Your New GeniusSite: From Start to Forever Staying New!
When you decide that the GeniusVets Evidence-Based Marketing platform is right for your veterinary practice, it can seem daunting to think of your new website's design and build process. But once you see the roadmap, from Kickoff to Launch and beyond, you’ll see how easy it really is to launch your new GeniusSite. And, of course, you’ll have the support of the GeniusVets team the entire way!
Are you ready for your new GeniusSite? Let’s get going by answering some FAQs:
I Signed My Contract -- I’m Excited! What’s Next?
Once you’re officially aboard with GeniusVets, your Project Development Coordinator will contact you to schedule your Marketing Kickoff Call. This conference call meeting should happen within a week of signing your contract with GeniusVets. Make sure your practice owner and/or managing doctor and any other person who will be assigned to your practice’s marketing program are on this first call.
During the GeniusVets Marketing Kickoff Call, you’ll be introduced to your Project Development Coordinator, who will walk you through:
- our contact information
- our work processes
- a rough timeline for the overall project
- our Website Intake Form
We strongly recommend filling out this Intake Form immediately after the call. This webform MUST be completed before we can start any work on your project. To stay on track with the recommended project timeline, we typically advise that this form be completed within 2-3 days of the initial GeniusVets Marketing Kickoff Call.
I’m a Veterinarian, not a Web Designer; What if I get Confused?
We encourage you to reach out to your Project Development Coordinator at any time during the web development phase. They are your main point of contact until your site goes live. If you are confused, your Project Development Coordinator is happy to speak with you over the phone, do a screen-share, or email. Our team prides itself on our quick response time so that we can provide you with the best experience.
At GeniusVets, we want to encourage you to learn how to get the best out of your marketing program, and therefore we provide you with many resources such as:
- educational videos
- real-time training sessions
- general client support
Once Web Development Starts, What do I do?
After the GeniusVets Marketing Kickoff Call, your Project Development Coordinator will send you a follow-up email with detailed instructions on the next steps. This is your practice’s website, so these “to-do’s” may be quite specific to your business. It is essential to carefully read this email, make sure you understand the next steps involved and feel confident with the plan! If you don’t feel confident or have questions, please reach out to your Project Development Coordinator.
Will You Touch Base with Me During the Process?
Typically, your Project Development Coordinator will be in contact with you weekly. It is imperative that someone from your practice is available during the week to work on the marketing program and set-up consistently. This will be even more efficient and effective if you have someone on staff who has about 10-20 hours dedicated to working on your practice’s marketing. This is especially advisable during the website review and approval phase as there will be a lot of content to review and edits to make, and we want to make sure you’re prepared for the workload.
How Long Does the Website Build Process Take?
During the GeniusVets Marketing Kickoff Call, your Project Development Coordinator will review the Project Roadmap (aka timeline) with you. Hence, you and your team are aware of the deliverables and when to expect them. You can expect the entire website development process to take anywhere from 6-8 weeks on average. Remember, as you are an equal partner in the web development process, your team primarily defines the timeline from start to finish and how much time you have to dedicate to the program. You have the power to reduce or lengthen the website build timeline.
What Can We Do to Keep Things Running on Time?
Since there is a lot of work to be done during the website development process, we recommend your practice assigns or designates someone in your office to handle this project. While Practice Owners love to be (and should be!) involved, they often don’t have the time to devote, particularly for several weeks at a time. The Practice Owner will need to stay moderately involved, especially when it comes time to approve the website content and sign the launch agreement. However, the Practice Manager, Lead Receptionist, or another staff member who truly knows your practice culture should take the lead during the build.
How Do We “Say Go” When Our Website is Ready to Launch?
There are many opportunities to review your website before saying, “ready.” As soon as your site looks good to you and you feel ready to launch your new GeniusVets site, contact your Project Development Coordinator, and they will send you a Launch Authorization Agreement. Once we have this signature, we can coordinate a launch date and get your site launched within several days.
You may be tempted to want to make your site "perfect" before approving the site for launch. And while we understand you want the site to look its best, we advise our clients to launch as soon as possible, assuming all critical edits have been made. In some cases, this may mean launching before you have all of your staff images or other similar minor details. This is because your site must be live before we start you on the next phase of your marketing plan. Remember, the sooner you approve your site for launch, the sooner you can reap the benefits of the GeniusVets program. Plus, updates down the road are not only possible but they’re also recommended!
What Day or Time is Best for a Website Launch?
We understand your website is important and must be up and running with little to no interruptions during the day when you get the most business. Because of this, we aim to launch in the evening, when typically site traffic is a bit lower. We also do not recommend launching on Fridays or weekends just as a precaution.
And Then We’re Done, Right?
Your website launch isn’t “The End.” Regular updates keep visitors coming back for new information -- and search engines will favor those sites that provide quality, updated content.
Some tips to consider as you cultivate and maintain your GeniusSite:
- Make sure you know where the website training videos are on my.geniusvets.com. Please get familiar with a few of them before the site launch. We highly encourage you to watch all of the videos we offer. There are a lot, and it may take several months to watch them all, but in the end, the more you know, the more you can do to maintain the site, and ultimately, your site will perform at its best.
- Always be creating new content. Content is King, and you’ll need to keep adding new pages, writing new blog posts, adding photos, etc., if you want to see real results in your GeniusVets program.
- Have fun! Don’t be scared of your website. Even though there is a LOT to know, we promise it gets a lot easier within just a few months of ownership. Keep editing the site to make it reflect your hospital or practice. There are many cool things you can do to make your site stand out!
From start to “never really finished,” your GeniusVets team is here to support you! If you're new to GeniusVets and want to learn what we can do for you, sign up for a demo!