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How to Create a Successful Website With WordPress – 12 Point Checklist

By on December 3, 2011

Do you want to know how to create a successful website with WordPress?  This article is going to be a benchmark for your blog to follow and I’m calling it the “Successful WordPress website checklist“. So far it is 3000 words long and will grow over time. I have written articles before about “why your blog is failing” and “tips for new WordPress website builders” and plenty more. Unfortunately, I see that some people are still missing the point. New Webmasters contact me about a problem they have, but say this is the only problem there is, as they have everything else under control. When I get to their websites I see a dozen or more problems staring me in the face. Therefore I am developing this successful WordPress website checklist for reference purposes and to save me from repeating my answers to 100 different people. I like chatting with people but I hate repeating myself! I even get sick of what I am hearing.

How to Create a Successful Website With WordPress

We would all love to have a successful online business and I know that this WordPress website checklist will help many of you get on the right track. Unfortunately I do not know all of this information by chance, I only know all of this from the mistakes that I have made. Now I am going to save you the time and money that I wasted. Some of these WordPress website checklist items might look familiar to you, however I suggest you still read every section as most problems stem from presuming that you know something.

#1. The right hosting

If you are interested in building a WordPress website (or blog) to make money online, you will need to start with the right website hosting. I personally have made many mistakes in the past and have wasted a fair amount of money by buying the wrong Web hosting. I now use Hostgator and will recommend them to anyone! This is probably the most important part of your business. Just remember that if your hosting does not perform, then maybe your website does not exist. You need to choose the right Web hosting company where you can build a website that is going to grow to the future.

#2. Use WordPress for your content management system

I guess you knew that I was going to say this! Hopefully most of you are or are using WordPress, and even though you might think it is difficult now, if you keep using it you will become an expert. I have no doubt about this. I do not care if you are technically challenged, you will be able to manage your website like a pro if you stick with WordPress. It is also important to set up WordPress thoroughly as missing a simple setting can create more work for you in the end. I have written a full tutorial on how to setup WordPress correctly and will be adding to this in the future.

#3. Do not give up

I see people give up on WordPress and say it is too hard. This is not true as I have personally (yes in person) taught the absolute most technically challenged people how to use WordPress. I mean people that cannot even use the computer properly. Therefore I do not want to hear anyone saying that WordPress is too hard. When I hear people saying this, to me it simply means that they have not given it proper go. To ensure that new Webmasters do not give up on WordPress, I have developed a WordPress website basics section. It will give you access to videos and written tutorials all about building a WordPress website. I definitely do not earn any money from recommending WordPress as it is an open source content management system.

I could tell you to install b2evolution, concrete5, Drupal 6 or 7, glFusion, Hotaru, Joomla, Mambo, and even the new Trendy Site Builder with basics drag and drop to create  flash websites. All of these options are available when you buy Hostgator web hosting but I still recommend building a WordPress website. Even if you wanted to build an e-commerce website I would still recommend using WordPress, and then installing an ecommerce WordPress theme.

I also see people give up on building websites because they did not make money fast enough. I will tell you right now that making money by building websites does not happen overnight. There are many ways to make money from building websites, and how fast you bring in the money, depends on what type of website you are making and how much effort you put in. I have built authority sites, which in turn has also provided me with valuable virtual real estate. A few years ago I someone offered me 22,000 for a website that was made as a hobby. Luckily I didn’t sell and now I have been offered well over 100,000 for the same website. Every time this happens to me now, all I think is that these people can see the value in my website. That makes me happy.

#4. A professional looking theme

OMG I cannot stress this enough. There are so many options out there for a fantastic WordPress theme that will make you look professional right from the start. You don’t need to be an expert website designer to make your website look fantastic! This is one of the great things about WordPress, along with all the plug-ins that you can get. I have written about different premium WordPress themes that I have bought and I know that there are more out there that are will still worth buying. However for the new WordPress website builder, I highly recommend that you start with something like the elegant themes package, because it offers you 60 or more themes to choose from. It also offers you support, and if you go and visit their Gallery, you will notice that these themes look absolutely amazing! I wish I had known about this company when I first started out as I wasted a lot of time customizing free WordPress themes, only to hit a roadblock, and having to end up changing the theme anyway. Also it is the content that matters so just make your site look good enough for your content to shine.

#5. Keywords

Building any website, or selling any product, all revolves around keywords. You can have higher paying keywords, buying keywords, and so on. When you find the right keyword it is like hitting the jackpot. People are missing this fact. They do not realize how important keywords are. I have written about keywords until my face has turned blue. (Ha ha ha) There is a short tutorial included in the free e-book I giveaway about building a WordPress website.

I also have a great video that shows you how to choose your categories for your WordPress website. Like I said, everything revolves around the keywords. Look at this screenshot below. I am in the Google keyword tool, one of the best SEO tools I use! I have searched for my keyword, ticked the box that says [Exact] match, then pressed search.

WordPress website checklist

When finding a keyword for my new niche (main topic for a webstie), I like to see a minimum of 1000 exact match searches. If I really like a subject I will go down to 700 exact matches. When finding a keyword for a simple article I need to see at least 200 exact matches for the search volume. This is because I know I will use Scribe to do onpage SEO and also pick up a lot of long tail keywords.

I use the related keywords that come up below for creating WordPress category names and ideas for articles and main pages. Using keywords brings me on to my next checklist item about making everything relevant. This is probably the most important thing you can do to make your WordPress website successful.

