essential components of an engaging blog/magazine wordpress website

Fort Lauderdale WordPress Development & Consulting

WWW.AMBITIONINSIGHT.COM

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Website DevelopmentGraphic Design

Social MediaSEO


Essential Components of an Engaging

Blog/Magazine WordPress Website

Presented by:

BRETT NAPOLIWordPress Developer & Web Consultant

Founder & CEO of Ambition InsightDean of WebsiteSchool.com

Your business can’t be something to everyone. It needs to be everything to someone.

- Jon Taffer


Golden Rule of Business:How to Make Money

Anywhere

Solve ProblemsReduce CostsCreate Value


Golden Rule of Blogging

Post Quality, Unique, Interesting Content

Consistently Over Time


Today’s Lessons

• 10 Most Important Web Design Tips• What You Need to Get Started• Concept Development Checklist• 14 Key Blogging Practices• Design, Layout & Widget Placement• 12 Key WordPress Plugins• 4 Software Add-Ons• Growing & Increasing Pageviews• Primary & Secondary Revenue Streams• Maximizing Display Ad Revenue


Background: Brett Napoli

• Founder/CEO of Ambition Insight, a Fort Lauderdale WordPress Development & Consulting Agency started in 2007

• Built 250+ WP sites, worked on 1000+• Created WebsiteSchool.com, a

WordPress Training Videos & Tutorials Website with over 130 Videos

• First WP blog once reached 880,000 Pageviews in 24 hrs


Blogging Experience

• Primary Blogs include: thatDROP.com, CollegeCures.com• 300MM+ pageviews & 500MM+ ad impressions since

2011

Some of our blog advertisers include:CollegeCures.comSony, Microsoft, Adobe, Vonage, Samsonite, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Chegg.com

thatDROP.comDr. Pepper, Levi’s, Coca Cola, Pepsi Co., Nike, Calvin Klein, McDonalds, Live Nation, Taco Bell, Dockers, the United States Marine Corps, HBO


10 Most Important Web Design Tips

1. Websites are here to help you.2. Find the primary income source/message and

make it ridiculously obvious3. Simplify everything and focus only on key points4. User experience is paramount5. Websites are built around content6. It’s all in the details7. Photos are not an option8. Flexibility is Essential9. Quality Matters10.The Future


What You Need to Get Started

• A great, memorable .com domain name• A great idea, solution or purpose• Quality Web Hosting• A Premium WordPress Theme• Premium WordPress Plugins• Simple Design• Responsive/Mobile Friendly• Quality, Unique, Interesting Content• Consistency• Social Presence• Collaboration• Time• Money


Concept Development Checklist

• Idea• Primary Focus 3 Target Keyword/Objectives• Identify the Market How/Why Are Others Making

Money• Competitors Where Successful / Where to Improve• Differentiation from competition• Future• Potential• Benefits On site vs. Off Site• Timeline Total Investment over 24 Months• 7-12 month incubation period• Revenue Streams/Ideal Exposure


14 Key Blogging PracticesYour blog/magazine site needs:

1. Focused Categories/Sections2. Clear, concise, informative and captivating post titles

“Tuna Casserole Recipe” vs. “Delicious Tuna Casserole Recipe in 5 Easy Steps”

3. H1, H2 + H3 tags4. Bold text on key points5. Avoid long paragraphs6. Outbound/Inbound links7. Use Photos - Caption & credit properly8. Add rich media – infographics, YouTube videos, lists & questionnaires9. Proofread and view live before posting10. Post thumbnails11. Short/no excerpt (depending on post frequency)12. Schedule posts13. React/Comment/Link to content on other sites14. Use keyword rich permalinks that show blog title


Layout, Widget & Design Guide

Important Layout/Design Guides2 column layoutKeep logo/header small & simpleBig, easy to read TitlesBright link colorInclude Post DateUse Post ThumbnailsClean + Uncluttered

Suggested Pages/SectionsAdvertiseJoin the TeamBest OfSubmitContactAboutPrivacy Policy

Key sidebar placements

Mailing ListCalendarRecent PostsGraphics Highlighting Key Pages/AreasSearch AreaBrowse by CategoryArchivesTag CloudKeep “lightweight”/limited sidebar

Key footer placementsLogo ThumbnailTaglineFocal Points/Site DescriptionSocial Media LinksLess Important sections (Join the Team, Privacy Policy, Contact)


12 Key WordPress PluginsUse 5-15 Plugins, as few as possible

1. Members / Roles2. WordPress SEO by

Yoast3. Special Recent

Posts4. MailChimp5. Batcache6. Disqus7. Gravity Forms

8. Pippity or OptInMonster

9. WP PageNavi10. WP Touch Pro11. AddThis12. s2Member


https://wordpress.org/plugins/members/

Great Add Ons

• CloudFlareCaching/Traffic Filtering• YesWare

Email Templates• ManageWP

Manage multiple sites• Tynt

Content attributionWWW.AMBITIONINSIGHT.COM

Grow & Increase Pageviews• Post Multiple Page Posts

Link to next page by linking to article title + page #http://www.yourblog.com/blog-post/2

• Analyze Key Metrics over time w/ Google Analytics– Site Entrances– Traffic Sources– Time on site/page– Popular content/posts/pages– Popular categories– Mobile performance

• Make layout adjustments & troubleshoot regularly (weekly)– Rearrange widgets, menu, plugins

• Order navigation menu by top performing

Primary Revenue Streams

• Display Advertising – eCPM, CPC, Banner,

Leaderboard, Popunder, Corner Tear, Pushover, High-Impact, Background Takeover

– Lijit (sovrn.com), Google AdSense, AdMedia.com, Advertising.com, Chitika.com, Admedia.com, SpecificMedia.com, Sonobi.com

– Partner with an Ad Network

• Branded Content

• Advertorial & Press Release

• Video Preroll• Reviews & Giveaways• Related Posts

– Content.ad, Gravity.com, Taboola.com, nrelate.com

• Text link units/plugins– Media.net, Disqus.com

• Affiliate Ads & CPA– Amazon Affiliates, CJ.com,

LinkShare.com


Secondary Revenue Streams

• Mobile Ads• Social Media Posts &

Sponsorship• Email Blasts &

Newsletters, Build a Database

• Google Custom Search (Search Results)

• Message Board or Forum• Directory / Classifieds• Sell Products• Sub-Domain Affiliates

• Job Board• Merchandise

• Membership Site – Access to info product, Resources, Recurring Billing, Per-Page or Per-Post Access

• Music or Digital Delivery Goods – eBooks, Webinars, Interviews

• Lead Generation


Maximize Display Ad Revenue

• Limit display ads to 2 per page• Use Premium ad agency/network for your vertical• Integrate Video – Video eCPMs ~ 2-3X• Prominently display high impact ads• Place primary ATF ad before any design/layout

components. Just below <head> tags• “Creative Ads” are probably worth more money• Intrinsic value of Freebies and other offerings comes

first• Understand ATF and BTF ad inventory• Be Creative with Advertisers• Use Ads/Sponsorships to Create Value for Brands


Questions?


We can help with:

WordPress ConsultingWordPress Training

Website DevelopmentGraphic Design

Social MediaSEO

…and much moreWWW.AMBITIONINSIGHT.COM

Contact Ambition Insight

Brett Napoli203-233-1686

[email protected]

Also visit WebsiteSchool.com


mailto:[email protected]

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.

- Dr. Seuss


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