Pre-launch checklist for your real estate website

This is the list of things to check before launching your real estate portal or agency website and making it available for new members and visitors.

1. Edit the standard site copyright to your own.

2. Upload new site logo and favicon.
To edit logotype, log in as administrator (site.com/admin/), go to Interface > Color themes > select active user mode theme > click ‘Edit theme parameters’. You will get to page like site.com/admin/themes/view_installed/2 and will be able to upload logos for the main site and for the mobile version.

3. Check SEO meta-tags (title, keywords, description) and other settings. While in admin panel, go to System > SEO settings > choose Global settings (site.com/admin/seo/index) and SEO Advanced settings (site.com/admin/seo_advanced/index/). This is the link to manual.

4. Edit site texts including welcome and promo texts on the main page. To do that, go to Interface > Promo block (site.com/admin/content/promo/) and Content > Languages > Pages (site.com/admin/languages/pages/) > select ‘start (Index pages)’ in the drop-down menu.

5. Change default administrator’s login and password to yours. Go to Administrators > edit administrator (site.com/admin/ausers/edit/1).

6. Create a mailbox or several mailboxes with your site domain on your hosting control panel.

7. Change FROM email address for the email notifications that site members will receive. In the admin panel, go to Newsletters > Email notifications > Settings (site.com/admin/notifications/settings/).

8. Sign up as a site member and check the welcome messages (you may want to edit the texts as well).

9. Activate paid options that you will use and set prices. To do that, log in as site administrator and go to Payments > Paid services (site.com/admin/services/index/).

10. Set up moderation rules for listings, users, comments, and uploads under Moderation > Moderation settings (site.com/admin/moderation/settings/). Create moderator account(s) in section Administrators > Add moderator (site.com/admin/moderators/edit).

11. Activate payment gateways on the site with your merchant accounts. Go to Payments > Payment systems (site.com/admin/payments/systems/).

12. Activate social widgets (share, like, social sign on). To do that, go to System > Social networks (site.com/admin/social_networking/services/).

13. Prepare to publish mobile apps — send the info to our Customer Support team (what to send).

14. Replace links to demo mobile apps to yours, upload new picture and promo text under Add-ons > Mobile application > Apps (site.com/admin/mobile/apps/).

15. If necessary, create new fields in a listing form and in search form (advanced search). System > Field editor (site.com/admin/field_editor/sections/).

16. Create and activate RSS feeds under Content > News > Feeds (site.com/admin/news/feeds/).

17. Edit Terms and Conditions, About us, and other information pages, including your contact details. Go to Content > Info pages (site.com/admin/content/index/).

18. Arrange dynamic blocks on the main landing page. Go to Interface > Dynamic blocks > Manage dynamic blocks (site.com/admin/dynamic_blocks/area_blocks/1). This is the link to manual.

19. Set up and activate the map: System > Geo maps (site.com/admin/geomap/index/).

20. Install countries/regions/cities that you plan to have on your site; check the installed database for completeness. For installation, go to Content > Countries (site.com/admin/countries/index/).

21. See if you require extra language versions for your site. Export files for translation under Modules installation > Languages, edit words and phrases directly on the site under Content > Languages > Pages (site.com/admin/languages/pages/), or request an .xlsx file from the Customer Support team (look for the chat option in the right-hand corner below).

22. Set up the site currency: Payments > Currencies (site.com/admin/currencies/index/).

23. Edit colour scheme: Interface > Color themes > View color schemes > select active colorset and click ‘Edit’ (site.com/admin/themes/edit_set/2/9).

24. Set up banners under Banner ads (site.com/admin/banners/index/). Add Google AdSense code with the special add-on.

25. Delete demo content: Listings (site.com/admin/listings/index/), Users (site.com/admin/users/index/), Polls (site.com/admin/polls/index/), etc.

26. See if you can add more functionality to your site: Real Estate Marketplace.