#6. Make EVERYTHING relevant

In an earlier article I wrote about people choosing a niche that was too wide. This means that the subject of the website was not focused enough. I still see this every day. I visit people’s blogs and they have totally unrelated articles on their websites.

What are they thinking?

For example if you have a money-saving website and you have articles about saving money, there is no need to start writing about your dog having puppies or your cat having fleas, as people do not want to see this. However if your cat has fleas and you have a way of saving money on the flea treatment, then this is a great article for your saving money website. If you can relate the subject to your main aim then it is okay.

Would you rather see: OMG my cat has fleas OR Make your own homemade flea treatment to save money Obviously you would rather see the second title as you have gone to the website to learn how to save money. My best piece of advice, (not really advice, but more of a rule) is to absolutely concentrate on relevancy. So when you leave a backlink somewhere, the anchor text should already explain what the page will be about.

Therefore this is how I make my WordPress website relevant:

  1. The main topic of the website is the root of your business. Everything grows from that point on.
  2. The navigation system is the stem that comes from the root of your business.
  3. The categories are the branches that veer off from the stem.
  4. The foliage on the branches is the content.
  5. The back links and promotion is the food. If you feed your website the wrong food you could kill it!

Now take note, you do not see leaves from a gum tree growing on a maple tree. If you do then it would look quite odd and you would know that it is not meant to be. Hopefully you will not see this example on any other website about relevancy for your website as I just made this up. :)

How to Create a Successful Website With WordPress

The older the tree, the more valuable it is.

#7. Advertising overload

New Webmasters seem to think that plastering their sidebars with banners and advertising will make them money. Simply does not work that way. I rarely make a sale from a sidebar banner, compared to banners and links inside posts. If people do click on a banner and buy something on my website, it is usually because they have just read some information that is related to it. They do not just land on your pages and go and immediately click on your banners.

The other problem is that new Webmasters put too many banners on their websites. This looks silly and immediately screams “newbie”. I’d definitely recommend that less is better. You also need to put banners and advertising that is highly related to your topic. For example, on my computer tips website where I get 10,000 unique visitors a day, but still I cannot possibly sell Web hosting to these people. You would think that out of 10,000 people, maybe one would want to buy Web hosting? No they do not! Of course I might fluke a sale but it is not the place to sell this kind of product.

People visiting my computer tips website are interested in solving their computer problems, buying software, and learning about computers. They do not come there with the intention to build a website like they do on this website. You know how people say that the money is in the list, well I am telling you that the money is also in the content. That is how I make most of my money and I’m sure that other Webmasters will tell you the same thing. Please tell me what you think about this statement in the comment section below.

#8. Monetize as much as you can

Now after reading number five above, you must keep this in mind when trying to monetize your website. Yes I am recommending you monetize everything as much as you can, but I recommend that you do it in a discreet way. New Webmasters often ask me “when should I monetize my website?” The problem is, this question should not even be asked. When building a website you must have an idea of the business model for your website and also the monetization SEO model that you want to use.

If you have an idea about the specific business model you want to follow, then you can implement this immediately into your website. If you have to go back and start to monetize your website later, this is an extreme hassle that I like to avoid. People believe that they cannot sell products on a new WordPress website, however I believe that if you build your website correctly in the first place, you can avoid the fact that it looks new. You might only have 10 articles on your website, but the base structure can be complete, and make your website look like a fully working business.

When I say to monetize as much as you can, I am talking about at least recommending one product per article or page. Think about what the goal is to this page? What is the purpose of this page or post? I’d definitely do not recommend slapping text ads or text links all over your posts. For example, if I was writing an article about computer backup, and how to do it, I would simply mention what software I use. Even Google AdSense recommends that you blend your advertising into your content.

#9. What is your goal?

Why are you building a WordPress website? You should start your own WordPress website checklist and add your goals to it. My main goal for starting a WordPress website in the beginning was to conquer the challenge. After that it became a way to earn a full-time living. Now that I have a full-time income, my goal has changed again. Now I would like to help others do the same thing I am doing. This does not mean I can give one-on-one help to everyone, this means that I am willing to share everything I know to help others.

You need to have a main goal to work towards when building your online business. You also need to have a goal for every piece of content that you produce. I mention this in a recent article about why your blog is not making money. Unfortunately I talk about this a lot. Ok so let’s talk about having a goal for the content. I mentioned some aspects of this in checklist item number seven, where I recommend monetizing your website as soon as possible. Obviously monetization might be a part of your main goal and you should not be producing content and giving it away or publishing it without a goal in mind. Even when I give away a free report as a viral marketing tool, I always have a goal in mind.

#10. Write it down

Make a plan for everything! I love lists and especially checklists, where I can follow steps to avoid stuff ups. I have a list for everything. I even have a  daily blogging routine that I shared with everyone recently. This is turning out to be one of the most popular posts on this website and this is telling me that people want more lists. But why wait for me to create the lists? Why not make your own. In actual fact, you might even do a better job than me! I do plan to create more lists like the SEO checklist and the 18 back linking techniques, however it is a matter of finding the time.

#11. Traffic sources

Stop getting traffic from all the wrong places! Yes you might be link building which is ok, but targeted traffic is another story. This is where the valuable traffic is. To find the valuable traffic for your website, you need to know who your audience is and where they hang out. If you wanted to grab targeted traffic from the search engines for free, you would have to target a particular keyword that brings in the customers you want. One of my favorite articles on this blog is about 20 often forgotten traffic tips because I love good traffic!

