Part 7 of the "Perfect Website" Series

Launch day feels like a big red button. In reality, it's a checklist, a few switches, and a whole lot of systems talking to each other.

In this episode, Jake and John walk you through what actually happens when a website goes live. From last-pass QA and "is it working on mobile?" to DNS changes, SSL certificates, caching, and the weird in-between moment where some people see the new site and others still see the old one.

They also break down the tools ARTILLERY uses to keep launches low-drama: dnswatch.info, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Yoast sitemaps, and why PageSpeed scores can be helpful… but also wildly misleading if you don't understand what you're measuring.

If you're a business owner preparing for a new website launch, or a web pro who wants a clean, repeatable process, this episode is your playbook.

In this episode:

• The 3 phases of a smooth launch: final checks, DNS switch, and post-launch polish

• Why "propagation, not teleportation" explains 90% of launch confusion

• The technical basics: A records, servers, SSL, caching, and why old sites sometimes linger

• Tools we use on launch day: dnswatch.info, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Yoast

• PageSpeed reality check: why even Apple and the New York Times don't score 100

• Common pitfalls: broken forms, missed webhooks, old links, and what to do when something breaks

• The truth about Google indexing: launch is the start, not the finish

Next up (Part 8): What happens after launch, how to keep your site healthy, secure, and growing over time.

Links: Podcast page: https://artillerymedia.com/podcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artillery_media/?hl=en Jake on X: https://x.com/jakekramer15?lang=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artillerymedia Contact us: https://artillerymedia.com/contact/