How I Got My BikiniAfter40.com Site Started

I mentioned here on the blog that I had started a brand new blog where I share my fitness, health, and weight loss progress and that I was going to start sharing how I set up the new blog and how I drive traffic, get readers and subscribers, and how I monetize that blog.

So this is the first post of many where I will share what I’m doing with that blog. Obviously I’m sharing here from the blogging standpoint but if you’re also interested in fitness, health, and weight loss please join us over there on the blog Bikini After 40 so we can all encourage and support each other.

My buddy, Dennis, asked me if men were welcome … Yes, men are definitely welcome (despite the reference to “bikini”) to join us gals and participate there. Some of the topics are geared towards women but much of it is fitness, health and weight loss in general so no worries there.

OK … let’s get started …

Choosing My Domain and Setting Up the Blog

I’ve mentioned here on the blog that I use HostGator hosting and I use GoDaddy for all of my domains. Yes, they are affiliate links LOL but I really do believe I have a system down pat for setting up a new blog very quickly and without any hassle.

Domain Name. First, I choose my domain name. For my niche sites I choose domains that are very … hmmm … full of keywords, but for this site I wanted it to be something fun and catchy. I did however do the keyword research and luckily some of the keyword phrases I set out to tackle (“fitness at 40” and “fitness for over 40”) worked well for the domain I wanted. No, not an exact phrase like I usually try to get but at least it’s got a couple of my keywords in there. LOL.

I log into my GoDaddy account and I purchase the domain name. DURING the purchase there is an option to “Set nameserver.” (see image). Since I already have an account with HostGator I can enter the nameservers while purchasing and then everything is set up almost instantly (instead of waiting the 72 hours they quote). You can get the nameservers from your host or if you have other domains with GoDaddy that are hosted elsewhere you can get the nameservers from inside your GoDaddy account (find them attached to the other domains in your account).

Hosting. Then I go to HostGator via my cpanel and I add the new domain to my account. By the time I’m done doing this the domain is usually up and ready and online. I then go to the Fantastico section within my HostGator account and I add WordPress to the new domain.

I Select a Theme

For this particular blog I decided to go with Squeeze Theme. I am also using it here on suzannefranco.com and I’m starting to really like it (didn’t “not” like it before … I’m just technophobic and resistant to change LOL). Some of the reasons I chose Squeeze Theme for the BA40 site (that “BA40” looks kinda funny huh?! LOL) is that it’s (a) very easy to work with within the admin panel and doesn’t require a lot (if any) coding for what I need to do, and (b) I can add some “squeeze” pages for some optin pages (an example would be here on the sf.com blog http://www.suzannefranco.com/blogging-idol-secrets-revealed-ebook/). A “squeeze” page is typically a page that promotes something specific and visitors/readers no place to go but to buy/optin or leave. The one I used is a modified version where they can still see the main navigation buttons at the top but there is no sidebar to distract them.

On BA40 I will offer some free eBooks and possibly email mini-series so that I can grow my email list.

I Dressed It Up

OK … well I didn’t personally dress it up! LOL. I hired the very talented Chrissy Jensen (<– love her!) to do that for me. Initially she did the header and the color scheme (header, background colors, heading colors, link colors, etc.). This can all be changed within the Squeeze Theme admin area but I’m not creative at all so for me it’s best left to a professional. I also hired her for the optin box and some other graphics but we’ll get to those in an upcoming post.

I Defined My “Purpose” for the Blog

We often have ideas swimming around in our heads about a business and we never really map it out from start to finish.

When I first had the idea to do a blog about my journey to lose weight and get healthy it was more of an online journal to keep myself accountable. As I thought more and more about it and visited other blogs with a similar “niche” or “theme” I realized that I would eventually reach my goals and I would love to help others get there too. If you’ve known me for any amount of time you’ll know that’s what I enjoy most about being online … meeting new people and helping them as much as possible.

I have tried a lot of ways to lose weight … some have worked and some have failed. I would love to share what they are and the reasons I believe they worked or didn’t work.

I also have access to a great fitness trainer who is also a personal friend. I explained the blog to her and told her that I’m very lucky to have her helping me. I know that readers who don’t have access to a personal trainer will assume that it’s the reason I will succeed and the reason they can’t. So … I will be getting help from her to show my readers how they too can get in an incredible workout. She will show us effective home workouts we can do without any fancy club or equipment. Pretty cool huh?

So the purpose is to keep myself accountable and to help as many people as possible. When I find ways to actually monetize the blog I am open to that too. This is in stark contrast to the niche sites I set up that are simply there to drive traffic and/or sales to make me money! This one is very personal and I’m very passionate about it! The money will come when it’s time.

I Wrote Out Some Post Ideas and Outlined the Categories

I got a Word Doc started with my topic and post ideas … and after reviewing those I was able to define some of my categories. These will change as time goes by and I find my “groove” on the blog but it’s important to have some type of an outline to get started … or you WON’T EVER START!

(Side Note): Speaking of STARTING … I’ve said time and time again the biggest reason I believe people fail online is they simply never get STARTED!!! This isn’t brain surgery guys! It isn’t rocket science! Just take an idea … any of the hundreds you have swimming around in your head … and take that leap ok? What’s the worst thing that could happen? I can tell you … the worst thing that could happen is that you change your mind and you’ve spent $7.50 on a domain and you don’t keep it up and move on to something else. You will still have your hosting and you just start again and see if something else sticks. Come on … give it a go!

Get the eBook So You Can Follow Along

OK … that is a brief overview of how I actually got the blog idea off of my chest and onto the net. Next I’ll start using the very techniques I’ve outlined in my “Blogging Idol Secrets Revealed” eBook to drive visitors and subscribers to the blog. If you haven’t downloaded it yet you really should check it out so you can follow along.

Do you have any questions so far? Do you have the eBook yet? Have you implemented any of the ideas so far? What would you most like to see step-by-step (in more detail) while I build and promote my new blog? I’m here to help so just tell me what to do ok? *SmiLes* Suzanne

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