Technical & performance
HTTPS, PageSpeed > 70 mobile, favicon, XML sitemap, robots.txt file, meta charset UTF-8, responsive viewport.
Practical tool
The Complete Professional Website Checklist
30 points to check before launching — or auditing — your professional website in Cameroon. Technical, SEO, mobile, security, legal, content.
A professional website is not just about design. Before launch, 30 critical points must be validated. This comprehensive guide allows you to audit your current site or prepare your next project without forgetting anything.
The state of Cameroonian websites
30
Points to validate
Critical points across 6 categories for a truly professional website.
72%
Incomplete sites
Of Cameroonian business websites fail on more than 10 points of this checklist.
3×
More contacts
A site that passes all points generates on average 3 times more contact requests.
6-domain checklist
The 6 categories of the checklist
On-page SEO
Unique title tags (< 60 chars), meta descriptions (< 160 chars), structured H1/H2/H3 tags, alt attributes on all images.
Mobile usability
Touch buttons > 44px, text readable without zooming (16px+), no horizontal scrolling, adaptive images, tactile forms.
Security
Valid SSL certificate, strong admin passwords, CMS/plugin updates current, anti-spam protection on forms.
Legal & compliance
Complete legal notices, privacy policy, cookie banner (GDPR), T&Cs if selling online, identifiable contact pages.
Content & conversion
Visible CTAs on every page, clear value proposition in < 5 seconds, visible phone number, customer reviews or social proof.
Complete checklist — 30 points to validate
Check each point. A professional website must validate at minimum 25/30 points.
- ✓ Active SSL certificate (HTTPS)
- ✓ Mobile PageSpeed Insights score > 70
- ✓ Responsive site (adapted to all screens)
- ✓ Favicon visible in browser tab
- ✓ XML sitemap submitted to Google Search Console
- ✓ robots.txt file configured
- ✓ Unique title tags on every page
- ✓ Meta descriptions written (< 160 chars)
- ✓ H1 tag present on every page
- ✓ Alt attributes on all images
- ✓ Google Analytics or Matomo installed
- ✓ Phone number visible without searching
- ✓ Working contact form (tested)
- ✓ About page with real information
- ✓ Complete legal notices
- ✓ Privacy policy
- ✓ CTA buttons visible on homepage
- ✓ Text readable without zooming on mobile (16px+)
- ✓ No broken content (links, missing images)
- ✓ Loading time < 4 seconds on 3G
- ✓ Canonical tag on duplicate pages
- ✓ Open Graph configured for social networks
- ✓ Visible and clickable logo (back to home)
- ✓ Clear navigation menu on mobile
- ✓ CMS / plugin updates (if WordPress)
- ✓ Automatic backups configured
- ✓ Anti-spam protection on forms
- ✓ Custom 404 page
- ✓ Schema.org structured data (if applicable)
- ✓ Social proof visible (reviews, certifications, client logos)
Strategic Advice
Start with mobile, not desktop
85% of your Cameroonian visitors arrive on mobile. When auditing your site, open it first on your phone. If the mobile experience is poor, nothing else matters — you're losing the majority of your traffic before they even see your content.
Strategic Advice
Google Search Console: your best ally
Connect your site to Google Search Console for free. The tool automatically alerts you to mobile usability issues, indexing errors and pages with insufficient Core Web Vitals performance. It's the #1 audit tool, and it's free.
Take action
Move from reading to action
These pages turn the topic into a practical route toward services, pricing and contact.
Checklist questions
Questions people ask before they buy
How many points should a professional website checklist have?
A complete checklist covers at minimum 6 areas: technical, SEO, mobile, security, legal and UX/content. Our BEONWEB checklist includes 30 points across these categories. For an e-commerce site, add a 7th category: payment and logistics.
Is a site without HTTPS still acceptable in 2026?
No, absolutely not. Since 2018, Google Chrome displays a security warning on all non-HTTPS sites. A site without HTTPS loses an average of 30% of its potential traffic as visitors flee at the warning. Furthermore, the absence of HTTPS is a negative Google ranking factor. It's the #1 point of any checklist.
What are Core Web Vitals and should they be in the checklist?
Yes, Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS) have been Google ranking factors since 2021. A good score improves both your SEO and visitor experience. Aim for LCP < 2.5s, FID < 100ms and CLS < 0.1. These metrics are measured via Google PageSpeed Insights or Search Console.
What legal notices are mandatory for a website in Cameroon?
Legal notices for a Cameroonian website must include: full name or company name, registered address, contacts (email and phone), RCCM or NIU number, site host, and a privacy policy if you collect data. For e-commerce sites, Terms & Conditions are also mandatory.
Is an XML sitemap really necessary?
Yes, especially for sites with more than 10 pages. An XML sitemap tells Google all the URLs of your site and their relative importance. Without a sitemap, some pages may never be indexed. It's also useful to submit your sitemap in Google Search Console to speed up indexing of new content.
Is the checklist different for an e-commerce site?
Yes, an e-commerce has additional requirements: product pages with unique descriptions, high quality images, verified reviews, SEO-optimized category pages, simplified checkout process, order confirmation by email, visible return policy, enhanced SSL certificate and PCI DSS compliance for payments.
Does your site pass the checklist?
BEONWEB performs a complete audit on all 30 points in 48h. Free PDF report delivered, no commitment.