Examples of how to work out your traffic sources:

  • Web hosting: You could sell this to people that want to build a website or people that are not happy with the existing Web hosting company. You could look for forum posts where people complain about the hosting company or ask questions about how to build a website.
  • WordPress plug-in: You could sell a WordPress plug-in to Webmaster that uses WordPress. There would be no point trying to sell this to someone that uses another content management system.
  • Dog training guide: You could sell this to people that want to train their dogs. These people must care about their dog if they want to train it. You could find these people in dog loving forums, dog training membership sites, enrolled in real dog training classes, and so on. You can also target people that buy puppies.

You can leave links on other websites to promote a certain keyword in order to get that keyword ranked in the search engines. This is a great way to get the right traffic because these people are searching for what you have. As I stated above, the other way is to go straight to the traffic source. All you have to do is think about who your audience is and where they would be hanging out.

Now if you knew where your traffic was, why would you wait to get ranked in the search engines, why not going get it right now? Also if you have your the main topic, your categories, your content, your back linking, and so on, all related, you also need the traffic that comes in to be related to what you have on the website. That’s how you know if it is targeted traffic or not?

#12. Search engine optimization

I know you are probably sick of hearing about search engine optimization, however, earlier I stated that keywords were very important, well search engine optimization is part of that. Search engine optimization is what you do with the keywords so that the search engines recognize you for those keywords. I have become a search engine optimization freak and this is because you cannot create an online business without understanding this aspect of it.

I have written so many articles about this subject:

5 Hidden SEO Problems Costing You Traffic Right Now

10 Point SEO Checklist for New WordPress Webmasters

Beginners Guide To SEO

9 SEO Tips to Dominate Google Search Results

7 More SEO Mistakes to Be Avoided

10 Critical SEO Mistakes to Avoid when Building WordPress Websites

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Explained for New WordPress Website Builders

Sorry I cannot mention them all. Please search for more if you are interested. You can also download a free report called SEO My Way. Yes I called it this because so many people have different ideas about SEO. I only will tell you what works for me! It is as simple as that! There are millions of so called SEO experts out there, but are they walking the walk or just talking the talk?

WordPress website checklist conclusion

Even if you think you have a successful WordPress website but you are not making any money, this WordPress website checklist will help you. In order to make money from a WordPress website, there are many things that you need to make right before the rest can fall into place. I myself have tried to slap advertising on a website and make money, but that is only one piece of the puzzle. This article is not finished and probably never will be completely. I know that I will add things to this WordPress website checklist tomorrow, the next day, and maybe even in a years time.

What can you add to my WordPress website checklist?

About mitz

My name is Milica Pantic but everyone calls me Mitz. I am addicted to internet marketing and making money online. Who wouldn't want to live that life? I started out with one website as a hobby and now have over 20. Building websites and making money online is not that hard. You have to actually take action to make money...that is the biggest hurdle! :)

136 Comments

  1. Prakash

    March 2, 2013 at 11:34 am

    Worpress is a nice medium of creating a good website. That is what that makes us far away from coding. We don’t have to worry about coding while using wordpress.
    Prakash recently posted..Top 5 Free and Best Virtual Assistant for Android | Siri Alternatives

    Reply

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  3. Kathy Robinson

    February 8, 2013 at 9:16 am

    Mitz I think I came to your site from CommentLuv. I think. I like reading comments and if a link or post looks interesting, I’ll follow it. Since I followed your original link, I’ve lost count of how many more I’ve clicked. I love your lists and need more time to absorb them. Your ‘tree’ is priceless, I’ve never seen a better analogy of a website. All I can say is thank you. I need to go read some more!
    Kathy Robinson recently posted..What Does Motivation Mean To You

    Reply

    • mitz

      February 8, 2013 at 1:23 pm

      LOL Kathy! Thanks for dropping in. I definitely have my own way of explaining things and sometimes its gets a bit crazy so be prepared!

      Reply

  4. Rajkumar Jonnala

    October 30, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    HI mitz,

    First thing which is considered on a successful blog is content and design. If the blog has great and attractive design with good navigation then it could help in getting good loyal readers.

    thanks
    Rajkumar Jonnala recently posted..Top 5 Instagram Mac Apps

    Reply

  5. John

    October 29, 2012 at 12:32 pm

    Great checklist, Mitz! Read through it and evaluated it against my own blog. So far so good! Definitely looking forward to next set of things to check. :)
    John recently posted..Shahid Afridi and Aamir Khan and Mother gathering in Makkah With Molana Tariq Jameel

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  6. Adam

    October 23, 2012 at 3:34 am

    Just need to follow this checklist, then Booom!!! Your website will be succesful as others profesional website.!
    Adam recently posted..Pakej Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Dengan DIGI,MAXIS, dan CELCOM

    Reply

  7. Shane Ryans

    July 5, 2012 at 3:55 pm

    Thanks for the breakdown, when you are building website constantly it is easy to foget a step or two along the way. Very comprehensive list.
    Shane Ryans recently posted..Why keyword negatives are important

    Reply

  8. modi

    June 15, 2012 at 5:25 am

    I have read some of your topic for building a wordpress site and how to gain mony from it..
    i found all the guidence very nice..
    i am encouraged by your suggestions..
    in future i will definatly develop my own website for gaining something good amount of mony from it..
    Thnks

