indentation
correct cookie message
current GTC
current contacts
correct functioning of inserting new products
treatment of sold out or discontinued products
the possibility to edit the content on the product or its classification
working Heureka widget (if you use it)
24/7 web availability monitoring
non-publicly available administration
non-indexed administration
a working user login
customer inputs such as ratings or reviews work
transferred order database
transferred customer database
resolved protection against robots and spam.

SEO

Check if you are correct from an SEO point of view:

all pages generated
product category texts
well parametric combinations of categories
product texts
generated ALT on all images
hidden pages are not displayed in the navigation
no duplicate pages
Sorting in categories is treated against duplicates
checked tag meta robots
crawled website
marked all URL changes
pairwise list of all changing URLs from old to new redirects
crawling all HTML for "nofollow", "noindex"
checking all redirects
at least one main sitemap in robots.txt
sitemap for images
sitemap for videos
all microdata correctly deployed
meaningful media names such as images, PDFs, audio or videos
non-indexed pages are not in the sitemap
automatically generated internal links
Transferred manual control internal links together with their list
an existing list of all current URLs in the old site
backup before the starting version of HTACCESS
at least 1 month of robot behavior in the log
indexing tracking for settlement after launch
tracking visibility to pre-launch alignment questions
prepared file or tag for GSC reauthorization
resolved pre-start and post-start backup.

Marketing

Web analytics

Check if the following is working correctly for you:

deployed measurement codes for traffic,
deployed order measurement,
deployed remarketing codes and pixels,
deployed conversion codes for PPC,
own IP excluded,
deployed alerts for major drops in channels (traffic, revenue),
you follow the correct passage through the basket,
you are measuring internal search
adding and configuring Google Analytics
registration in the search console.

PPC

Check if the following is working correctly for you:

generated Google PLA feed
prepared scripts for landing on 404 from advertising
quality score tracking for comparison after launch
in the event of a URL change, prepared changed advertisements and sitelinks
in the event of a change in the website's logic, new audience definitions are prepared
resolved new builds for new pages
generated eureka feed (optional).

Social media

Check if the following is working correctly for you:

created and completed Facebook profile
placement and functioning of the widget for Facebook and other social media on the web
set Facebook Open Graph, or Twitter Cards.

UX

Overall UX

Displayed benefits or tagline – stand out from the rest. Show people who you are, what you do and, above all, why you do it.

Basket, price and number of items - make these buttons bold, big and contrasting.

Search – set a whisperer, account for typos, and offer categories and search in specific locations and results.

Navigation – create navigation that even a small child can understand.

Language and name - if you also sell abroad, enable setting both via geo-ip location or operating system settings.

Login and registration - remembered login every time you visit the customer's website.

Free bonuses – if you offer e.g. postage, insert it so it can be seen. This increases the chance of a sale.

Contact – let people call you. Get online chat. If you have a store, enter your opening hours and place a Google map on the website.

Website Footer – on each page, display shipping, payment, complaints, privacy, terms and conditions and also a link to the desktop/mobile version in the footer of the website.

Credibility – put customer references, partner logos, payment cards, certification, eureka awards, shipping method, etc. on the website.

Newsletter – if you have a regular newsletter, offer customers a discount or other promotion for providing the email.

Homepage

Width of assortment – display top categories, popular products, brand logos or product traffic. But don't overdo it too much.

Prototype – people are already used to a certain standard of e-shops, so offer them what they expect.

Visual hierarchy – it must be simple, clear and graphically clean.

Product

Name – clear, understandable with the use of key words.

Photos – large photos from all angles with the possibility of zooming.

Video - in case of availability, be sure to show.

Evaluation – put the number of ratings after the number of stars.

Availability - how many pieces are in stock and how quickly it will get home (even if it is not in stock).

Variants – color, size, etc.

Quantity – display a limited amount of items in stock, it leads to a more impulsive purchase.

Product description - make sure that the advantages of the given product, such as an extended warranty or durability, are clearly visible. Next, provide a short description.

Reviews - view other users' reviews and their satisfaction with the product.

Wishlist + guard dog – allow customers to reserve a purchase for later or monitor a certain parameter such as a price reduction, availability or product variant.

Upsell and cross-sell - allow customers to choose better versions, recommended products and their accessories.

Sharing – a maximum of 2 social networks. If no one has shared the product, don't show zero.

Basket

Registration – don't force users to register before purchasing, you're delaying them unnecessarily and they may not complete their order.

Final price - display the price of the product together with the price of postage. Uncertain price leads to departure.

Product preview - view photos, number of pieces, unit prices, VAT, postage and the option to remove from the basket.

Delivery - display the exact delivery date along with the shipping price.

Upsell (mobile only) – display recommended products in mobile. People don't mind here.

Buttons – clearly show people where they should go.

Save for later – give the option to complete the purchase at another time. Don't forget to notify by email.

Discount codes – don't emphasize this too much or people will start googling discount codes.

Payment option – allow customers to pay as they wish.

Order process

Get rid of the excess – no navigation, no footer. The only option is the button for the next step. No option to click back or logo.

Order without registration – as mentioned, don't hold people up with unnecessary registration.

Order of steps – the most frequently used format is Basket > Shipping and address > Payment > Summary > Thank you. Keep it simple. Allow people to come back and leave the data remembered.

Progress – show the user how many steps are left in the order. For more complex ones, show how much time is left to complete or show percentages.

Online support – may or may not be

Visible contents of the basket – display the contents of the basket visibly at every step

Forms – ask only what you really have to. The size of the field corresponds to the filled data. Change the font depending on the type of content.

Thanks page - thank and inform what will follow. Provide the option to create an account, share on social networks or subscribe to the newsletter.

The rest

Graphics support Retina display – ordinary graphics will not look as good on Retina displays.

Templates for 404 and 50x error pages - predefined versions are insufficient.

Rýchlosť načítania – optimalizujte rýchlosť načítania pomocou Pagespeed Insight Tester a WebpageTest.org.

Resolved SSL Certificate – An SSL certificate is a must these days. Unless you switched to httpwith Google may rank you lower in searches.

Conclusion

Checking the checklist before launching the e-shop, whether everything works correctly as it should, can be just as frustrating as independent creation. However, it is the last step that must be completed before you can get your website out there. Better to catch a mistake before it is too late.

http://www.ilincev.com/ux-checklist-eshop

http://www.lukaspitra.cz/checklist-kontroly-pred-spustenim-webu/

http://www.vzhurudolu.cz/prirucka/checklist