The pre-launch checklist: 20 things to do before your first signup

Most launch mistakes are preparation mistakes. The page isn't tested on mobile. The confirmation email goes to spam. The referral link is broken. The custom field wasn't turned on.

These are all fixable in advance. This checklist covers the 20 things worth checking before you share your page with anyone.

Before the page goes live

1. Your headline names your target customer

Read your headline to someone who doesn't know your product. Ask them: "Who do you think this is for?" If they can't answer accurately, rewrite.

2. Your sub-headline names the problem, not the solution

The sub-headline should describe the friction your target customer feels, not describe your product. "Most agencies spend 6 hours per client on monthly reports" is a problem statement. "Automated reporting for agencies" is a solution statement. The former converts better.

3. The form is above the fold on mobile

Check this on a 375px screen (iPhone SE). If the visitor has to scroll to see the email field, move it up. On mobile, above-the-fold form placement can double conversion rates.

4. You've added a custom qualification field

One field. A targeted question that surfaces whether the visitor has the problem you're solving. Not "name," not "phone number" — a real question you want answered.

5. The referral mechanism is configured and tested

Sign up yourself using your own page. Check that the post-signup screen shows a referral link. Use that link in an incognito window and sign up again. Verify that the referral is tracked in your dashboard.

6. Your social proof number is real

If you're showing a signup count, make sure it's not zero. Get five to ten genuine signups (real people who'd be in your target market) before you publicly share the page. "12 founders already on the list" is better than nothing; "0 people have signed up" is actively harmful.

7. You have a screenshot or visual of the product

Even a mockup is better than generic stock photography. A hand-drawn wireframe photograph signals authenticity. A stock photo of a laptop signals placeholder.

8. There are no broken links

Click every link on the page. Check that your product name, any social links, and any external references actually resolve.

9. Page load time is under 3 seconds on mobile

Use Google PageSpeed Insights or WebPageTest on a mobile profile. If load time exceeds 3 seconds, you're losing a meaningful percentage of visitors before they see anything.

10. Your custom domain is set up (if applicable)

If you're on LaunchSuite Pro and have a custom domain, verify that it's resolving correctly and SSL is active. Don't do this the day before launch — do it three or four days before to give DNS propagation time.

Email flow checklist

11. Confirmation email arrives within 60 seconds

Sign up on your own page and time how long the confirmation email takes. If it takes more than 60 seconds, check your email configuration. If it goes to spam, you have a deliverability issue to fix before launch.

12. The confirmation email is sent from a real address

Not noreply@. Not notifications@. From yourname@yourproduct.com — or failing that, yourname@gmail.com. Replies should land somewhere you'll actually see them.

13. The confirmation email asks one question

Something you genuinely want answered. Short, specific, low-friction. "What tool are you using today to handle X?" is a good question.

14. The confirmation email doesn't look automated

Read it aloud. Does it sound like a real person wrote it? Or does it sound like a triggered sequence from a marketing platform? If the latter, rewrite it.

Analytics and tracking

15. You can see your visitor-to-signup conversion rate

Log in to your analytics dashboard and verify you can see both visits and signups. If you can only see signups, you're missing half the picture.

16. You know where your first traffic will come from

Before you share the page, decide which three channels you'll use first: your personal Twitter/X, a specific community, and direct outreach to 10–15 people in your ICP. Having a plan for the first 48 hours matters — a page with no traffic on day one can look abandoned.

17. You have a way to track which channel drives the most signups

Either through UTM parameters on the links you share, or through LaunchSuite's source attribution. Without this, you'll drive traffic from multiple channels and have no idea which ones are worth repeating.

Final checks

18. You've told at least five people your launch date

Accountability works. Tell real people — peers, co-founders, community members — when you're going live. This makes it harder to quietly push the date back.

19. You have a plan for the first 24 replies to your confirmation email

If you get 20 replies to your confirmation email in the first 24 hours, what do you do? Have a reply template that still sounds personal, and know which replies you want to escalate to customer development calls.

20. You know what "success" looks like for the first two weeks

Define it in advance: X signups, Y% referral rate, Z custom field responses. Without a target, every result can be rationalised. With a target, you know whether you're on track.

The full list at a glance

#	Check	Done
1	Headline names target customer
2	Sub-headline names the problem
3	Form is above the fold on mobile
4	Custom qualification field added
5	Referral mechanism tested end-to-end
6	Social proof number is real
7	Visual of product included
8	No broken links
9	Load time under 3 seconds
10	Custom domain configured (if applicable)
11	Confirmation email arrives in under 60 seconds
12	Confirmation email from real address
13	Confirmation email asks one question
14	Confirmation email sounds human
15	Visitor-to-signup conversion visible in analytics
16	First 48 hours traffic plan exists
17	Channel attribution tracking enabled
18	Five people know your launch date
19	Plan for first 24 email replies
20	Success criteria for first two weeks defined

Summary

Most launch-day problems are pre-launch preparation problems. Going through this checklist before you share your page takes about an hour and prevents the kinds of failures — broken confirmation emails, untested referral links, missing analytics — that cost you data and signups in the critical first 48 hours. LaunchSuite's free plan covers all the setup covered here for a single waitlist; Pro adds custom domains and advanced analytics for the items that require more control.