    Reply

  9. Claire

    April 5, 2012 at 3:01 pm

    I guess the most important thing among this list is keyword. Researching keyword can be very tedious, but can really make the difference for your website. It can truly help a website improve its visibility compared to any other website in every search engine.
    Claire recently posted..Best Tips for Removing Mold from Your House

    Reply

  10. mark

    February 15, 2012 at 1:41 am

    Really informative blog here, nice printscreens too. In my opinion relevance is a major factor in the success of wordpress sites. People just will not bother to read through the site if within the first couple of paragraphs the site isnt what you were looking for.
    mark recently posted..MS Semiramis | Nile Cruise | Egypt | Holiday Complaints | November 2011

    Reply

  11. George

    February 10, 2012 at 10:16 pm

    Thanks for this great overview. The role of a good theme is very important for SEO as well as creating a great impression about a wordpress site. A word about plugins, there are lot of them but few are really useful. Before installing one it’s good to read the reviews to make sure that you are installing the right plugin.
    George recently posted..Saving Big On Your Prescriptions Is Now Possible With Walgreens Membership ! (dofollow)

    Reply

  12. vincent

    February 9, 2012 at 1:42 am

    These are very important tips that goes with WordPress. I think I can agree on the “hard part” at the start, but every thing starts like that right? Soon it will be easy for anyone when they establish the feel of WordPress.

    Reply

  13. Žogi

    January 22, 2012 at 3:34 am

    So true about number 3, this is the final word for so many bloggers. I quite blogging two times, I failed in the migic 3rd law :)

    Reply

  14. Amanda

    January 17, 2012 at 7:43 pm

    In my opinion, the most important thing is to choose the right theme. So it should suitable for your blog or site, it should be suitable and interesting for your readers and visitors. And I’m sure that it won’t be a problem to find such WordPress theme
    Amanda recently posted..WordPress Themes

    Reply

    • mitz

      February 21, 2012 at 8:55 am

      I absolutely agree Amanda! the theme is one of the main things to sort out for a successful WordPress website.
      mitz recently posted..My Daily Blogging Routine Exposed! (dofollow)

      Reply

  15. Jim

    December 27, 2011 at 7:08 am

    Great article Mitz. We have recently changed our website to a wordpress site after a couple of years with a pay monthly site builder company. We found them unreactive to the changes in social marketing and the trends in the internet generally. We had our new site built for us by a wordpress veteran. We are slowely getting used to the interface dashboard and really, it doesn’t appear to be too complicated. Any tips for top plug ins to increase traffic or for content to help in our google rankings? Thanks for sharing :)
    Jim recently posted..Happy Boxing Day

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 27, 2011 at 5:35 pm

      To improve rankings: The best way is to look up SEO on this blog and see the articles. :)

      Reply

  16. Gabriel Gutierrez

    December 24, 2011 at 7:33 am

    Maybe having a good content of your WordPress is 1 key to be successful on it..Thanks for sharing it to us.
    Gabriel Gutierrez recently posted..Is Starting Up An Online Business Worth The Risk?

    Reply

  17. sai krishna

    December 18, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    now i am using godaddy but i does’t satisfied with go daddy so i am planning to use host gator.thank you :)
    sai krishna recently posted..Free Download 10 Gallery Style Blogger Templates 2011

    Reply

  18. Ellie

    December 18, 2011 at 11:35 am

    Enjoyed your article on Successful WordPress Website Checklist.
    I am not into internet marketing; but, merely looking for ways to popularize my new site on anxiety attacks. You have provided me some very helpful tips. Thank you :)

    Ellie
    Ellie recently posted..Staving Off Anxiety Attacks

    Reply

  19. Pete Goumas

    December 17, 2011 at 8:12 am

    So much great WordPress info! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  20. Andrew

    December 16, 2011 at 10:21 am

    When talking about creating backlinks, does anyone think focusing on only irrelevant ‘do follow’ blogs and pages rather than targeting relevant and site specific ‘no follow’ blogs and pages as a good strategy?
    Andrew recently posted..Why the new world order needs Australia

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 16, 2011 at 12:11 pm

      irrelevant backlinks brings you irrelevant traffic and the I think the SEO benefits are weak. :)

      Reply

  21. Sean Mal

    December 15, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    Good summary of different aspects of blogging…You also made a good analogy with that AMAZING tree! :) Where is that tree and what kind is it? I think get people’s attention toward your blog is the hardest part of blogging.
    Sean Mal recently posted..How To Increase Your Online Sales By At Least 40%

    Reply

  22. Peter

    December 15, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    Hi Mitz
    some great points here have been reading your post over the last 10 months it has help me improve my alexa page rank from 9+ million to 1.2 million your readers may find these tips useful as well.
    Peter recently posted..Slow WordPress Website

    Reply

  23. olivia34newton

    December 15, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    wow, great checklist, thanks for sharing this to us your readers. you’re awesome!
    olivia34newton recently posted..1300 numbers

    Reply

  24. Jake

    December 14, 2011 at 7:56 am

    A real Goody! At last blog building explained clearly. It can get realy complicated as a beginner. Your point about relevancy is something I find hard to stick too. Finding the motivation to sit down and write purely about the blog topic without deviating can be hard. I always catch myself waffling on about my life in general!

