Appearing on Shark Tank is a surefire way to earn widespread exposure and renew visibility with your existing client base. Once you have everyone’s attention, you’ll need an effective website to capture their traffic.
Most who see your episode and want to learn more or make a purchase will look for you online. It’s crucial to ensure that what they find is engaging, functional and user-friendly.
When your episode airs, a dysfunctional website (or worse, one that crashes under pressure) is the worst-case scenario. Besides making a poor first impression, you risk losing the interest of potential customers. .
So, instead, let’s discuss how to build a web experience that keeps visitors coming back again and again.
Table of Contents
- Step 1: Prepare Your Servers for Heavy Traffic
- Step 2: Organize and Optimize Your Website
- Step 3: Prioritize Mobile-First Design
- Step 4: Prepare to Accommodate and Encourage User Engagement
- Step 5: Plan for Post-Show Updates
Step 1: Prepare Your Servers for Heavy Traffic
For self-hosted sites, such as those on WordPress, the first bottleneck your website may face from a surge in "Shark Tank" traffic is the server’s limitations. When user requests overwhelm available resources, websites become sluggish and eventually crash. You can prevent these problems by planning ahead to accommodate a larger crowd.
However, if your e-commerce business is hosted on platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce, this concern is not relevant, as their servers will automatically scale to handle increased traffic.
Upgrade Your Hosting Plan
Standard web hosting plans typically can't support the high traffic volumes generated by Shark Tank appearances.. Episodes routinely rack up millions of views, so think big.
The best starting point is to review your current hosting plan. If you’re not sure where to find the specifications, touch base with your hosting provider directly.
The key features to consider are:
- CPU: overall computing power
- Bandwidth: network speed
- RAM: short-term memory
- Disc space: storage
Estimating what you need to keep pace with a Shark Tank surge requires evaluation of potential traffic volume, data storage requirements and your website’s processing demands. Ecommerce sites store and exchange more data than most due to the transactions they process.
Fielding a Shark Tank-sized crowd typically requires full migration to a more powerful server. Stop-gap measures (like adding extra RAM or CPU to existing servers) will likely get overwhelmed during peak surges.
Ask your hosting provider if they have media packages made to withstand traffic spikes. We play it safe by having the web host on standby during the airing for live support.
Perform Load Testing
Whatever server solution you go with, be sure to load test and see how it performs under pressure. Load testing, though sometimes considered optional, is necessary for accommodating the traffic you’ll get from Shark Tank.
Think of this step as a stress test. Load testing systems (e.g. Loadster, Loader.io) simulate a rush of visits and transactions while analyzing your server's performance. This measure gives you real data on your website’s capabilities with a hypothetical surge.
Load testing can also help you spot friction points in your website’s processes. For example, you may find plenty of CPU, bandwidth, and disk space but insufficient RAM to handle the influx, or identify issues with your third-party apps or plugins.
Identifying and resolving issues with load testing helps smooth processes before the real deal. The analytics also provide actionable insights on what to watch for during showtime.
We strongly advise monitoring your web performance live during the initial episode air and first rerun.
Step 2: Organize and Optimize Your Website
Once you’ve ensured your website can withstand a traffic surge, it’s time to make sure it can engage those visitors. There are a couple of quick measures Shark Tank entrepreneurs can implement to deliver an excellent user experience (UX).
Intent Matching
Intent matching means indicating to users (and algorithms) that they’ve found what they’re looking for.
The best way to “intent match” with users finding you through Shark Tank is to make it abundantly clear that you’re featured on the show. Include language like "As Seen on ABC's Shark Tank" throughout your website and broader digital messaging. However, be mindful of where you’re not allowed to use this type of messaging (like paid ads or product packaging). If you work with an agency familiar with Shark Tank businesses, like Human, your team will navigate the guidelines to ensure your messaging is effective and compliant.
Website banners, email footers and social media are all places where displaying Shark Tank imagery proves highly effective. Use these same spaces to promote your episode’s air date during the lead-up, too. You can also reach out to ABC to get taping images for pre-airing promotion, which can be a valuable addition to your overall marketing strategy.
