how to start a startup with wordpress (if you're a non-techie)
DESCRIPTION
The presentation takes you through launching a signup page before you launch your idea as well as how to develop, design and market a site built on top of WordPress when you don't have the technical background.TRANSCRIPT
How To
Start
A S
tart
up
With
Wor
dPress
By:
Yas m
i ne
Mu
s t af a
- C
EO
& F
ou
nd
er
of
12
3Li n
kI t
. co
m
What the hell do I know?
• No technical expertise
• Business/Marketing background
• 123LinkIt.com – tech business
Agenda
• Launching a sign-up page
• Market Testing
• Development
• Design
• Marketing
Assumptions
• Concept is well-articulated
• Business model is defined
• Startup is based online
• You’ll be using self-hosted WP
GUESSING GAME!(How much did you think it cost to build my site?
Type of Sites and Plugins
• Content/Brochure site (any)
• Subscription site (Kajabi)
• Social networking site (BuddyPress)
• eCommerce site (WP Commerce + others)
Valid
atin
g you
r con
cept
SHOW SCREENSHOT OF LANDING PAGE WORDPRESS THEME
Do’s:• Put up a signup page with a brief
description of what you do until your site is launched
• Link it to a feedburner account• Build buzz through Twitter and
conferences• Can also try the invite only angle
Don’t:• Post a launch date• Hire someone else to do it
(it’s very easy)
SHOW SCREENSHOT OF FEEDBURNER SETUP
Another example: Ask
for alpha testers if
appropriate
My favorite example (and what I wish I would have done):• Provide brief description• Signup field• Survey after email is entered (see next page)
Love this!
Testing out assumptions before launch
Note: This form was built using Wufoo (free tool)
Devel
opin
g you
r site
Building your site using WordPress
Tip: If you’re a newbie, get your domain and hosting from the same provider
123LinkIt sitemap example. You can use PowerPoint or mindmapping tools to develop this
Desig
ning y
our s
ite
Highly recommend Balsamiq to create wireframes. Tip: You can get it for free if you blog about it
Designing your Site1000s of WordPress
themes available
Crowdsourcing sites
Freelance designers
Tips: • Ask for a homepage and interior page design (copy interior page design to
all pages if appropriate)• Be as detailed as possible in what you’re looking for. If using crowdsourcing
sites (I used 99Designs, continuously provide feedback)• Don’t get your design and XHTML done by the same person• Get your favicon, avatar, etc designed at the same time to decrease costs
Power of Plugins
Add functionality to your site without getting a developer
Tip: At the same time, limit the # of plugins you add (they slow down your site)
Mar
ketin
g you
r site
Marketing
• Most SEO-friendly platform•XML Sitemaps plugin & Google Webmaster Tools are a must• Thesis (use Theme as alternative)
• Include a blog page
• Leverage social media
• Utilize referral programs
• Piggyback off a trend or news item
Make sharing as easy as possible
Allow users to invite friends from their Gmail, Outlook, etc.
Create link bait
Hubspot was unknown until they launched this tool
A/B Testing
(for copywriting & design) (for web pages)
(for marketing) (for eCommerce sites)
Fivesecondtest.com example
Fivesecondtest.com example (cont’d)
Fivesecondtest.com allows you to test your design and copywriting as well as perform market testing. That said, make sure they’re the right target market. An alternative is UserTesting.com
Optional fields converted 45% better – less friction
Key Performance Indictors (KPIs)
Always measure your metrics! Some examples for 123Linkit:
• # of downloads/growth rate
• # of active users (after download and after install)/growth rate
• Avg revenue per blog
• Top categories
• Traffic growth referring sites and top converting keywords
Analytics
Questions to ask:Do the keywords that drive people to my site align with the purpose?
Which traffic sources are driving the most TARGETED traffic?
What are the most popular pages on my site and what does the bounce rate look like on each?
What’s my ratio of new/returning visitors and how can this be improved?
What events led to an increase in revenue?
Final notes
• Talk, talk some more, and keep talking to your users/customers
• Focus!
• Reiterate often
• Be creative
• KISS
• Figure out your user acquisition costs ASAP
GUESSING GAMEDo these sites use WordPress?
They are all built on WordPress!
(Back to the first guessing game)
Cost of 123LinkIt…
$1,208($990 just for design)
Articles worth checking out:
What you should ask your designer –
http://www.thedesigncubicle.com/2009/01/what-should-you-get-from-your-logo-designer
How to measure your metrics - http://www.slideshare.net/dmc500hats/startup-metrics-for-pirates-long-version
How to build an online store using WP and Thesis - http://diythemes.com/thesis/create-online-store/