    Reply

  25. Anne

    December 13, 2011 at 7:13 pm

    It’s very hard work monetizing a website. The writing/content comes so easy to me. I’ve recently tried to go by this checklist and other tips you’ve given on this topic.
    A very comprehensive article on having a successful website.
    Anne recently posted..Family Cook Book: Perfect Gift

    Reply

  26. Robin

    December 12, 2011 at 9:43 pm

    A truly comprehensive article! To sum up, to have a successful wordpress website is hard work! I think that’s a good thing, if we want to be successful we have to work had it, whether online or offline. WordPress is great in that anybody can make a successful website with it, the catch is, that they’ll have to work hard at it!

    Reply

  27. vhein

    December 12, 2011 at 6:19 pm

    You’re tips are truly valuable and true. I would commend to be more focus and consistent in generating fresh content and coming up with the competent keywords. But first, as other says,we have to come up with a web design that is best suited with our business. WP is great and tehy offer wide range of pro themes to choose at.

    Reply

  28. Danny

    December 12, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    Ok, I’ve checked the whole list… why am I still not a milionaire? Is it because I just wrote millionaire with one l?
    No, seriously Mitz. Great list and article.
    There is so much helpful stuff in here, you should ask one of those v** g ra sp*mmers to send your post all over the world. I am sure it will be a great help to a lot of people.
    And checklists are great. I went through the Google Webmaster tools checklist yesterday and found out that I was not aiming for an important keyword.

    Looking forward to seeing this list grow even further. (btw. What an amazing tree that was. Untill you decorated it)
    Danny recently posted..Husqvarna 327P5X Pole pruner 25cc 12 inch bar

    Reply

  29. rohit kothari

    December 12, 2011 at 6:55 am

    must say it really written well but my question is what if i started my blog 14 day ago and doing every research on keyword and still not getting traiff i am having one social media blog which facing this kind of problem any ways after this post i ll check my setting again :)
    rohit kothari recently posted..Angry Birds Celebrating its 2 ‘Birdday’ with new levels

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 12, 2011 at 6:39 pm

      It depends on your content..Is it great? And if so, what are you doing to promote it? did you try to rank for any keyword in particular or are you trying for too many? Also are the keywords longtail or short tail. Have you got some monetizing happening when people do come? Depends on loads of factors… Fast traffic = guest blogging..

      Reply

  30. Albert

    December 11, 2011 at 1:35 pm

    Amazing pillar article Mitz!!!
    You have create a super “blogging 4 living” digest!!
    I like that you’ve setup it like a road-map
    I’ve to admit that I usually don’t read too long articles,but reading this one was a pleasure,even if I already know several tips that you’ve mentioned
    Albert recently posted..Twitter speaks Japanese to beat facebook

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 12, 2011 at 6:32 pm

      Thanks Albert! This is exactly what I aim to do. Setup a blogging road map from the start to end.. It is a big job! :)

      Reply

  31. Danielle Parsons

    December 9, 2011 at 2:30 pm

    Mitz, you have put together an impressive how to list to help new blog owners get their blogs noticed. I will keep this article bookmarked in a folder so anyone with questions about what they need to do to get setup online can come and have a look.
    Danielle Parsons recently posted..Did You Achieve Your Goals This Year?

    Reply

  32. Mark Tesa

    December 9, 2011 at 4:18 am

    These are very good tips and especially for those who are new bloggers and want to start up new websites. Most people think that it is easy to start up a website and start making money immediately but the do not know that there is so much to be done before they start earning from their websites.

    Reply

  33. vishvast

    December 8, 2011 at 3:05 pm

    hello mitz
    this article is going to help a lot for those people who are new to blogging because to start a blog is easy but to generate traffic is so hard so these steps will help the people a lot thnx for the share
    vishvast recently posted..Facebook bug Mark Zuckerberg pictures Hacked

    Reply

  34. Baker

    December 8, 2011 at 11:36 pm

    Half an year ago u started my first blog project. I can say you have a great post for newbies. Thanks !!!
    Baker recently posted..How to jailbreak your iPhone 4 on the 5.0 firmware using RedSn0w

    Reply

  35. Jeriea Smith

    December 8, 2011 at 6:55 pm

    I covered this topic as well in my blog about a year ago. I think custom themes is the way to go if you want to give focus on branding. However, when it comes to wordpress themes or premium themes, I think they’re better with support because oftentimes those premium themes marketplaces develop a community around the themes that they provide so many people are ready to help you when you have issues or problems.
    Jeriea Smith recently posted..how to Challange Your negative core belief by experiment

    Reply

  36. Spencer

    December 8, 2011 at 2:45 pm

    Great post. I looovee wordpress. These are my essential plugins to use on a new wordpress install:

    -Google XML Sitemap
    -Login Lockdown
    -WP Firewall
    -SEO Ultimate
    -TinyMCE Ultimate
    Spencer recently posted..Dating For Single Parents

    Reply

  37. Ron

    December 7, 2011 at 9:05 am

    Hi Mitz,
    I started my first business about half a year go and I was about to quit. I started my website and learned about SEO all on my own. This was one of the most challenging part of this online industry. For a long period of time, I was nowhere to be found on Goggle till I decided to change to WordPress. I love WordPress and I have to agree with you that it doesn’t take a genius to work it!
    Thanks for sharing and great checklist .
    Ron recently posted..Know The Material Before You Rent (dofollow)

    Reply

  38. John

    December 7, 2011 at 4:56 pm

    I am sure people agree that wordpress is a lot easier to work with than Joomla. But I have to say when it comes to having more advanced options Joomla is the way to go.

    Reply

    • Annie

      December 9, 2011 at 3:17 am

      I totally agree. We use Joomla pretty exclusively when possible. However, WordPress is very user-friendly and newb-friendly.

