Have you ever launched a new website, only to find broken enquiry forms, missing compliance pages, or a sudden drop in Google rankings?
Why do so many professional firms — from solicitors to financial advisors — spend thousands on a new site, only to lose enquiries and credibility on day one?
This guide shares the complete 50-step website launch checklist we use with law firms and professional services in the UK. It ensures your site goes live without hidden gaps, compliance risks, or lost traffic.
By the end, you’ll know:
- The essential steps every law firm website must pass before launch
- Why skipping even a few can cost you enquiries and reputation
- Real examples of firms that avoided disaster (and those that didn’t)
- How to use a proven launch checklist as your safeguard
Why Most Website Launches Fail
Launching a new website should feel exciting. Too often, it becomes a nightmare:
- Enquiry forms don’t work (leads never reach you)
- Google rankings vanish overnight
- Compliance pages are missing (GDPR, SRA, accessibility)
- Design issues make the site look unprofessional on mobile
- No tracking in place, so you can’t see what’s working
For law firms and financial advisors, these aren’t small issues. They mean weeks of lost enquiries, reputational damage, and regulatory risk.
The 50-Step Law Firm Website Launch Checklist
We group the checklist into six categories, aligned with the EnquiryOS™ framework (Strategy, Traffic, Process):
1. Strategy & Planning
- Clear goals defined (enquiries, not just “traffic”)
- Client personas and positioning mapped (e.g., conveyancing vs immigration clients)
- Conversion pathways designed (forms, calls, downloads)
- Competitor checks to ensure differentiation
2. Content & Messaging
- Service pages written in plain English, SEO-ready
- Case studies and testimonials live on site
- CTAs on every page
- Compliance statements (GDPR, disclaimers, privacy policy)
3. Design & User Experience
- Fully responsive across mobile, tablet, desktop
- Clear navigation with services easy to find
- Accessibility checks (contrast, alt text, screen reader support)
- Modern, professional look that builds trust
4. Technical & SEO Setup
- Meta titles and descriptions in place
- Schema and structured data added
- Redirects from old URLs to protect rankings
- Site speed optimised
- XML sitemap submitted to Google
5. Legal & Compliance
- GDPR cookie banner working
- Privacy policy and terms included
- SRA compliance checks (law firms)
- Accessibility audit passed
6. Launch & Testing
- Enquiry forms tested (do leads reach inbox + CRM?)
- Analytics, CRM tracking, and call tracking installed
- Backups configured
- Security certificate (SSL) live
- Test enquiries sent before launch
Proof in Practice
Fountain Solicitors – Their old site held back enquiries. With a checklist-led rebuild, they protected SEO rankings, passed compliance, and now average 60+ new enquiries per month.
Onyx Solicitors — Massive organic growth (keywords 112 → 630), page-1 visibility across services, and ultra-efficient ads: 54 clicks → 50 conversions at ~£10.77 per conversion on a £600 budget. Performance was strong enough that campaigns were paused to handle demand.
ROI of a Proper Website Launch vs a Bad Launch
| Type of Launch | What Happens | ROI Impact |
| Bad Launch (no checklist) | Broken forms, lost rankings, compliance gaps | Negative – lost enquiries, reputational damage |
| Proper Launch (50-step checklist) | SEO preserved, enquiries flow from day one, compliance secured | Positive – consistent enquiries, faster ROI |
A single missed compliance page or broken form can cost a law firm thousands in missed opportunities. A structured checklist makes sure that never happens.
Why This Checklist is Different
Most agencies rush through launch, ticking only a few technical boxes. That’s why so many firms end up with websites that look fine but fail behind the scenes.
Our approach is:
- Systematic – every site goes live only after passing all 50 checks.
- Proven – refined across 50+ professional firms in the UK.
- Safe ROI – designed to protect rankings, enquiries, and compliance from day one.
Conclusion: Launch Without Risk
A website launch isn’t just about “going live.” It’s about making sure your site is ready to generate enquiries and protect your firm’s reputation from day one.
If you’d like to see how our 50-step law firm website launch checklist applies to your firm, explore our Pricing Page, where we break down packages by firm size and growth goals.
Final Thought
A bad launch costs you money and credibility. A structured launch checklist pays for itself in enquiries protected — and enquiries gained.
