I‘m very big on systemizing things. I like the fact that everytime I setup a new website or blog I have a checklist to go through. I simply start at the top of the list and do the steps. When I reach the bottom, I’m done and the site is, for the most part, setup and ready to go.
If you like having a definite plan, this will be for you. Hey, even experienced pilots go through a checklist on every flight even though they have done it thousands of times.
This checklist is not static, meaning it changes over time. If I find a better way to do a step, I will add it into my checklist.
Here are the steps. I copied and pasted it and left the “X” marks so you can see how I go through the list. When I complete a step, I just go back and X it out
Website Setup Checklist:
Domain name X
layout(salesfunnel- optimize press or blog-thesis/genesis/etc.) X
header image X
favicon X
analytics (piwik/GA) X
lead mailing list (aweber) X
Opt-in form
thank you pages
- lead opt-in thank you page X
- sale thank you page
content X
monetization methods X
- advertising areas
- contextual advertising
- affiliate products
link tracking (affiliate tracker plugin)
I will go over the parts of the checklist.
1 – Domain:
This goes without saying. You have to have a domain for your website. I get all my domains from namecheap.
They are cheap, like their name says and you can just about always find a coupon code online to get even a little more savings on the domain name.
I like their control panel. It’s easy to use and let’s me go in and point the DNS servers of my new domain to my webhost very quickly.
2 – Layout:
Now, I decide on a layout for the website/blog. First, I have to decide on the tool I will use. That depends on what type of website it is.
If it is a sales funnel website, I use optimizepress which is literally a theme where you can go in and create your sales funnels in a systematic fashion as well. There is hardly a tool I like more than optimizepress
If it is a content website or blog, I will usually use the thesis theme to run the site.
3 – Header Image:
Some sites heave just a picture going across the entire top of the site as the header. Some have a logo. Some even just have words. Both thesis and optimize press let you add an image as a header with a couple of clicks. I actually create just about all of my headers in ipages.
4 – Favicon:
The little picture you see at the top of the browser window. Essentially a small logo. I just find the image I want and take a screenshot that is approximately square. A few clicks to upload with the themes I mentioned above.
5 – Analytics:
You have to track things. Otherwise you’re just taking guesses. Most guesses are usually wrong. I like to use Piwik and install it on my server. Of course there is always google analytics as well.
On a blog, I enter the analytics code once in the Thesis control panel and it appears on every page. The only time I have to have the code different is when I am checking conversions. Such as opt-in rates or sales. If I am using optimizepress, I will add the code manually to the pages. There is a section for that on every page. Funnels are all about conversions to I need the code to be different on the “thank you” pages. Plus funnels, whether they are sales funnels or lead funnels, usually, do not contain a large number of pages.
6 – Leads Mailing List
For just about every site or blog I can think of, I always have a mailing list. In fact, it may help to think of the blog as nothing more that bait to grow your mailing list.
You must have a way to manage your mailing list or you are missing out. Aweber is a wonderful service for this. You create a “leads” mailing list.
6.1 – Opt in Form:
You have to create a form so people can enter their email address and sign up for your mailing list. There are numerous ways to do this. Aweber has a “wizard” which will walk you through the process (the best I’ve seen anywhere frankly). Another way is the way I do it. I combine Aweber’s form creator with optimize press because I like they typography and look of their forms. I’ll explain exactly how I do that in another post. (join the mailing list to be notified when that post is made)
6.2 – Thank you pages
To keep track of your conversion rate (the percentage of people that take the action you want them to take on that page) you need a thank you page for each opt-in form you have. If you sell your own products directly, then you also need to have a “sale” thank you page. These pages get your analytics code with some slight modifications.
7 – Content:
Are you making it yourself, compiling it from other sources, hiring others to create it, etc?
8 – Monetization Methods:
Are you selling your own products? Are you going to rely on affiliate commissions for revenue? Maybe you are going to rely on contextual advertising. Maybe a combination of all 3.
9 – Link tracking:
A way to keep track of your links to monetization so you know what is working, and what’s not. You can use a wordpress plugin for this
10 – Stat Tracking Chart:
I create a spreadsheet to keep track of the numbers for the website. Conversion rates, revenue, etc. I might compile are review the numbers once a week or once a month. Then I can see what’s working, what’s not and make changes.
Extras:
Analytics Code:
I like to put the main analytics code at the bottom of my tracking chart. This way it is always handy without me having to log back into an account to get it again if I need to.
Funnels:
I like to write out the steps to all the funnels of my sites. This way if I make a change, I know all the parts of the funnel that need to be changed.
If you have a blog with 1 main opt-in form your funnel may consist of only 2 pages. The opt-in form and the thank you page. But, maybe you want to sandwich an offer between the opt-in and the thank you page. If you have the entire funnel written out, you know where to make the changes. Such as changing the URL of the thank you page.
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