Senior Living Provider Creates 300 Community Websites With One Click: Saving Thousands of Hours Through Automation

To support rapid expansion and brand consistency across newly acquired communities, a large senior living provider recruited SmartBug to develop a custom site generator tool capable of automating the creation of more than 300 websites, without duplicating content and within a 12-month window.

+ 6 K

Hours of manual work eliminated through HubDB automation

+ 300 K

in production costs avoided by replacing manual web builds with a one-click site generator

+ 20

hours saved per site across 300 websites created automatically

Background

A leader in the senior living space with communities across the country was rapidly acquiring new locations when it came to SmartBug in search of a streamlined solution for website creation. The client originally recruited us to help build their new websites out, but then late in the game the executive leadership team informed them that they intended to launch all 300 sites by the end of the year. That's when SmartBug had to come up with a quick solution—smack in the middle of the project.

Stressed and overwhelmed with the thought of having to create hundreds of websites individually, the provider required a solution that could quickly create sites while still allowing for individual customization. SmartBug got to work.

The Problem

So Many Websites, So Little Time

To unify branding across newly acquired locations, the client needed to launch 300 websites within a year. This lofty goal was initially considered unrealistic due to the provider’s limited marketing team, the potential for errors with manual creation, and the extensive content entry required. The client needed to update existing outdated sites and create additional sites—all with unified branding. The provider’s manual processes would not have allowed its team to successfully reach that goal in the allotted time frame.

Our Solution

Using HubSpot to Design a Custom Website Generator Tool for Quick Site Creation

HubDB: Structured all community-specific data (e.g., address, amenities, contacts) for dynamic population
Serverless functions: Implemented a serverless function to create the site pages using a marketer-friendly form within a custom landing page
Custom modules and theme: Built flexible, SEO-optimized page templates that automatically populate using HubDB entries
CMS tools: Supported drag-and-drop edits for marketing users without backend development help

The senior living provider’s overall goal was to unify its branding across rapidly acquired locations while simultaneously updating outdated sites. Initially, the provider considered hiring a third party for content entry, which would have been a hefty expense.

The SmartBug team came through with a super slick tool capable of automating website creation in a matter of minutes. The solution uses HubSpot HubDB tables to store community data (e.g., logos, contact info, amenities), allowing for quick implementation of changes across all sites and enabling easier management moving forward. One-click site generation via a HubSpot serverless function creates approximately 20 similarly structured webpages per community with unique, dynamically populated content, allowing for necessary customization while maintaining consistency and SEO considerations (e.g., duplicate content).

It’s also important to note that the creation of comprehensive HubDB tables with community data was time-intensive, and the client’s small marketing team was pressured by an ambitious deadline. In the end, core development of the project was estimated at 3-4 months, and SmartBug’s help saved the client an estimated $300,000 in production costs.

The Results

Thousands of Hours Saved by Minimizing Manual Work Contracts Establishment

Overall, the client is excited about the automated website creation solution and its capabilities. The team is "jumping up and down" about the significant time savings it will inevitably provide. Site creation happens in a matter of minutes versus 10-20 hours.

For reference, the time savings for creating each community website using the automated solution versus manually is approximately 20-30 hours per website. Ultimately, the automation is estimated to save anywhere from 6,000-9,000 hours of manual work across all 300 sites. The resulting time savings and boost in productivity free up the client's marketing team to focus on other strategic efforts.

The solution implemented by SmartBug also significantly reduces the need for content entry and management, leading to significant time and cost savings for the client. By enabling rapid site creation while maintaining brand consistency, the tool allows for quick global changes across all sites post-launch, along with the flexibility of traditional editing and updates for individual sites. As a result:

● Sites can now go live in less than one hour with fully branded, content-compliant websites—no backend development help required.

● Pages have fewer errors and are faster to launch due to quick and easy training, boosting team morale and performance.

● Visitors now experience consistent navigation and content across all 300 sites, improving credibility and conversion.

As confirmed by the client’s SmartBug team, the custom generator not only cut down on thousands of hours of work but also achieved the client’s objective to swiftly update existing community sites and avoid needless outsourcing. As the business continues to expand to new locations, this solution will evolve with it, supporting its marketing efforts moving forward.

Senior Living Provider Creates 300 Community Websites With One Click: Saving Thousands of Hours Through Automation

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