BAL 1: Setup your Website

Welcome to the first post in the Build A List (BAL) Workshop! Just like in the Build A Bear Workshops, I’ll give you all the pieces and you can pick and choose what you want to use, and create a list that fits your needs.

The first step is setting up your website. My favorite thing to do with lists, is use a blog to power them. The benefits are multiple: a) Wordpress is way easy to use b) you can subscribe via email or RSS c) search engine traffic can increase subscribers

If you don’t wish to use a blog to back up your list, then feel free to skip this step. Depending on where you want your list to go, you might actually want to have it in normal email only mode.

Option 1: Host it Yourself

You can host your own blog. This is the best option, as you can also use the space to create splash pages and what not. You can upload files, customize everything, do what you want! It costs money though. I totally recommend Dream Host (I use them for this blog) and have a tutorial that shows you how painlessly easy it is to set up Wordpress (and one click update it).

Option 2: Use a Blog Host

If money is tight, you can use a free blog host. For this, I recommend Wordpress.com - It’s Wordpress, and it’s great. You can find a gazillion of them online, but some of the later tips might not work on other blogging platforms, so I’d stick with a host that uses Wordpress.

Blogging, or Having a Blog Back-Up a List

It’s easy to think blogging is gibberish informal talk, and that you have to write about your life in it. You can, but if you have the mentality that the blog is your list, and not just your daily journal, the outcome will be completely different!

Don’t let the term “blog” prevent you from grabbing up the benefits from using one! Do what I try to do: Ask yourself, “Would I subscribe to a list to receive this information?”