Integrating Shark Tank into your online presence will distinguish your brand and help new users match you with what they saw on TV.
The phrase “As Seen on Shark Tank” is a badge of honor; wear it with pride!
Check for Broken Links
Websites typically feature a dense network of internal and external links. Internal linking includes navigation bars and hyperlinks to other parts of your website. External linking is anything that leads users off-site (e.g., to your social media accounts or Google Business Profile).
When used well, internal and external links can keep users engaged by helping them find more information they may be interested in.
However, linked content can move, change names, or be removed entirely when websites reorganize or shut down. When that happens, their links become “broken” and lead to an error page.
Broken links create frustrating user experiences. It’s like being presented with a gift only to have it taken away.
Thankfully, SEO tools like Ahrefs and Screaming Frog have features that scan your website to identify broken links. Once found, you just have to trade the link for a functioning one or remove it altogether.
Broken links might not seem like a big deal. However, these negative experiences can impair your website’s navigation and frustrate visitors into leaving. Make sure to fix these ASAP.
Step 3: Prioritize Mobile-First Design
Recent estimates place mobile users (i.e., those using smartphones, tablets, etc.) at over 60% of all online traffic. As such, web design practices must adapt to accommodate mobile user convenience.
Mobile-First Web Design
Optimizing your website with a mobile-first mindset is especially important when preparing for Shark Tank traffic. You can expect an even higher portion of your new visitors to browse from a mobile device while they watch your episode.
If you’ve ever visited a website from your phone that wasn’t optimized for mobile use, you know how rough the experience can be. The formatting becomes senseless, features fail to work and any semblance of visual appeal disappears. Even if the website is navigable, many users will feel put off and choose not to explore.
The effect on website performance and SEO can be severe. A poor mobile experience leads to:
- Less dwell time (average duration of visits on your site)
- Lower conversion rate (percent of new traffic that makes a purchase)
- Higher bounce rate (percent of new traffic that leaves after a short time)
Besides indicating lost customers, these measures can also deprioritize your website on search engines, making it harder for future searchers to find you organically.
On the other hand, providing a seamless mobile experience encourages new visitors on all devices to explore and engage with your brand.
Audit Your Website’s Mobile User Experience (UX)
Unless you’ve had a professional UX designer and web developer optimize your website’s UX, there’s going to be some work to do here. That’s okay! It’s better to work these problems out now than during airtime.
If you’ve never done it before, a good place to start your audit is simply by viewing your website from a mobile device (preferably a smartphone for a true stress test).
Make an honest evaluation of whether or not the formatting and functionality of your website holds up on a smaller screen.
While tools like Bing, Google, Uptrends, and Semrush offer free “mobile-friendly” tests that evaluate performance and mobile compatibility, these are just one aspect of UX. For a more comprehensive understanding of your site's user experience, consider using UserTesting.com to gather direct feedback from real users. This can provide valuable insights into how users interact with your site.
As you work through redesigns to improve your mobile experience, remember that it’s often easier to design for the smallest screens and then spread things out rather than starting big and having to condense later.
Step 4: Prepare to Accommodate and Encourage User Engagement
So far, we’ve talked about making your website functional for Shark Tank levels of traffic. Now, let’s discuss how to really pique their interest.
Implement Interactive Features
Many prospective customers need more assurance before committing to a purchase. Offering interactive ways for users to explore and engage with your brand helps strengthen their trust and build the relationship bit by bit.
For example, adding an on-site product review or ranking feature allows you to highlight positive testimonials while communicating that you care about your customers’ feedback. This can be as basic as a five-star rating system with a text box for comments.
You can also use interactive features to preemptively answer questions or respond to objections. Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) sections with a simple drop-down style menu are one of the most convenient ways to encourage more interaction with your website.
Live web chat services are another step up, offering customers the opportunity to connect with your staff to ask questions and learn in a more personable setting. Though this is the most engaging and effective form of communication, it also requires the most staffing (especially during peak traffic).
