So you’ve just received word that your new website is live and ready to go. You are excited to get started but are unsure of what the next step should be. Luckily, we’ve created a list of to-dos for you to make this process a little easier:
1. Check for Errors
Look over your website for any spelling errors, typos, etc. Take a couple minutes to fill out the forms on your website to verify they are working and forwarding to the correct email address. If you find any errors please contact IDXCentral Support.
2. Learning How to Use Your Website
The first thing you will want to do is attend our live online training sessions – register here. If you can not make it to one of our live training sessions please contact support to review possible alternative training options.
Also available is a How to use WordPress Tutorial Series. You will find these videos in your WordPress Dashboard under Video Tutorials (or WP101). These videos will show you all the basics of how to use WordPress in general.
3. Track Your Website Traffic
Learn how people are finding your website and what they are doing once they get there. Set up a free Google Analytics account. View our article on How to Set Up a Google Analytics Account.
4. Keeping in Touch
If you have a website with a “Sign up for news via email” section (typically located in your sidebar), set up a Feedburner account. Make sure you send us the feedname as specified in step 3 of our instructions. If your website does not include this section and you are interested in adding the Feedburner functionality, please contact IDXCentral Support and we will get you a quote.
5. Website Improvements
If we have installed one of our add-ons on your website, contact support to learn how to use it. If you are not familiar with some of the add-ons we have created, be sure to check out these great features that can help you stand out from other agents and save time by visiting WordPress Real Estate Website Add-ons
6. Keep Visitors Coming Back
Finally, write useful keyword rich content to improve your position in search engines and keep your website visitors coming back! This is ultimately how you will get results with your new website. If you need some ideas on what to write about, check out our blog posts regarding What to Write About. Before you start writing, it is highly recommended that you review our article, SEO quick start guide.
7. WordPress Maintenance / Updates
It is highly recommended that you update WordPress to the latest version and keep your plugins updated at least once a month. When WordPress and plugins are not updated, your site is at greater risk to have significant issues, possibly causing you to lose your website.
To update your site you have a few options. If you prefer you can do it yourself, it is fairly easy, we suggest you follow these steps and recommendations. Do-it-Yourself Maintenance
If you prefer to have us do it, we offer a few different levels of service. We also offer monitoring services so that if your site is compromised or down for any reason, we will be alerted so we can bring it back online. Contact IDXCentral Support if you would like to discuss your options. Managed WordPress Maintenance