Grow your HugoFox site: next steps
You’ve mastered the basics—your account is active, a homepage is live and core pages are in place. Now it’s time to deepen content, refine navigation and switch on the growth tools that keep visitors returning. Follow these steps and you’ll glide through the upcoming launch checklist with ease.
1 Tell your story with an About page
People connect with people, so create an About Us or History page that shares your origin, purpose and personalities. Combine concise paragraphs with photos of councillors, volunteers or staff using text boxes and image blocks. A strong narrative:
- Builds trust—visitors know who is behind the site.
- Improves search‑engine understanding of your organisation.
- Gives local reporters and partners a single reference point.
Tip: If you already have a printed leaflet or annual report, repurpose key sentences here to save time.
2 Keep visitors engaged with News and Events
Regular updates bring audiences back and signal activity to search engines. From the Dashboard (Dashboard) choose Add News or Add Event and complete the guided fields—headline, body, images and optional external booking URL. Aim for a cadence you can sustain:
- Parish councils: post meeting notices, planning summaries and grant opportunities.
- Clubs and charities: celebrate milestones, volunteer wins and fundraising totals.
- Businesses: share product launches, customer stories and local partnerships.
Once live, each item appears in its dedicated listing and can be shared to the wider HugoFox network automatically.
3 Structure pages for easy navigation
An intuitive menu keeps bounce rates low. Open your page list and drag‑and‑drop until the flow feels natural:
- Group related content—e.g. all “Services” pages beneath a main Services heading.
- Keep top‑level items under seven so mobile users don’t have to scroll.
- Use clear names (“Book badminton court”, not “Facilities”).
Note: You’ll polish fine details such as URL slugs and page order during the final launch checklist (Launch checklist article).
4 Enable private content with the Members Area
The Members Area lets you restrict pages to logged‑in users—perfect for draft minutes, exclusive resources or paid‑up member benefits. Important: This feature is only available on Silver and Gold plans.
To activate:
- Drag any page into the Members Area folder within the page list.
- Choose whether visitors self‑register or you approve accounts manually.
- Publish as usual; non‑members will be prompted to log in when they click the page link.
Typical uses include:
- Parish councillors sharing working documents.
- Sports clubs posting fixture lists and squad notes.
- Charities offering training material to staff and trustees.
5 Brand your site with custom styles
Head to Website (Customise) to align colours, fonts and layout with your visual identity.
- Choose two primary colours and one accent to avoid a “rainbow” effect.
- Upload a high‑resolution logo (SVG or PNG) so it scales cleanly on all devices.
- Test headings, buttons and links in the preview pane—the grey and yellow magnifying‑glass icons show the site with and without your customisations.
Fine‑tuning design now saves time later and ensures your launch checklist focuses on technical checks, not aesthetics.
6 Boost reach with analytics and SEO
Insight drives growth. Link Google Analytics or Search Console in the Analytics tab, or click this link for Google’s setup guide. Within 24 hours you’ll see visitor numbers, traffic sources and popular pages.
Once your site is live, you can also monitor live statistics right inside HugoFox at Dashboard › Statistics. Silver and Gold customers unlock an Advanced Statistics dashboard with deeper real‑time insights such as top landing pages, devices and referrers.
Next, review your privacy policy. Go to My Account › Privacy policy to edit the wording. You can stick with HugoFox’s default text or paste your own, then format it with headings, bullet lists and spacing to match your theme. Important: UK law requires a clear privacy statement if you collect personal data.
7 Plan ahead for consistent updates
A content calendar turns good intentions into published pages:
- List key dates—seasonal events, grant deadlines, product launches.
- Assign a News or Event post to each date.
- Use free project‑management tools (or a simple spreadsheet) to track progress.
Invite colleagues via My Account › Users so each person can draft in their own area, then schedule a quick monthly review meeting. Regular, predictable updates make the final launch quieter because fresh content is already baked in.
Conclusion
Completing these next steps transforms a basic HugoFox site into a rich, well‑organised resource—perfect preparation for the detailed checks in the launch checklist.
Need a hand? Our support team is here 24/7:
- Email us at team@hugofox.com
- Use the contact page
- Silver or Gold customer? Call us on 01635 888 442