AI-automated chat is an option, but you’ll get much more mileage from developing a live system with a human on the other end.
All these forms of user interaction provide more opportunities to build customer confidence and keep visitors exploring your site for longer.
Ensure Fast Load Times
The Internet is like a highway; it directs people where they want to go, but it can also be a source of frustration. Trends show that most web users wait no longer than a few seconds for a page to load before exiting.
Whether we’re on the interstate or Internet, delays are a common source of annoyance. Don’t keep your visitors in suspense; optimize every web page for fast loading.
Outside the server hosting preparation described in Section 1, you can use several simple strategies to decrease your website’s workload and accelerate results.
- Image optimization: Loading images for every user takes its toll on your servers. Keep your image files small by using a format like JPEG or WebP that prioritizes size. If they still load slowly, online services like TinyPNG can compress your image files even more.
- Browser caching: This function stores information about your website on a visitor’s browser. The next time that user returns, your website can reference this information instead of relying on your server. Browser caching results in fewer requests, opening up resources for other visitors.
- Content delivery networks (CDNs): CDN services (like Fastly and Cloudflare) help lower server loads by distributing your website’s data from a widespread collection of servers. This allows the CDN to refer users to whichever server is closest to their location, maximizing delivery speed.
It’s not unreasonable to leverage all three of these methods to get your website moving more quickly.
Step 5: Plan for Post-Show Updates
The show’s not over after your episode airs. Shark Tank is a huge momentum boost, but now it’s time to turn that traction into long-term mileage.
Update Content Regularly
Releasing regular updates is key to keeping your audience engaged once the air-date excitement slows down. Luckily, your Shark Tank experience gives you plenty to share with your followers.
Post behind-the-scenes details of your pitch, metrics that show how your success has grown, or plans for your brand’s future. “Recent news” side bars or blog pages are great for keeping your website supplied with fresh updates.
Though not strictly required, setting a content schedule can encourage long-term engagement by prompting fans to return regularly for new updates.
It’s okay if you don’t have groundbreaking updates every other week. Sharing new details and even small updates shows your audience that exciting things are in the works and builds a deeper connection with every interaction.
Monitor Website Performance
Keep a close watch on your website’s performance for at least a month following your air date (and still routinely after that).
If you follow the server preparation steps outlined in Section 1, you may be eager to downsize to a more affordable plan. You’ll certainly be able to dial back, but knowing when and how much isn’t always clear. Downgrading too much or too soon could compromise your web performance.
Shifting your website’s focus from a short-term surge to long-term functionality takes a measured response to prevent slowdowns.
Specifically, you should watch for trends in traffic volume, conversion rate and sales volume to judge your website’s ongoing performance. These analytics reveal how many visitors and transactions your servers will need to accommodate over the long run.
Of course, progress is never linear. Your Shark Tank appearance demonstrates your ambition for growth, which makes maintaining a website capable of keeping up critical for your lasting success.
Your Website’s Shark Tank Prep Checklist
If you’re hoping for a quick-reference version of all the actionable insights above, you’re in luck! Long story short, here’s how to get ready:
Step 1: Prepare your servers for heavy traffic by upgrading your hosting plan and load-testing its capacity.
Step 2: Organize and optimize your website content to ensure an intent match with your audience and make a positive user experience (UX).
Step 3: Prioritize mobile-first design by auditing your website’s mobile UX and optimizing it for the smallest screens.
Step 4: Prepare to accommodate and encourage user engagement by providing fast load times and interactive features.
Step 5: Plan for post-show updates to maintain your website performance and keep fans interested.
Ideally, you should complete this checklist thoroughly well in advance of your episode air date to allow ample time for development and testing. However, given the short time frame prior to airing, you may need to prioritize your focus and efforts on the most critical tasks.
To find more resources for preparing for a Shark Tank air date, check out our article on How to Prepare for Shark Tank and get a breakdown of all the essential steps.
Or, visit our website to learn how Human can manage Shark Tank marketing for you!
