Launching your Magento 2 website can be daunting especially without a well-crafted strategy for release. Each project has its special requirement and goal, and every launch, migration, or upgrade is different, but a checklist can highly help in navigating the unchartered territory. 

Ensure that you go through the checklist to avoid any last-minute hiccups.

 A week before the launch

  • Check if your system has the compatible software to run Magento 2.
  • Go-live should be approved by both developers and business owners. 
  • Everyone involved should be aware of the possible downtime in the project.
  • Stage the site on the production server, and test the site using the production URL on localhost. 
  • Redirects are often rushed or overlooked creating misery at the time of go-live. After building the necessary 301’s, test them to ensure that it reaches the target functional pages, and the link is not broken. Fix any broken re-directs before go-live in the testing phase itself.
  • Run an SEO review- Ensure that the site infrastructure is properly set up, like meta tags, alt tags, and schema markup.
  • Arrange the payment gateway details in advance.
  • Purchase and implement SSL certificate on the live server.
  • Make sure that the patches and updates are functioning optimally and check for exposed directories.
  • Add the site’s Google Analytics ID.
  • Navigate to Magento Backend: Stores > Configuration > General > Web > Base URLs & Base Secure URLs.
  • Setup the store’s email address from Stores > Configuration > General.
  • Test integrations.
  • Install and configure the Easy Site Maintenance extension.
  • Perform a dry run of the go-live process.

During Go-Live

  • Transfer the files and database to the new server. 
  • Edit the base URLs in the Magento database.
  • Turn on the Easy Site maintenance extension.
  • Test Integrations and SSL.
  • Make the Shipping and Payment methods live.
  • Update the robot.txt file with live entries.
  • Configure CDN for production.
  • Place test orders testing the various payment methods to ensure that the orders are coming in. 
  • Check your cron settings on your web server OS with the guidance of Magento.
  • Test all the contact forms and see whether the inquiries are coming in.
  • Remove the maintenance flag.
  • Check the analytics settings.
  • Monitor the entire checkout process for any possible anomalies.
  • The cache should be cleared and enabled.
  • Change the background password from the default.

Post-go-live check the entire process to identify any anomalies in the system. Review server log files, Google Analytics, and check the payment process to ensure that it is seamless. 

At Citytech, we understand how daunting it can be to launch your Magento 2 website without proper guidance and a projected timeline. Being a specialized Magento Development Company, we can help you migrate your store to Magento 2.x with personal attention. We migrate your data, SEO settings, plugins, and settings so that you do not lose any valuable information during the upgrade. Our managed upgrade service makes the entire process smooth and seamless.

To know more, visit https://www.citytechcorp.com/technology/magento-migration/