BLOG Setup for Others…Things to Consider
Recently I have been fortunate enough to setup Blogs as an income source for others, and as you may recall, teaching others how to setup their Blogs for fun or profit. Both are rewarding, but there are many details that you should address before you begin charging a fee for your services This article is targeted towards “BLOG Building for Other”. I’ll address what I believe to be critical areas to ensure a cohesive Client/ Contractor relationship.
1. The client needs to decide on a Theme.
The easiest way to get this accomplished is to direct them to www.wordpress.org, set up an account and do a search for a theme that is attractive to them. In the past, I’ve uploaded themes and then asked the client to look at them, but IF the client is relatively new to Blogging, and you haven’t provided any training to them on how to navigate in their wp-admin area, it will be frustrating as they won’t understand the process to actually see what their theme may look like from the choices you gave them. Furthermore…they might not like any of the ones you’ve chosen. So don’t chance wasting time and effort. It’s too valuable to you. Get the client to make the choice. If they don’t like the finished appearance (that is totally in their control), you have an opportunity to engage in a “Service Agreement” and charge extra for your time.
2. The client needs to decide on a Domain Name.
Because many of us understand the importance of this topic doesn’t mean that your new client will. You must challenge them to come up with a handful of possibilities that you can search out and see if they are available. The client needs to understand that the first point to begin traffic generation is selecting a URL that clearly is associated with the “Theme” (not to be confused with a WP Theme) they choose for their Blog. Then of course you need to assure that either a .com, .biz., .org etc is available. Remember that “.COM” is always preferred EVEN IF the URL might not be exactly what the client initially wants. “.com” Rules!
3. The client needs to be able to communicate with you what they want the Blog to “Say and Mean” to their readers.
This sounds easier than it is, because the client has to “Clearly Convey” to you their desires so you can properly set up critical Widgets (Pages, Posts, Comments, Categories etc.) that the BLOG should have to make it as easy as possible for the client to navigate in, and File their content appropriately. So really dig in to what the client wants with EMPATHY, and remeber…they probably don’t know what they want, so as a responsible contractor…you need to show them the choices and explain the “Whys” for each possibility.
4. The client needs to know how much functionality they “Need” or “Want” and why.
Their are 2 basic categories of BLOG’s today. The ones built for “Fun, Educational, and Informative” purposes, and the ones built for “Profit”. They are two VERY different animals. Why? Because a “Not for Profit” BLOG doesn’t need the SEO tools that a “For Profit BLOG” requires to drive things like email lists, auto responder programs directed at getting people to buy something ( not to be confused with creating an Email data base that will alert the readers to new “Content” on th BLOG), advertising widgets, Ad Banners etc. What the clients’ BLOG needs in my opinion, is a good URL, and a great “Topic/ Theme base” that is interesting to either a niche group, or interesting to the masses. “Bland” content attracts neither! But that doesn’t mean the client wouldn’t want it to just keep family, friends, and associates in touch… Which is a Great reason to BLOG. It’s a “Hoot”!
5. The client needs to be taught about utilizing the wp-admin area.
Now that you’ve got all of your “Preliminary” information, and have built the BLOG to the best of your understanding of what the client wants, it’s time to unveil the clients “new toy”. DO NOT BE DISAPPOINTED IF THIS DOESN’T”T GO AS YOU THINK IT SHOULD! What you perceive to be a “BLOG Work of Art” and what the client believes it WOULD look like might be very different. However, if you’ve been conscientious and attentive to what the customer has discussed with you prior to seeing the final product…the chances of the client being disappointed are “Greatly Diminished!” You will want to specifically show the client the following: a) How to Write a post, b) how to Write a Page and explain the differences between “Posts” and Pages”, c) show the client how to “Approve a Post”, d) show the client how to create “Tags”, e) show the client how to select “Categories” for their posts, and f) explain any widgets to them and what function they serve in their sidebar(s).
6. The client needs to be taught about “Keyword Usage”.
Believe it or not…Everyone doesn’t know what a “Keyword” is. But…everyone who ever searches on the Web for anything should, as it will greatly enhance their results. So, why does the client need to be taught? So that they learn how to use “Key Words’ in their content and tags to drive traffic to their site. This is IF that’s what they want to do, but I can’t see a reason that anyone wouldn’t want to increase traffic. There are several great “Free” keyword tool programs out there. I typically use “Word Tracker” which you can get at: www.freekeywords.wordtracker.com/
7. The client needs to understand what “Great Content” means and why it is “The King of the Blog”!
Professional Bloggers, or ones that BLOG for profit understand how important “Great Content” is. Without it, your just “Noise on the Internet” (sorry but it’s true) in either the “Fun” or “Profit” sector. The “Profit Sector” of Blogging needs to understand that Great Content inspires the reader to a) Read More Articles on your BLOG, b) more than likely “Subscribe” to your BLOG to be alerted when you post more Great Content, and c) after trust is established by your reader for your suggestions, they very well could start buying products and services that you are marketing. For the Blogger who is doing it for fun, even though they aren’t depending on their BLOG for income, IF they want return visitors who will engage in conversation through providing “Comments”…the reader has to be drawn to a place that they want to take the time to post their Comments. Great Content “Draws Them In!”
I found that it’s a good idea to create a file on your computer entitled…”Plugins and Widgets” that you have used in the past for quick and easy uploading/ pasting to the BLOG’s wp-admin area. Download the desired Plugins into your wp-admin>public_html folder>content>plugins, and create a File to keep widget HTML codes in. Follow the procedure of adding a “Text” widget and apply the appropriate HTML code you want to include in your clients BLOG sidebar(s).
After all these things are covered in full, ONLY THEN will the client be able to have a Great Blogging Experience. BUT…they have to have an understanding of what you need, and give you Input on the front end. So don’t let them be lackadaisical about it! It will only lead to a catastrophic experience. Anything less would be like giving a “Stradivaris Violin” to an untrained individual to play in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. It will serve to be a very frustrating, unfruitful, and eventually an uneventful experience for your client (and YOU!) as the Blog dies a “Slow and Gruesome Death”!
I hope my experience will help anyone wishing to create Blogs for income. The above are some of the things I’ve learned to be “Critical” for a successful Client engagement, and hopefully generate follow on referrals that will help you “Pay the Rent”.
If you found this article informative, or enjoyable let me know by leaving a comment. Thanks!
Success in your journey,
Todd
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