5 Things to Do Before You Launch Your New Healthcare Website 

Launching a new healthcare website is a huge milestone. After months of planning, content development, design reviews, testing, and gathering stakeholder feedback, it’s tempting to flip the switch and move on to the next item on your marketing to-do list. 

But a successful website launch isn’t limited to the day the site goes live. There’s preparation required to ensure the launch goes off without a hitch, the site functions in a way that supports your goals, and your core audiences are aware of the changes taking place. 

Before you launch your new website out into the world, here are # essential steps your team should take to protect performance, set expectations, and maximize the impact of all of your hard work. 

1. Set up reporting and analytics ahead of time 

If your analytics aren’t configured before launch, you’ll lose valuable baseline data and have a harder time proving your success later on. 

Follow this checklist to confirm that your analytics and dashboards are set up correctly and ready to start tracking valuable data from day one: 

• Google Analytics (GA4), Google Ads, Meta Ads, and any other connected tools are ready to go 

• Conversion events are defined (appointments, contact forms, class registrations, newsletter signups, etc.) 

• Key dashboards or reports are ready to share with leadership 

• You have a fully-managed, HIPAA-aligned privacy solution and a signed Business Associate Agreement in place 

This ensures you can immediately monitor traffic changes, user behavior, and conversion performance once the site goes live. 

2. Test out the site like a patient would 

Your internal team knows your new website inside and out — but your patients don’t. 

Before you launch, conduct testing from a patient’s perspective to see how key journeys like finding a location, provider, or service work. Be sure to test this on both a computer and a mobile or tablet to ensure the mobile experience — which is the one the majority of your patients will see — works seamlessly. 

Test all the forms on your site to confirm they (and any confirmation notifications) are functioning as expected.  

Finally, check that all your accessibility basics, such as alt text and keyboard navigation, are in place and ready for all patients. 

3. Create a launch communications and promotions plan 

A website launch is a fantastic marketing opportunity, not just a technical event. By leveraging your new site as a marketing asset, you can communicate to prospective patients that your organization is modern, helpful, and forward-thinking. 

Create a launch plan that includes email announcements to both internal (employees) and external (patients) audiences, letting them know the site may look different on their next visit. You can also post to social media, highlighting the site’s new features and sharing insights about the redesign process on your employee intranet. 

4. Give internal users a heads up on what’s changing 

A redesigned website can have a bit of a learning curve for internal teams who use it as part of their daily work. Before launch, communicate what’s coming with the teams that use your site the most, including patient access or customer service teams, your marketing colleagues, front desk staff, administrators, and more. 

Share what’s changing, what’s staying the same, and where to find common resources so they’re prepared to answer patient questions with confidence. 

5. Prepare a post-launch monitoring plan 

The first few weeks after your healthcare website launches are critical to setting up its future success. 

Have a plan in place to monitor site performance and analytics, collect internal and external feedback, and address any issues quickly. A proactive approach post-launch will build trust with stakeholders and showcase why a redesign was the right choice. 

Remember, launch is just the beginning 

A new healthcare website isn’t a project you can launch and then immediately move on from. The most successful healthcare websites evolve continuously, and launch day is just the starting line. 

With the right preparation, communication, and measurement in place, your new site can deliver real value to patients and stakeholders from day one, and continue improving long after. 

If it’s time for your organization to redesign its website, let Geonetric handle it for you. From day one of the project to launch day and beyond, we’re the driving force behind hundreds of healthcare websites — and we’re ready to take on yours. Schedule your introductory call with us today!