Ship Your First Web App · Module 2 · Make it real
Domain, HTTPS and the pre-launch check
6 min read · lesson 5 of 5
Your app is one deploy from real. Here's the launch checklist that catches 95% of first-launch embarrassment.
Domain + HTTPS
Buy the domain (any registrar), point it at your host's dashboard, and HTTPS cert comes free and automatic on all modern hosts. the-app-name.com beats the-app-name.netlify.app for trust and memory.
The 5-point pre-launch check
- Mobile: use it on a real phone, not just a resized window.
- Fresh visitor: incognito window, cold cache — signup/first action works in under 2 minutes.
- Empty states: first-run screens look intentional, not broken.
- Title + favicon: browser tab says who you are (the two cheapest trust signals).
- One link out: a way to contact you — a mailto is fine.
Test the PWA/offline path if you promise it: airplane-mode the phone and open the app. 'Works offline' that doesn't is worse than not claiming it.
Practice
Run the 5-point check on your project. Fix the first failure before touching anything else.