How to sign off a website project properly: a free checklist

A messy sign-off leaves a messy memory — and it’s one of the easiest things to fix with the right checklist in place.

Welcome to another episode of Websites Made Simple with me, Holly Christie.

Check out: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sparks-group-mentoring/ It’s a supportive group mentoring session for website designers and developers to bring their questions, roadblocks, ideas, and “is it just me?” moments.

In this episode, I’m walking you through my full website sign-off process — the checklist I use every single time to make sure projects end cleanly, clients are set up properly, and I can actually close the project and move on.

We get into:

• Holly’s website “pack-down” checklist and why you need one
• Cookie notices, GDPR, and what to check before you go live
• Why you should run a Page Speed Insights report and screenshot it every time
• Setting up admin accounts (the step Holly has forgotten more than once)
• Website manuals: why every client should get one and how to create them
• Hooking up analytics, pixels, and code tracking before handover
• How to test on incognito browser and mobile before you call it done
• Getting written sign-off from your client — and the wording that matters
• Migration, SSL certificates, and enforcing HTTPS after moving a site
• Contact form testing, SMTP, and GDPR-compliant database saving
• How to organise client training and what Holly’s personalised video manuals look like
• Setting up client logins and making sure they know how to run WordPress updates
• Asking for reviews at exactly the right moment
• What is and is not your responsibility once a project is signed off

If you want every project to end with a clean, confident handover — this one will help you build that process.

Grab Holly’s sign-off checklist at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/sign-off-checklist

Come and find out more at https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk or email me at [email protected]

And here’s the link if you want to learn more about Neal and Podknows: https://podknows.co.uk/

Skip to the good bits:

00:00 The sign-off feeling and making sure clients come back for the right reasons

01:46 Build your website pack-down checklist

02:50 Cookie notices and GDPR compliance

03:53 Run a PageSpeed Insights report and save the results

06:20 Create an admin account for the client

06:55 Website manuals and why every client needs one

07:37 Hooking up code tracking before handover

08:48 Testing on incognito browser and mobile view

10:27 Getting written sign-off from your client

11:10 Tying sign-off to payment

11:35 Migration, SSL certificates and enforcing HTTPS

14:21 Contact forms, testing and GDPR compliance

15:39 Organising client training

16:17 Holly’s personalised video walkthrough manuals

17:12 Getting the client logged in

17:58 WordPress updates and making sure clients know how

18:40 Ask for a review at the right moment

19:09 Your responsibilities after sign-off