Web + Wins #16 Prepping Your Website for Conference Season
This Week's Update
I'm in a big in-between transition season right now — waiting on our first baby to arrive while figuring out what life as a business owner and new mom is actually going to look like. It's only been two months since I went full-time on Snaply Sites, so there's no solid routine yet, and there won't be for a while. And that's okay. We'll figure it out as we go. 🤍
I'm really excited about what's coming next month! Jade Pruett is taking over Web + Wins for four weeks to share actionable SEO tips you can implement week by week to help your business get found online. If that’s something that you want to improve on, I recommend you set aside the time to do the tips she sends each week. Organic search is a long game. It's just one spoke on the marketing wheel — but start now and you'll be seeing real results by Q4 and into early 2027. (Anyone else already thinking about 2027 or too soon?!)
Get a Web Win: Prepping Your Website for Conference Season
I had a call yesterday with a client heading into fall conference season who wants her site updated before she goes — and it got me thinking about the first vendor booth I ran for Snaply earlier this year.
That booth generated nearly a 6x return on my investment. While that event was definitely a success, I regret not being more intentional with my website – before, during, and, after. We're all learning here. 😄
If you've got a conference coming up, here are some of my tips to make your website work harder while you're there:
Before you go:
Create a conference-specific landing page. Something like yourwebsite.com/conference with a clear explanation of what you do, who you help, and a simple offer or CTA. Put that URL on your booth signage, business cards, and handouts.
Add tracking so you can measure it. Use a trackable QR code or add UTM parameters to your URL (something like yourwebsite.com/conference?utm_source=conference&utm_campaign=fall2026). That way you can actually see how much traffic and activity came specifically from the event — not just guess.
Make sure your site is ready to be searched. People will look you up after meeting you — some might even ask ChatGPT about you. Is your homepage immediately clear about what you do? Is your booking process easy? Are your best results easy to find? Check it before you go.
Build your follow-up sequence before you arrive. Don't come home with 80 business cards and figure it out later. (Still working on a better system for this myself because my business card pile is real and stressful.) Have your emails ready. Day 1: great to meet you. Day 3: a relevant resource. Day 7: something helpful based on their situation. Day 14: an invitation to connect further.
While you're there
Give people a reason to scan your QR code. "Visit our website" is not a reason. "Scan for a free checklist" or "get our conference-only offer" is. The CTA should answer: why should I do this right now?
Pull your website up mid-conversation. When someone says "we've been struggling with X" — don't just hand them a card. Pull up a relevant example, a case study, or a results page. Your website becomes a conversation tool, not just a brochure.
Post in real time on social. Photos, takeaways, behind-the-scenes moments. Tag the conference and speakers. You'll reach a second audience — everyone who isn't there but is watching.
After the event
Segment your follow-ups. Hot leads, warm contacts, potential referral partners, and not-a-fit all deserve different attention. Don't blast everyone with the same email.
Turn it into content. Write up your takeaways, lessons, or trends you heard about. One conference can generate blog traffic for months if you document it well.
Create a post-event offer. Something like "attendees: grab a free 15-minute consult" gives people a low-pressure reason to reconnect once the event winds down.
The conference itself is short and can be a total whirlwind. But the prep work beforehand and the follow-through after is where the pay off happens.
Here’s me at the South Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association conference earlier this year. Business cards, a wrinkly tablecloth, a $200 popup, and some cheap swag from Amazon.
Convo Corner: Great Conference Read from Natasha Walstra
Sticking with the conference theme this week I want to share a piece from someone I've mentioned before: Natasha Walstra of NearPoint Strategies, who ran the LinkedIn cohort I participated in earlier this year.
She wrote a playbook specifically about how to maximize your ROI at events using LinkedIn. It’s got the practical tips most people skip and new approaches you probably haven’t thought of. Things like: connecting with speakers before you arrive, setting your LinkedIn QR code as your phone lock screen so it's ready to scan in any conversation, writing your recap post while the event is still fresh, and following up with new connections before the week is out. She built her entire reputation in a new industry using this exact approach, and the returns have compounded for years.
Conference season is ramping up this fall. Bookmark/read the article here.
Let's Talk
Have you started thinking about your fall conference schedule? Let me know where you're headed and what your goals are — we can make a plan to get your website or landing page in a good place before you go.
And don't forget: Jade takes over the next four issues of Web + Wins starting next week! Feel free to reply anytime and I'll catch up on responses when I can. 🙂