      Reply

  39. Tommy

    December 7, 2011 at 4:21 am

    I completely agree with number 7, i hate going on websites and seeing twelve ads and 8 other things flashing at me. Simplicity and strategic ad placement sells far better.

    SEO is the hardest part of owning a website there’s so many different aspects of both on-site and off-site that it takes so long to master them and this makes it terribly hard to drive traffic unless you’re willing to put the work in. I enjoy the work however and don’t mind putting in extra hours if it helps in the long run.

    Reply

  40. Maja

    December 7, 2011 at 2:40 am

    Web hosting company plays vital role for the success of online business.If service will be down time and again,you will loose your visitors.
    Maja recently posted..Choice of Hair Color (dofollow)

    Reply

  41. RonLeyba

    December 7, 2011 at 1:51 am

    Thanks a lot for above checklist. I do overlooked many of those vital points in terms of wordpress website/blogging. Thanks again Mitz!
    RonLeyba recently posted..After Christmas Sales 2011 – Great Tips To Get The Best Out Of It (dofollow)

    Reply

  42. Ricci Sionil

    December 6, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    A very helpful and informative article…I’m just a beginner in WordPress…Thanks for sharing it..

    Reply

  43. Alex

    December 6, 2011 at 11:19 am

    Hello Mitz..
    Very nice post about wordpress and what it is important..All these tips are very important in order to succeed and build a succesfull wordpress blog.
    In my opinion (as you said) i believe that keywords,google ranking,traffic and patience are the top4 in order to make a quality blog and succeed online…
    Keeu up Mitz and nice to meet you…
    Alex recently posted..Increase website speed (dofollow)

    Reply

  44. Lyka Ricks

    December 6, 2011 at 2:22 pm

    This is worth-reading! You have shared to us very informative and beneficial ideas plus the links mentioned are great to be shared too.
    Lyka Ricks recently posted..Buying Bonds (dofollow)

    Reply

  45. Sarah

    December 6, 2011 at 3:27 am

    Hi mitz. This is short lesson for all new affiliaters and bloggers. Good written, thank you very much. BUt I have question about crawling and indexing any post changings. I’ve changed my one post title 2 week ago but page not changed on google SERPs. how can I know how many times google bot visit my site?
    Sarah recently posted..Avast! coupon code (dofollow)

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 6, 2011 at 6:18 am

      You can go into Google websmaster tools and see when they have last visited your site and if there were any problems. I also have Clouflare which shows the bots visits. You can also speed up the visits but not recommended for just a post title.

      Reply

  46. Juphet Mislang

    December 6, 2011 at 12:41 pm

    This checklist will help a blogger see what is needed to be improve on his blog. Though we know that it really takes time in order that you get the most out of your blog, remember that patience is the key. I loved that fact that this blog post will be updated, that means, we will be able to see what else should we need to do for our blog. Oh, I also wanted to point out that getting valuable traffic from our targeted audience is very important. That will be a very good reminder for link builders, you have to get backlinks from site that is inside your niche, meaning people who are interested to what your website offers. That will increased the possibility of being clicked and increasing your traffic. And we all know that bounce rate will increased if visitors sees our site irrelevant.

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 15, 2011 at 12:29 am

      Yes I need to update it because I know that things change in this blogging game. I also felt, when I was writing it, that it was an unfinished project.
      mitz recently posted..2 Top Squeeze Page Generators (dofollow)

      Reply

  47. Robert

    December 6, 2011 at 12:00 am

    I really liked Tip number eight, The Phrase he used”your money is in your content” Was a real eye-opener I never really used my content to make sales I usually leave that to the sidebar but now you give me another monetisation idea. Thanks
    Robert recently posted..8 Awesome Ways To Use Linkedin To Drive Traffic To Your Blog (dofollow)

    Reply

  48. Shiva

    December 5, 2011 at 11:27 pm

    Hi Mitz,
    This certainly is a must check check-list for any blogger newbies and experienced alike. You have mentioned all the steps needed for a blogger to have a successful blog. I have no disagreement with any of your points and all of them are a must follow points and also I have nothing to add since you have said it all.
    Shiva recently posted..Popup Domination Discount (dofollow)

    Reply

  49. Carp Fishing

    December 6, 2011 at 9:09 am

    Great adviCE, however I would like advice on translations of my bogg into different languages, can anyone help with this?

    Reply

  50. Richard Brown

    December 6, 2011 at 8:24 am

    Very useful checklist, I’ve printed out a copy for myself. I really need to work on monetization part especially the in-content recommendations.
    Richard Brown recently posted..2 Simple Methods of Budgeting for Young People (dofollow)

    Reply

  51. Katie Woodard

    December 6, 2011 at 2:50 am

    I’ve checked off mostly everything on that list. My only question is how many ads on your sidebar is too many? I probably have like 10 ads and then every once in a while I’ll put an ad at the end of a post.
    Katie Woodard recently posted..Trey Songz What I Be On Video Featuring Fabolous (dofollow)

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 6, 2011 at 6:03 am

      A 300×250 usually works well in the middle of the post, set to the right.. But the add has to be relevant. If you are talking about repairing a computer then put an add for software that will do it for you.. Show them the answer without pushing it. For me the sidebar is just a lucky sale…80% of my sales come from inside my content. The bottom does not work for me…In fact I usually take it away so I do not distract the person from the in text links and the banner inside the post. By the time they get to the end I want them to comment or see a related post. That will give me a chance at another sale.

