How to Create Hype for a Website Launch

Getting ready to launch a new website? These 13 ideas will help you generate hype around the announcement of your next website launch.

Website launches are a great opportunity to generate some buzz around your business. New websites often mark some big event. This might be the launch of a new business or an existing business making some sort of change like pivoting or launching a new product or service.

Whatever the reason for the launch of a new website, it can be an opportune time to build a new audience, re-engage your existing community, or get people excited about a new direction. There are so many different ways to do something bold and fun while people are watching and their curiosity is piqued.

How to Generate Hype for a Website Launch

A little intentionality can go a long way when launching a website. If you’re planning to create some excitement, be sure to give yourself enough time to get organized. Creating a launch schedule or plan as soon as you start your website project is recommended.

The success of your launch will likely depend on coordinating with other people. This list includes at least your website designer. Give people enough time and direction so they can give adequate attention to your launch.

Something that also should go without saying: Be sure to test your new website before launching. Nothing stops momentum like something that just doesn’t work. (But it’s also good to give yourself some grace if there are any hiccups.)

<<< Related Post: 9 Things to Know Before Launching a Website >>>

There are a couple things we recommend you don’t do:

• Don’t create a coming soon page, unless it’s a brand new website. If you’re launching a new website, creating a ‘coming soon’ page makes total sense. If you’re relaunching a website, putting up a ‘coming soon’ page can damage any SEO progress you’ve made.
• Also, don’t forget that your website launch should be one element of a marketing strategy—it’s not your entire marketing strategy. We see too many people go big at launch thinking that effort will carry their business through the rest of its lifetime. Website launches are an opportunity, but it’s what happens after launch that really matters.

13 Website Launch Ideas to Generate Hype

With all that said, here are 13 ideas for generating some serious hype around the announcement of your next website launch. Many of these ideas can be used together, too!

1. Share with industry friends and peers.

Ask industry friends and peers if they’d be willing to share about your launch.

Don’t be offended if it doesn’t fit someone’s marketing schedule. And remember, people will be more willing to help if you’ve helped them in the past, so look for opportunities where you can support people.

Make this more effective by making it as easy as possible for people to share. Consider creating swipe graphics and copy that people can use when sharing. This way they don’t have to do the extra work of figuring out what to share.

2. Show off pieces of your website coming together.

Tease pieces of your new website coming together.

Make this more effective by also sharing the thought process, heart, or story behind why the website launch is important for your business for your clients or customers. For instance, you might tease a new opt-in on your website while sharing that you’ve really wanted to make it easier for clients to pick out their wedding dress, and this new opt-in helps with that.

3. Host a Giveaway

Giveaways can be a great way to generate some buzz and acquire new leads.

Make this more effective by choosing items that your target client would be interested in and thinking through exactly what action you want them to take that would result in amplified results. For instance, giving away an iPad would be cool, but is that something that would specifically attract newly engaged couples? Probably not.

Additionally, think through the action you want people to take that would help amplify results. Having people Like an Instagram post to enter gets engagement, but wouldn’t it be better if people had to Share that post to enter? The latter would likely result in more engagement and sign-ups. Creating a value ladder where people get more entries for taking additional steps is also a great way to promote engagement. Popular giveaway platforms like Gleam, Rafflecopter, and KingSumo all have features that make tracking these entries easy.

4. Give ‘insiders’ access to special information

Reward people who are already on your email list or part of your community with inside information and opportunities.

Make this more effective by asking them to share about your launch to unlock even better opportunities like a greater discount or additional bonus.

5. Use a countdown timer to build anticipation.

Countdown timers, especially in the final few days, can help build anticipation. This can be implemented on your current website or you can countdown by sharing graphics like “4 days until…” on social media.

Make this more effective by focusing on why it matters, rather than what’s happening. Do people really care about your new website? Or do they really want to know how this impacts them? Probably the latter. If you’re launching a new product or service in coordination with the launch, that’s what should be highlighted.

6. Run ads to your new website.

Even if you don’t typically invest in paid advertising, running a few ads to your new website in coordination with your launch can be an effective way to generate some extra buzz. And who knows, maybe you’ll find that paid advertising really can work for your business?

