What is your favorite mental "checklist" to bust out quick/effective Worpress sites?(order 1-10 etc)

13 replies
I'm somewhat of a "newbie" but I use to create pretty good, efficiently timed squidoo lenses with little thought. They were effective and I'd bust them out efficiently!! I developed a fast mental checklist for creating them before moving on. What is your Worpress Blog mental checklist for creation??


(remember: This is after you've already setup hosting, domain name/installed WP)


examples...

-what do you do first to your blog and in what order..

-how many pages/tabs (2-5-10) to cover your niche

-in what order do you post content on those tabs

-what are the titles of those tabs or purpose of that content

-To seo/optimize what are your steps, when is it good.

-what are the plugins you purchased (any information like this is good!)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm sure your blog times vary but when do you feel your blog is done enough where you can move on to market it??
(instead of obsessing about it like I tend to do lol)

It will be interesting to see how the basic steps vary among the pros/experienced. we could all learn from each other. Don't feel the need to be too detailed just post what comes to your mind when busting out blogs... Thanks in advanced. -Carson
#110 #bust #checklist #favorite #mental #quick or effective #sitesorder #worpress
  • Profile picture of the author Ryan Even
    I actually cloned one of blogs with the settings I like (theme, pemalinks, SEO Plugin, etc.) so now I just use the clone to quickly get my new blogs set up.
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  • Profile picture of the author Odhinn
    I basically do the same thing as Ryan - all of my sites require the same basic stuff to be added right away. Ping Lists, specific plugins, sitemaps, etc, but it's all the same every time. If you make one basic setup that works, you just clone it, and then all you've got to do is get your content/marketing going.
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    Check out my WSO:

    100 Backlinks a Day

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    • Profile picture of the author Carson Hill
      That's cool you guys. Are you hesitant to give up your secrets or actually outline whats included in that outline step by step? It's cool if you are.
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      • Profile picture of the author Piper Anderson
        Basic set-up of a WordPress niche site for me includes:

        1. Pick a theme that goes well with the niche and install it.
        2. Upload and activate all my basic plugins that I use with every site.
        3. Upgrade any plugins with upgrades available.
        4. Set up all the plugins with the same basic information I keep in a Word document (such as API codes and such), while including specific information for each niche (such as a keyword search based on the niche I'm using for the Tubepress plugin).
        5. Have keyword research done beforehand and set up categories based on the keywords.
        6. Write at least one SEO optimized article for each keyword, putting it in the appropriate category.
        7. Add an appropriate image to each article (usually stock images purchased from istockphotos.com or my own images), add the keyword of the article to the description and caption of the image, and make it clickable to an appropriate affilaite offer from CJ, Clickbank, or Amazon.
        8. Interlink each article on the site to at least one other article on the site, using the keyword for the article being linked to as anchor text.
        9. Add Adsense and banner ads from CJ, Clickbank, or Amazon to the sidebars.
        10. Add a "contact us" and "privacy policy" page.

        Bonus--#11: After doing all of this, I submit the URL of the site to Google, Bing, and Yahoo, add it to Google Webmaster tools, and add the site's RSS feed to Feedage, Feedagg, and RSSMotron.

        There it is, my basic set-up for a WordPress blog using original content. I also do a lot of autoblogs, which has a similar set up, with a few variations to make everything automatic with the posting.
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        • Profile picture of the author Mike Burngasser
          Here's my real checklist (unedited)

          ----------------------

          **Research Markets**
          -Research Markets, come up with 2 test domain names
          -Buy Domain Names with Moniker
          -Point DNS (if necessary)
          -In cPanel, Add domains
          -Install wordpress on all domains using Fantastico
          -Add domains to spreadsheet
          -FTP plugins and themes to each domain
          Add 301 Redirect Code to .htacess file
          Add site to google webmaster tools
          Add www version of site to google webmaster tools
          Set "Preferred Domain" as "non-www" or "www" in Webmaster tools (Site Configuration>settings>preferred domain)

