Signing a new client is good news, and most service businesses want their website to show it. The usual way it happens is piecemeal: someone adds a logo to the homepage on the day, means to update the portfolio page later, and forgets the rest.
At Balay ni Bruno & Co. we ran into this while adding a new client to our own site. Instead of fixing one page, we mapped every single place a client is represented, so the next one would not be missed. This is that map, written for any business that shows its clients online.
Half Done vs Fully Connected
Added piece by piece
- On the homepage, missing from the work page
- On the work page, but no page of its own
- A former prospect still listed as a prospect
- A logo that vanishes on a white card
- Search engines never told the new page exists
Added everywhere at once
- Listed once in the main client list, shown everywhere
- A card on the work page that links to their own page
- Moved from prospect to active in every place
- A logo that shows clearly on its card
- Reachable from every normal way into the site
Our rule is simple: a client is not "added" until a visitor can reach them from every normal way into the site.
The Checklist
Keep one list that everything else reads from. When a prospect signs, move them from prospect to active in that list. Do not leave an old prospect copy behind.
If an internal dashboard holds its own copy of the client list, update it too, and keep every copy matching.
Add a card in the current clients section. Tag it with the right categories so your filter tabs still work, and link it to the client's own page.
Add them to the recent work strip. Add a review card only once a real testimonial exists. Never write one for them.
Start from an existing client page you like and swap in their content. Only say things that are true. No made-up claims.
Add the new client page to the sitemap, the list that tells search engines which pages your site has.
Add the logo file and check it on the actual card. A light logo on a white card can disappear.
If your team pages list who each person works for, add the new client to the page of whoever looks after them.
Add their website to whatever list feeds your daily reports, so it gets checked like every other client. Access to their visitor numbers is usually still pending at first, and that is fine.
Only if you built their website. Add a screenshot once their site is actually live.
The disappearing logo: if a client's logo is white or very light on a transparent background, set the card's background to their brand colour. Otherwise it sits invisible on a white card.
Publish It All Together
Get every change ready, then publish them as one update. That way there is never a moment where the client is on your homepage but missing from your work page.
Planning a welcome post? If a scheduled social post uses images stored on your website, publish the website update before the post's go-live date. Some scheduling tools only fetch the image at the moment of posting, so if the image is not live yet, the post goes out without it.
Common Questions
What should I update on my website when I sign a new client?
Every place a client can appear: your main client list, any dashboard that keeps its own copy, your work or portfolio page, the recent work strip on your homepage, the client's own page, your sitemap, their logo, the page of the team member who looks after them, and your reporting list. If you built their website, add it to your showcase once it is live. Update them all together so nothing looks half done.
Why does a client's logo disappear on my portfolio page?
Usually the logo is white or very light on a transparent background, and it sits on a white card. Set the card background to the client's brand colour so the logo shows up.
Should I add a testimonial when a new client signs?
Only once a real one exists. Add the client to your work pages straight away, but leave the reviews section alone until they have actually said something you can quote. Never write one for them.
Key Takeaways
- A new client touches about ten places on a typical service business website.
- Keep one main client list, and when a prospect signs, move them to active everywhere.
- Check the logo on its real card, and use the brand colour behind a light logo.
- Only real testimonials and true claims. Never write them for the client.
- Publish every change together, and before any welcome post that uses images from your site.