      If the ads in your sidebar look ok and are making sales then this is fine… If only one or two are making sales then get rid of the others to increase sales on the best ones..

      Reply

  52. Hendrik

    December 5, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    Hi Mitz! This is really a good post. I really want to stress this point of choosing your business model, monetization techniques and SEO strategies before proceeding with the purchase and setting up of a domain. I did it the other way and learnt the lesson the hard way. If I knew these tips earlier, I would have chosen another name for my domain. I appreciate your efforts in compiling this valuable checklist and I feel every new internet marketer should read this before proceeding with the website or blog.
    Hendrik recently posted..Welche Link-Quellen nutzen Sie für Ihren Linkaufbau? (dofollow)

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 7, 2011 at 10:07 am

      Hi Hendrick
      I have learned Everything I know the hard way! Unfortunately when I started building websites no one was really giving the real juicy information that I needed.
      mitz recently posted..Build a WordPress Website from Scratch (dofollow)

      Reply

  53. Moli

    December 5, 2011 at 10:12 pm

    I think giving up is the reason why we recently lack many great blogs, the ones that invested time with writing important and unique content really earned a large amount of readers over the years, and heres no reason it wont be the same nowdays.
    Moli recently posted..הקמת אתר אינטרנט – אתר מכירות (dofollow)

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 7, 2011 at 10:11 am

      You are right there. all you have to do is keep going with your original valuable content and you will get noticed. But just remember that sitting there with your great content is a slow process to success. I definitely recommend going out into the world and grabbing your audience to bring back to your blog.:)
      mitz recently posted..4 Reasons You Are Not Getting Targeted Google Adsense Ads (dofollow)

      Reply

  54. Amanda

    December 5, 2011 at 8:55 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and useful advice with us. I guess that everyone who read it, will definitely use website checklist. Especially, taking into account the fact that it is a WordPress one))))))))
    Amanda recently posted..WordPress Themes (dofollow)

    Reply

  55. Allaina

    December 5, 2011 at 8:42 pm

    Hi Mitz…The checklist you have in this post really interests me a lot and I think your article content is very helpful for me too…
    Allaina recently posted..How to Lose Weight in Stomach Area (dofollow)

    Reply

  56. Michael Cowdroy

    December 5, 2011 at 4:23 pm

    Excellent article Mitz, as always, extremely useful and informative. I’ve fairly recently moved into web design after working in graphic design for a number of years. Since I’ve come across your site about 10 months ago, I’ve slowly changed my idea of what the best tools for building sites are. I’ve also changed my hosting service and have my first WordPress site up and running only a few weeks ago. Thanks again.

    Reply

  57. Chris

    December 5, 2011 at 8:44 am

    This is the post of the YEAR for any WordPress user. VERY helpful tips on running a successful wordpress website no matter what your niche is… Real Estate, tech, arts & crafts… WHATEVER!

    Appearance is HUGE. Themeforest has some awesome themes. They might cost you $40.. but it’s worth every penny.
    Chris recently posted..How to Find Family Friendly Austin TX Homes For Sale (dofollow)

    Reply

  58. Harriet

    December 5, 2011 at 7:54 am

    Thanks for the checklist! Its always good to have a list for these things to make sure you don’t miss something off!
    Harriet recently posted..Nokia Lumia 800 (dofollow)

    Reply

    • Bryan Ring

      December 6, 2011 at 10:32 am

      Harriet you are absolutely correct, I’ve never made a list before (actually wrote it down) except for camping items..lol Mitz has made realize how to prioritize my goals!
      Bryan Ring recently posted..Lawn Care profitable in this economy? (dofollow)

      Reply

  59. Tracey Phillips

    December 5, 2011 at 7:17 am

    Fantastic post Mitz thankyou. i have a website on WordPress and too start with found it a nightmare to use, but with practice I can now do a lot of the changes needed to my website myself and have learned a lot!
    Tracey Phillips recently posted..Anyone for spam? (dofollow)

    Reply

  60. ioana moise

    December 4, 2011 at 3:52 pm

    one year ago i was using custom build sites and was not using WordPress after that i meet to my a new friend he was from India i tell me and teach me WordPress after i am using WordPress in any type of category of website like for shopping sites, Business Sites, i think you just have ability to create a good look of theme for WordPress and then you will see WordPress can do every thing for you. i love wordpress
    ioana moise recently posted..Windows 7 Key (dofollow)

    Reply

  61. Sanjay

    December 4, 2011 at 2:32 pm

    Good list Mitz, I also have a checklist whenever I create a WP sites but yours just beat my list! Full of info and detailed explanation. Thanks!
    Sanjay recently posted..How to Create a Minimal Progress Bar UI Photoshop (dofollow)

    Reply

  62. Peter Lawlor

    December 4, 2011 at 8:33 pm

    I disagree about “make a plan about everything.” This may work for some people, but it’s not always the best approach and it’s not one i use. I like a little flexibility in my schedule and sometimes I’ll have a brainstorm where I’ll write something completely unplanned. When I have such an inspiration, I’m inspired to crank out something excellent. I’d say at least 30 percent of my posts arise from a spur-of-the-moment inspiration.

    I’m not saying don’t plan at all, but instead to be flexible with your schedule to some extent because inspirations result in some of the best content.

