Here's a list of everything I do at the end of each year to update my website and prepare for the upcoming year!
1. Update your copyright date in the footer of your website to the current year.
This may be in appearance > customize > footer (this is the way we set up our footers in the Free 5 Day Website Challenge) or it may be under appearance > widgets, depending on how you set up your site. Haven't joined the Challenge? Sign up below and learn everything you didn't know you needed to know about WordPress!
2. Review your analytics and note your conversions, and set up a goal if you don’t have one already.
If your analytics show that you need to build your email list, check out my favorite 30 day list building challenge here!
3. Note your metrics.
How much traffic are you getting to your website? How many unique visitors are you getting? How long are they staying on your page? Note your metrics so that you can compare them later and see if you're actually getting traction.
4. Update, SEO optimize, and social optimize your most popular posts.
Get our SEO course inside the Tech Masterclass Bundle here.
5. Check for broken links on your website and redirect any bad links.
You don't want your readers to encounter a broken link, get frustrated, and decide to leave your website! Be sure to comb through your website's pages and each post to make sure you don't miss a link! Use this tool to find broken links.
6. Review your blog posts and update categories, make a list of ones that can be updated.
Make sure all your blog posts have a set category and that none are uncategorized, then add any tags your posts are missing.
7. Review your search analytics.
If you signed up for my free 5 Day Website Challenge and set up a profile on Google Search Console, you can see how people are finding your website so you know where to focus most of your marketing efforts.
8. Make sure your WordPress, themes and plugins are up to date.
Make sure you've got back ups for your site too! It's so important to keep your website protected. After all, you worked so hard on it! We cover all of this in Day Two of the Free 5 Day Website Challenge!
9. Review and update your social profiles.
Update your bio, your profile pictures, your banners, your links, etc.
10. Review and update your email autoresponder sequences.
Send yourself a test, check every link, see how it looks on mobile, make sure all your social buttons are correct, and make sure the content is up to date.
Watch the replay below for a few more checklist tips!
Steal my 2018 New Year Website Checklist!!! #tipsandtricks #wordpress Here are all the links I mention in this video:Free 5 Day Website Challenge: https://www.wp-bff.comWordPress Tips, Tricks & