Website Launch Day: Why it’s more like putting together a puzzle than pressing a button

My goal here is to prepare you, not worry you. Launch day should feel exciting and supported, and knowing how it works behind the scenes helps make that possible. If this is your first time launching a website, you might picture pressing a button and watching your site appear online the way a Polaroid reveals an image.

I wish it always worked like that. And to be fair, most launches really do go smoothly.

Every now and then, though, a little surprise pops up behind the scenes. Nothing dramatic. Nothing catastrophic. Just the kind of things that naturally happen when technology, platforms, and years of digital history all meet in one place.

This guide is here to help you understand what is happening behind the scenes so you feel grounded, prepared, and supported on launch day.

And quick disclaimer:

I like to joke that I know just enough about domains to be a tiny bit dangerous. Do not worry, I say that with a smile. And in all seriousness, I am a designer, not a tech wizard. My job is not to know every detail about every platform or keep track of everything your business has ever connected to online. I am here to guide you and to help you understand what is happening, adjust what truly needs adjusting, and explain things in a way that doesn’t make you want to cry. If you’re my client, I’ll guide you through all of this. I will walk you through this entire process with as much clarity and support as possible.

I launch a couple websites every month, so I’ have I’ve seen all kinds of surprises, twists, and “wait… where did that go” moments. They always work out. This is also why some designers choose not to launch client sites at all. The behind the scenes can get messy, and it really does take patience and a calm head. But I would never leave you hanging like that. So buckle up. We are doing this together, and I promise we will get your website up for the world to see.

What DNS records actually are (in human words)

Let’s start with the basics, because this part matters.

A domain name is simply the name of your website. It is what someone types into their browser to visit your site. For example, my domain is ArtisanKind.com, and I purchased it through Google Domains. You may have bought yours through GoDaddy, Wix, Namecheap, Squarespace, Cloudflare, or any number of other domain providers. When you buy a domain name, you are essentially buying the official address for your online home.

DNS records are the instructions connected to that address. They are a series of numbers that tell the internet where everything related to your online business lives. Every different piece of your online home has a DNS record associated with it. Visiting your website, buying something from your shop, signing up for your email list, scheduling an appointment, all of these actions rely on DNS records working quietly behind the scenes. 

All of these DNS instructions live inside a list with your domain provider. Think of your domain provider like an address book that tells the internet exactly how to reach your home, or in this case, your website.

To make this even easier, imagine your website is your house. Your domain name is the address/instructions on how to get to your front door.

Now picture the rooms inside:

• Your homepage is the living room
• Your online shop is the kitchen
• Your email marketing software is the bathroom
• Your scheduling tool is another room entirely

Each room has its own DNS record(s) with instructions telling the internet where it lives.

Most of the time, when we launch your new website, we are simply updating the instructions for how to find your front door. We do not need to update the instructions for every room. Simple enough.

But things can get messy. Sometimes the instructions say, “Go here. This is where the house lives.” Other times they say, “Go here first, you’ll get to the front door, then look for a second set of instructions and that’s how you’ll find the kitchen.” That system works fine until the second set of instructions is stored inside a platform you are no longer using. When that happens, the internet gets mixed messages about where things live and cannot guide visitors to the right rooms.

Platforms like Wix are known for splitting instructions across multiple places. They are not the only ones and there is nothing wrong with it, but it can make things tangled later.

I share this not to overload you, but to help you understand why sometimes I cannot immediately see that certain rooms exist or that some DNS records live somewhere unexpected. If something stops working, it is not broken or gone, it just needs a fresh set of instructions so the internet knows where to find it.

And yes, sometimes we launch a website and think, “Wow… that was smoothly,” only to discover the next day that the bathroom got lost in the move.

It happens. And we fix it.

Why launching a site is never the same twice

You might think website launches are predictable. Same steps. Same process. In reality, every launch is different because your domain setup is different.

A few things that change from client to client:

 • Your domain provider (there are so many, each with their own processes and quirks)

 • How many layers of two-factor authentication you’ve turned on (sometimes I need a code texted to you. Sometimes I need one emailed to you. Sometimes I need a fresh code every single time I add or delete a DNS record)

 • Whether all of your DNS records are actually stored with your domain provider

 • What platforms your domain has been connected to in the past

 • If your email was originally set up inside one of those platforms

 • Whether your shop was connected there too

 • Whether you still remember the password to your domain provider (no judgment if not but please do yourself a favor and get a password book)

DNS updates sometimes take minutes, other times it can take up to 48 hours. While those changes are processing, your current site may go offline for a bit. It is rarely the full two days. Most of the time it is just an hour or two. But I like to give you the full picture so nothing catches you off guard.

How to prepare for launch day

You do not need to be an expert in any of this. But here are a few ways to make launch day easier:

Double check the passwords you share with me
It’s the worst when I go to login to your accounts and I can’t get in with the passwords you shared with me.

Keep your phone nearby
There will probably be two-factor authentication codes I need. Possibly many codes. Please keep your phone near by so you’re available to give me those codes asap as they often expire after a few minutes.

Write down my phone number
I be giving you my phone number so you can text me if anything seems off after launch. Write it down somewhere, because if your email goes down, you will not be able to dig through your inbox to find it.

Pay attention
Tell me if something doesn’t seem to be working as it should be after launch. Here are things that are red flags to watch for:

• You have not received any new emails
• People are telling you they are not getting the emails you send
• Your shop checkout is not working
• Emails written in your email marketing platform are not delivering
• Contact form submissions stop showing up
• You get an unusual spike in “email bounce” notifications
• Your booking calendar stops sending confirmations or reminders

Expect a little unpredictability
Sometimes it takes a little troubleshooting to understand what is causing the issue and to put a plan into place on how to fix it without casing other issues. That is completely normal, and we will work through it together.

My promise to you on launch day

By now you have a clear sense of what launch day can look like. My hope is that yours glides by so smoothly that it feels like the internet is cheering for us. Others have a tiny hiccup or two. And every once in a while, we roll up our sleeves and sort out a surprise. There is simply no way to predict which version we will get until we are in it.

Even though no two launches are the same, my approach always remains calm, steady, supportive, and fully focused on solutions. I will tell you what I am doing, why I am doing it, and what to expect next so you always feel informed and cared for.

The Showit support team is also wonderful. They support every launch, help sort things out quickly, and provide an extra layer of care behind the scenes. And since I am a designer, not a tech wizard, having them in our corner makes the whole process smoother. There are a few things they cannot fix if they happen to go down, like email or shop issues, because those live outside of Showit. When that happens, we may simply need to loop in the right platform support teams. This is not a Showit issue. It is simply how the internet works behind the scenes.

This is all normal.
This is all part of the puzzle.
And we will piece it together.

Give Your Launch a Little Breathing Room

I always encourage you to wait a few days before announcing your new website. Once everything has had time to settle, you can share it with full confidence and joy.

In the end, everything finds its place. And what you are left with is your beautiful new website, live and ready to meet the world.