    I LOVE the tree metaphor.
    Peter Lawlor recently posted..Best WordPress Theme Reviews: My Top WordPress Theme Reviews (dofollow)

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 4, 2011 at 9:24 pm

      Yes I agree you need to leave room for inspiration, and you need to be able to move away from your plan, do what you have to do, and then moved back. :)
      mitz recently posted..Successful WordPress Website Checklist (dofollow)

      Reply

  63. Steven

    December 4, 2011 at 7:10 am

    Great article for anyone setting up a WordPress blog, particularly good information on the monetization aspect.
    Steven recently posted..Driving Test Tips (dofollow)

    Reply

  64. Zaibi

    December 4, 2011 at 3:41 pm

    One of the most impressive sites Ive seen. Merci for keeping the internet classy for a change. Youve got grace, intellect, and common sense. Please keep up the good work because without you the internet is definitely lacking .
    Zaibi recently posted..IT professionals Cats (dofollow)

    Reply

  65. Bryan Ring

    December 4, 2011 at 2:09 pm

    I now have this page bookmarked! Man information over-load…I love it! When you gonna send me an email? LOL I can go on & on about how GREAT you are, but you don’t know me that well yet! haha Great Great Great!
    Bryan Ring recently posted..What you need to know when receiving an estimate from lawn care providers. (dofollow)

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 7, 2011 at 10:00 am

      I am getting to know you though!! Sorry about the information overload but I cannot help myself!
      mitz recently posted..5 Things you Should Look for in Premium Themes (dofollow)

      Reply

      • Bryan Ring

        January 28, 2012 at 6:03 am

        The information over-load is slowing down now and it’s starting to become more clear. Plus I love that you mentioned in this article “Don’t Give Up”.
        Maybe one day we video chat and you can see the true appreciation I really do have for you personally. I know words are just words sometimes and can’t really express true Thanks! You’ve inspired me from day one and it’s been a mere 2 months, but that is how much of an impression you’ve made with me.
        I really am a driven kinda guy, but you push me even harder to do something I don’t really want to do even though it benefits my biz in the end. I apologize in advance if this is not the setting to say THANK YOU!

        Reply

        • mitz

          January 28, 2012 at 2:27 pm

          Great I love people that take action! I cannot hang around people that say they are GUNA do something and never do it! I am a crazy never say die kinda of person.. In fact I have all these websites running great and has just got myself a petrol station/convenience store too. Thats how crazy I am. My husband is shaking his head right now as he renovates the store before we open. :)

          Reply

  66. Mika

    December 3, 2011 at 9:28 pm

    Great checklist explains really great.

    Many greetings from Germany

    Mika
    Mika recently posted..Mehr Traffic durch Suchmaschinenoptimierung erzielen (dofollow)

    Reply

  67. Kevin

    December 4, 2011 at 6:31 am

    That is a ton of good information… I have very little experience with WP, but it is clearly a good way to go… I guess I will just need to be patient with the learning curve. I have noticed that WP sites do seem to do very well in serps.
    Kevin recently posted..Is it time to buy a Home in Nampa Idaho? (dofollow)

    Reply

  68. Roy Powell

    December 4, 2011 at 5:27 am

    These tips are good. A while back, I created a blog and had no plan, no product, or service. It did well, as there where many visitors that read my post as the site was focused on a particular entertainer. Yet, I decided to fold it as it won’t be able to generate the money I need. If I had read the tips before, it would have made the blog worth my time. Thanks.

    Reply

  69. Salman

    December 4, 2011 at 3:34 am

    A very well written checklist for a successful wordpress website…

    Like the point numbers 3,5,6 and 8 very much !!
    Salman recently posted..Nokia Lumia 800 Review (dofollow)

    Reply

  70. Aanchal

    December 3, 2011 at 3:12 pm

    Having good looking theme makes good impression on your visitors and there is nothing bad in buying good and attractive theme at first as it going to pay you back.
    Aanchal recently posted..Web Design India (dofollow)

    Reply

    • mitz

      December 4, 2011 at 9:19 pm

      I agree Anachal !!! First impressions count!
      mitz recently posted..Successful WordPress Website Checklist (dofollow)

      Reply

    • Bryan Ring

      December 6, 2011 at 10:35 am

      Aanchal, you are 100% correct, but you know Mitz and you would agree it’s not everything. I had been scratching my head on how to proceed with WP & just by chance bumped into Mitz’s site here…it’s been a very short-time after my 1st published page, but I’m loving the information over-load process THANX MITZ ! !
      Bryan Ring recently posted..First Snow of the 2011-12 Season (dofollow)

      Reply

  71. Marty

    December 4, 2011 at 12:34 am

    Great article as usual Mitz. You’re turning into a monster blogger and anyone working with WordPress should read this blog. Things are changing so much these days, it’s kind of hard to keep up a successful wordpress site but you somehow make it easier.
    Marty recently posted..3 Gadgets I want This Christmas (dofollow)

    Reply

  72. Adeline

    December 3, 2011 at 5:12 pm

    Great checklist, Mitz! Read through it and evaluated it against my own blog. So far so good! Definitely looking forward to next set of things to check. :)
    Adeline recently posted..Pampanga Lights Up with the Giant Lantern Festival (dofollow)

    Reply

  73. Prepper

    December 3, 2011 at 3:12 pm

    One very useful thing to consider adding to a wordpress site would be a performance optimization caching plugin. Something like W3 Cache Plugin. For high traffic blogs, this might half the time it takes for a blog post to load.
    Prepper recently posted..Reduce Reuse Recycle (dofollow)

    Reply

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