1. 14 days before: pick one niche
Choose one group with an urgent need for a site, like wedding photographers, personal trainers, therapists in private practice, or local restaurants. Write one sentence: "[Product] gets [niche] a site that [specific outcome] in [time]." Every post, template and demo from here on should speak to that group only.
2. 12 days before: build 3 real sites for the niche
Make three live sites with your builder for real people in the niche, for free, in exchange for honest feedback and permission to show them. Find them by searching Instagram or Google Maps for businesses whose link goes to a dead page or a bare Linktree. Message: "Hi Sara, your Linktree is the only site I could find. I'm launching a website builder for trainers and will build you a full site free this week if I can show it as an example. Want one?"
3. 10 days before: map where your niche asks for help
List 10 specific places, like r/smallbusiness, r/weddingphotography, r/personaltraining, niche Facebook groups such as private practice therapist groups, and Indie Hackers. Read the rules of each and note which allow self-promotion and on what days. Search inside them for "which website builder" or "Squarespace alternative" and save threads from the last 90 days.
4. 7 days before: answer existing questions
Reply helpfully to the threads you saved, with no link unless the rules allow it. Say what you would actually do, like comparing Squarespace, Carrd and Wix for their case, and mention your tool only as one option. This builds a post history so your launch post doesn't look like spam.
5. 3 days before: prepare launch assets
Write a Product Hunt listing, a Show HN post, and one post per niche community, each led by the three real sites you built. Record a 60 second screen video of building a site from scratch. Set up a waitlist or signup page that asks one question: "What kind of business is your site for?"
6. Launch day: post in order and stay online
Post Show HN early in the US morning with a plain title like "Show HN: I built a website builder for personal trainers" and a first comment explaining why and what is still rough. Then post in your niche communities on their allowed days. Reply to every comment within an hour, and DM each of your three example customers asking them to share their new site.
7. Days 1 to 7: talk to every signup
Email each new signup personally within 24 hours: "Saw you signed up for a site for your studio. What's the one thing it needs to do for you? I'll help you set it up on a 15 minute call." Get on calls, build their site with them, and ask for payment at the end once it is live. Write down every objection word for word.
8. Days 8 to 14: repeat what worked
Look at which channel brought signups who paid, and double down there with new posts showing new customer sites. Drop channels that sent only browsers. Hulby, an AI cofounder, does this kind of daily outreach and follow-up for founders who want it handled.
Mistakes to skip
- Launching to "anyone who needs a website" instead of one niche.
- Showing empty templates instead of live sites built for real people.
- Posting links in communities without reading the rules or building history first.
- Treating launch day as the finish line and not following up with signups.
Want this done for your website builder, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
Should I launch on Product Hunt?
Yes, but as one channel among several. Niche communities usually bring buyers with a clearer need.
How do I compete with Wix and Squarespace?
Don't compete broadly. Be the obvious choice for one niche, with templates and features built for their specific needs.
Should I offer a free plan at launch?
Offer a free trial, then ask for payment once their site is live. That shows you who values the product.
How many communities should I post in?
Start with 5 to 10 where your niche is active. Fewer places done well beats posting everywhere.