          **Website Creation**
          -Login to All Wordpress Sites in Google Chrome Tabs

          **Settings**
          -Upgrade Wordpress
          -Upgrade Plugins and Themes
          -Upload Root Directory Pack
          -Activate Plugins
          Delete "Hello Dolly"
          -Add Akismet API Key
          Activate Magazine Basic Theme or Ryan's Fresh Mod
          -Change Layout of Magazine Basic Theme
          --Right Single Sidebar, 3 Posts, Show Partial Post, User Login=No
          --SEO - Site Description=Blog Title
          --SEO - Keywords=LSI Keywords
          -Settings > Permalinks
          --Edit Permalinks
          --/%postname%.html
          -Posts > Categories
          --Category Name=Name of Blog
          --Category Slug=name-of-blog
          --Description=Name of Blog (or real description)
          -Settings > Discussion
          --Uncheck both "e-mail me whenever" boxes
          --Check the box "An administrator must always approve the comment"
          --Default Gravatar=Identicon (Generated)
          -Delete "About" Page
          -Delete "Hello World" Post
          -Delete Links
          -Settings > Easy Privacy Policy
          --Add Easy Privacy Policy
          --Edit Text Using Privacy Policy Notes
          -Pages>Add New
          --Add Page "Contact"
          --[si-contact-form form='1']
          --Note: Paste this code into HTML
          --Uncheck "Allow Comments"
          -Plugins > SI Contact Form
          --Advanced Options
          --Uncheck "Enable Plugin Credit Link"
          -Setup Platinum SEO
          --Platinum SEO > Platinum SEO
          --Home Title/Home Description=Site Name
          --Home Keywords Pulled from Google Keyword Tool (LSI Keywords)
          --Change Post Title Format to: %post_title%
          --Uncheck Box "Auto Generate Descriptions"
          -cbnet Ping Optimizer
          --Settings > cbnet ping optimizer
          --Update List of Ping Sites
          --Check "Limit Excessive Pinging in Short Time"
          --Ping no more than 1 time every 60 minutes
          -Add favicon
          --Favicon Generator: favicon.ico Generator
          --https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/network/tools/link-checker/main.html
          --Add Tracking ID's for each website
          --Add Description to Existing Tracking ID's
          -Add sidebar widget with Amazon Product
          -Add sidebar widget with Recent Posts
          --Title=Main Keyword
          -Add sidebar widget with links
          -Add sidebar picture (optional)
          -Add sidebar about me (optional)
          -Add adsense to sidebar (optional)

          **AIM Setup**
          -Setup AIM Plugin
          --AIM > Settings
          --Plug in API Keys in each module
          --Amazon API: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com
          --Yahoo API: Yahoo! Answers - YDN
          --Flickr API: http://www.flickr.com/services/apps/create/commercial/
          --Change options for each module
          --AIM > Settings - General Settings Below Each Module
          --Change New Post Status to "Send to Draft"
          --Set Automatically Create Tags to "Yes"
          --Set Max Number of tags to "5"
          --Check "Nofollow affiliate Links"
          --Translate Engine "Google Translate"
          --Translate from "Auto Detect" to "English"
          --Translate Services: Articles, Amazon Description, Amazon Reviews, Yahoo Answers, Post Titles
          --AIM > QuickPost
          --Find keywords and draft post 3 articles
          --Go Edit each article and publish them all
          --AIM > AIM
          --Add keywords (found in quickpost)
          --Set to Post drafts Every 8 hours
          --Check "Autopost to Ping.fm" (optional)

          **Finishing Touches**
          --Setup Ping.fm
          --This is within the AIM Plugin
          --Link to each social network listed
          --Put ping.fm login information into blog spreadsheet
          --Setup AIM Social Bookmarks
          --This is within the AIM Plugin
          -Settings>WP Super Cache
          --Select On, Click Update Button
          -Add Piwik Analytics to Each Blog
          -Add Google Analytics to each blog
          --Use a separate gmail to set up Webmaster tools (25 domains per webmaster tools account)
          --Mark this email account in Portfolio of websites document
          -FTP Google Webmaster tools HTML File to each domain
          --Use a separate gmail to set up Webmaster tools (25 domains per webmaster tools account)
          --Mark this email account in Portfolio of websites document
          -Add Sidebar Picture and short bio
          --Check quantcast for demographic information
          -Add "About Me" Page to the blog

          **Build Backlinks**

          **Index Backlinks**

          **Submit to Directories**
          --DMOZ.org (follow up to be sure my site is submitted)
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          • Profile picture of the author Brad Spencer
            Originally Posted by Mike Burngasser View Post

            Here's my real checklist (unedited)

            ----------------------

            **Research Markets**
            -Research Markets, come up with 2 test domain names
            -Buy Domain Names with Moniker
            -Point DNS (if necessary)
            -In cPanel, Add domains
            -Install wordpress on all domains using Fantastico
            -Add domains to spreadsheet
            -FTP plugins and themes to each domain
            Add 301 Redirect Code to .htacess file
            Add site to google webmaster tools
            Add www version of site to google webmaster tools
            Set "Preferred Domain" as "non-www" or "www" in Webmaster tools (Site Configuration>settings>preferred domain)

