So You Just Bought A Blog Eh?

This post, and others in this category, are specifically aimed at those very smart cookies who have either purchased a uniquely designed site from me on Ebay or the Sitepoint Marketplace and are now looking for tips and techniques to help with SEO and monetization of their all new site.

Also aimed at purchasers of the amazing WP-Vybe Theme around which all my latest sites, including this one, are based. Simply the best on the web in my (humble!) opinion…

AN OVERVIEW

First let me tell you something about your new blog:

• Built using the Wordpress Platform ( version 2.7 at time of posting) your site really is state of the art!
• Built with a premium ( i.e. ‘paid for’) theme by Michael Pollock and his team at www.Solostream.com this theme would have cost you $99.00 to buy in its ‘raw’ state.
• Holding a Developer’s license for this theme, as I do, allows me to sell this theme providing I make each new version I create ‘unique’ – I think you’ll agree I’ve lived up to my end of that agreement!
• The reason I love this theme so much is the ‘Support’ that its developers have put in place for users, here are your first set of useful links:

The initial ‘How To Get Started Guide’ for the theme with posts such as ‘How To Write A Post’

And, incorporating the above, the Forum – join up immediately as this is where you will post your technical questions should any arise. But by all means run them by me here on this page first ( see Comments below).

Here’s a link to the Intro Video that Michael has made for new purchasers of the theme. Most of this needn’t concern you because I’ve done it all for you already.

The point being that if you wanted to you can change anything you wish to on the site. I suggest you don’t though as it’s all been set up to the max already!

Of course it isn’t just the theme and your Wordpress settings that have been ‘tweaked’ to perfection for you – so have the ‘widgets’ I’ve pre-installed that turn your site into a truly interactive experience for your visitors so that they’ll keep coming back!

The images on the site i.e. the main logo and, more likely than not, some or all of the advertising banners that click away to your money partner’s sites are uniquely designed by me – it’s what I do best because I just hate the crappy artwork generally supplied by most affiliate sites!

And then there’s your Adsense code in the middle of every article and on the right hand sidebar ( don’t want Adsense? It’s easy to remove).

What about the Subscriber form – top of the right hand sidebar that will inform your sign-ups, by e-mail, whenever your site is updated AND you’re collecting their e-mail address and details for future marketing purposes?

The RSS feed, that links into the Feedburner account ( already set up for you) that combines with the above?

I realise that this all seems like too much if you are a beginner which is why the tutorials below will soon be linked to pages where I concentrate on explaining one issue at a time to get you up to speed.

You will be able to post questions on every subject so I, and hopefully some fellow Blogwam members, will help you out.

On the Way: (most likely in video format, because it’s quicker)

1. Arranging your own hosting
2. Adding Adsense or removing it, and why
3. ClickBank monetization – how to make changes, pick new products
4. Adding/changing ads in the sidebars
5. Amazon Widget Code and Links  Video #1 Video #2
6. Things to remember when adding content
7. Backing up your database ( do it regularly!) + general housekeeping

More to follow – i.e. ‘how to change videos in the sidebar’.

Got a specific request? Write it in the Comments below and give us the link to your site for some Google ranking juice while you are at it. All comments are moderated to keep out spammers and other misfits.

Watch this space!