Make this more effective by highlighting the offer, giveaway, scavenger hunt, etc. that you’re promoting during your launch, rather than running an ad that merely states, “Check out our new website!” The point isn’t to get people excited about your new design, but rather to get excited about your business.

7. Create a Hype Video… or just utilize video.

Okay, so maybe not the same sort of hype video Tom Brady makes before a Super Bowl, but a launch is an opportune time to release a new brand video. Jumping on Facebook or Instagram Live can also be an effective way to promote your launch as both platforms prioritize video making it more likely to be seen by more people.

Make this more effective by combining it with your other efforts such as counting down to your launch or teasing different parts of the website. Maybe for the three days leading up to the launch, you jump on Instagram Live to share a teaser of the new website and another item you’ll be giving away.

8. Create a special offer for people who participate in your launch.

People like deals and the reason for the deal doesn’t really matter. Consider creating some sort of special offer for people who check out your website during the launch. If you have a product, this could be a discount, discount on a bundle, or a free X anytime someone purchases Y.

For those of you who offer services, this requires a bit more brainstorming. If you follow us, you know that I don’t believe in discounting your time (normally). If you’re a photographer, for instance, maybe instead of a discount, you offer extra prints for any wedding booked during the launch.

Make this more effective by using deals to promote further action that will amplify the results of your launch. For instance, maybe people can unlock additional savings by sharing about their purchase or booking.

9. Be bold on social media.

Think those Taylor-Swift-deleting-all-her-Instagram-photos thoughts. Just jumping on social to announce you’ve rebranded or launched a new website will probably pique some curiosity, but might not cut through the noise in a big way.

Make this more effective by being sure to focus on why your launch is meaningful not just to you, but to the people you serve. Combine this by doing something out-of-the-ordinary and you could have yourself a real Taylor Swift announcing Reputation moment (although I’m sure having 128 million followers would also help).

10. Work with Sponsors, Influencers, and Complementary Businesses

Chances are you work alongside other businesses, use equipment created by another company, or your product complements other products. Consider reaching out to those businesses to see if there’s some way to partner during your launch. They’ll likely benefit from the exposure, too.

Make this more effective by clearly defining why this benefits the sponsor, influencer, or other business when you reach out. Businesses will be more likely to contribute when they know how many people they’ll be able to reach, so including that kind of information may help your cause.

11. Launch your website midweek.

People are generally around their devices throughout the week, and thus are more likely to engage with news of your website launch. Launching Tuesday through Thursday is typically ideal. Mondays can be good too, but it’s nice to have that day for final testing coming off the weekend.

Make this more effective by listening to your website designer or developer and not rushing the launch before it’s been adequately tested.

12. Create a website scavenger hunt.

Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? Scavenger hunts are a personal favorite because it gets people moving through your website. For instance, you might hide an icon on a specific page and then provide an initial clue on Instagram that leads to another clue and so on until the icon is found. Then anyone who finds the icon gets a prize.

Make this more effective by not making it too difficult or too long. The prize should also be meaningful and relevant, too. Something else to consider: Putting the first clue in an email, so that people who want to participate have to sign up for your email list. If the prize is relevant, it should produce good leads.

13. Host a competition.

Competitions can be an effective way to engage people during a launch. Maybe you challenge past customers to create video submissions demonstrating how they use your product or how meaningful your service was, and reward the best one. Just make sure it’s not too complicated and the reward is meaningful enough that people enter.

Make this more effective by creating a competition that produces collateral you can use in the future. If it’s a competition that gets a lot of engagement, having past submissions can be a good way to get even more engagement in the future. Ideally a competition would also produce collateral you can use in marketing efforts like video testimonials.

How to Keep the Hype Going After Your Website Launch

Launches are a great opportunity to generate buzz and build momentum. But regardless of how your launch goes, the important thing is what happens after your launch. Businesses with great launches can fail, and businesses with poor launches can thrive.

The truth is that many of these ideas can be implemented any time you want to generate buzz—whether you’re launching a new website or not! Why not run a competition or host a giveaway every once in a while? The ideas in that list can be just as effective in re-engaging your audience as they can in engaging a new audience.

Did I miss an idea? Let me know in the comments below! ⬇️