            **Website Creation**
            -Login to All Wordpress Sites in Google Chrome Tabs

            **Settings**
            -Upgrade Wordpress
            -Upgrade Plugins and Themes
            -Upload Root Directory Pack
            -Activate Plugins
            Delete "Hello Dolly"
            -Add Akismet API Key
            Activate Magazine Basic Theme or Ryan's Fresh Mod
            -Change Layout of Magazine Basic Theme
            --Right Single Sidebar, 3 Posts, Show Partial Post, User Login=No
            --SEO - Site Description=Blog Title
            --SEO - Keywords=LSI Keywords
            -Settings > Permalinks
            --Edit Permalinks
            --/%postname%.html
            -Posts > Categories
            --Category Name=Name of Blog
            --Category Slug=name-of-blog
            --Description=Name of Blog (or real description)
            -Settings > Discussion
            --Uncheck both "e-mail me whenever" boxes
            --Check the box "An administrator must always approve the comment"
            --Default Gravatar=Identicon (Generated)
            -Delete "About" Page
            -Delete "Hello World" Post
            -Delete Links
            -Settings > Easy Privacy Policy
            --Add Easy Privacy Policy
            --Edit Text Using Privacy Policy Notes
            -Pages>Add New
            --Add Page "Contact"
            --[si-contact-form form='1']
            --Note: Paste this code into HTML
            --Uncheck "Allow Comments"
            -Plugins > SI Contact Form
            --Advanced Options
            --Uncheck "Enable Plugin Credit Link"
            -Setup Platinum SEO
            --Platinum SEO > Platinum SEO
            --Home Title/Home Description=Site Name
            --Home Keywords Pulled from Google Keyword Tool (LSI Keywords)
            --Change Post Title Format to: %post_title%
            --Uncheck Box "Auto Generate Descriptions"
            -cbnet Ping Optimizer
            --Settings > cbnet ping optimizer
            --Update List of Ping Sites
            --Check "Limit Excessive Pinging in Short Time"
            --Ping no more than 1 time every 60 minutes
            -Add favicon
            --Favicon Generator: favicon.ico Generator
            --https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/network/tools/link-checker/main.html
            --Add Tracking ID's for each website
            --Add Description to Existing Tracking ID's
            -Add sidebar widget with Amazon Product
            -Add sidebar widget with Recent Posts
            --Title=Main Keyword
            -Add sidebar widget with links
            -Add sidebar picture (optional)
            -Add sidebar about me (optional)
            -Add adsense to sidebar (optional)

            **AIM Setup**
            -Setup AIM Plugin
            --AIM > Settings
            --Plug in API Keys in each module
            --Amazon API: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com
            --Yahoo API: Yahoo! Answers - YDN
            --Flickr API: http://www.flickr.com/services/apps/create/commercial/
            --Change options for each module
            --AIM > Settings - General Settings Below Each Module
            --Change New Post Status to "Send to Draft"
            --Set Automatically Create Tags to "Yes"
            --Set Max Number of tags to "5"
            --Check "Nofollow affiliate Links"
            --Translate Engine "Google Translate"
            --Translate from "Auto Detect" to "English"
            --Translate Services: Articles, Amazon Description, Amazon Reviews, Yahoo Answers, Post Titles
            --AIM > QuickPost
            --Find keywords and draft post 3 articles
            --Go Edit each article and publish them all
            --AIM > AIM
            --Add keywords (found in quickpost)
            --Set to Post drafts Every 8 hours
            --Check "Autopost to Ping.fm" (optional)

            **Finishing Touches**
            --Setup Ping.fm
            --This is within the AIM Plugin
            --Link to each social network listed
            --Put ping.fm login information into blog spreadsheet
            --Setup AIM Social Bookmarks
            --This is within the AIM Plugin
            -Settings>WP Super Cache
            --Select On, Click Update Button
            -Add Piwik Analytics to Each Blog
            -Add Google Analytics to each blog
            --Use a separate gmail to set up Webmaster tools (25 domains per webmaster tools account)
            --Mark this email account in Portfolio of websites document
            -FTP Google Webmaster tools HTML File to each domain
            --Use a separate gmail to set up Webmaster tools (25 domains per webmaster tools account)
            --Mark this email account in Portfolio of websites document
            -Add Sidebar Picture and short bio
            --Check quantcast for demographic information
            -Add "About Me" Page to the blog

            **Build Backlinks**

            **Index Backlinks**

            **Submit to Directories**
            --DMOZ.org (follow up to be sure my site is submitted)
            Dude you totally rock.

            Adam Roy had a neat product on this for $10 here on the WSO forum...

            If you wanted, you could probably create a Ubot bot program that would automate a lot of this stuff.

            Might take a few weeks but it'd save you time on the tedious stuff.

            Cheers,

            Brad
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  • Profile picture of the author pr5931
    Thank you for the lists.
    Now, how about cloning? What method?
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  • Profile picture of the author Shannon Spoon
    How do you do cloning? What exactly do you do?
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  • Profile picture of the author Kirahster
    I am also interested in learning about cloning sites.
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  • Profile picture of the author Carson Hill
    thanks for the info!
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  • Profile picture of the author SageSound
    Cloning: check out the XCloner plugin site:

    XCloner - Backup and Restore made Simple | Professional PHP/Mysql Backup application, Joomla backup component, Wordpress backup plugin

    it's a free plugin for Wordpress that lets you do backups and clone sites.

    Also, if you configure your Wordpress sites by enabling Multi-Site mode, you can set up a new blog in about 10 seconds with all of the plugins and themes already installed. You can even get it to pre-activate many of your plugins. (Some won't, and you have to do them by hand.)

    You can update the main site, then click one button and update all of the other sites in the network.

    You can get domain names and park them so they point to one of these blogs. The look to all the world like they're completely standalone blogs, if that's what you want.

    It's great for most situations, but not if you want to build link-wheels and do much cross-linking between blogs.

    -David
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  • Profile picture of the author Anthony W
    Never heard of XCloner, but I use Backup Buddy. It's worked pretty well for me.
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    Looking to buy Facebook accounts. PM me!
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