In this blog post I’m going to show you how to set up a simple wordpress website.

It’s less about design and more about setting up a minimum viable product, or MVP.

Hubspot developed a methodology that they call Growth Driven Design. 

They urge individuals and companies to start with a simple launch pad website.

Don’t worry about conversion rate now either. I’ll create a post on how to improve later.

1. Plan a simple site map with Slickplan
2. Create a few keyword lists to draw from to help with SEO
3. Create the Content for Each Page
4. Purchase a domain name from GoDaddy
5. Purchase Hosting plan from WP Engine
6. Add site on WP Engine
7. Purchase a WordPress theme from Theme Forest or Creative Market
8. Upload theme to WP Engine Environment
9. Add Content
10. Review and Launch

1.  Plan a simple site map with Slickplan

The first step your going to want to take is to create a simple sitemap. A sitemap is a way to visual lays out  One goal for your new site is to make sure that it is as user friendly as possible. Creating a simple site map will help you create a website that is user-friendly and easy to navigate.

2. Create a few keyword lists to draw from to help with SEO

Conducting keyword research prior to building your website is going to be crucial for supporting your long-term SEO efforts.

Do yourself a favor and get this step out of the way early.

One of the easiest and least expensive tools for conducting keywords is called Ubersuggest from Neil Patel Digital. If you haven’t yet heard of Neil Patel, he is a marketing guru and a wealth of information when it comes to digital marketing. I can’t  recommend his blog enough.

3. Create the Copy/Content for Each Page

For me this is one of the more challenging steps in website development projects. 

In my experience, content creation is where web design projects go to die.

4. Purchase a domain name from GoDaddy

5. Purchase Hosting plan from WP Engine

6. Add site on WPEngine

7. Purchase and download a WordPress theme ( Theme Forest of  Creative Market)

8. Upload theme to WP Engine Environment

After you’ve purchased a theme from a marketplace, log in to the new wordpress environment by typing your https://domainname.com/wp-admin. It should look like this: 

9. Download demo content / Replace demo content with the custom content you created in Step 2

10. Review and Launch 

Conclusion

If you followed the steps in this post, you should be well on your way to internet dominance.

If you think building it’s too much work and you’re not up to the task, check out my this post on What to Look for When Hiring a Web Development Company.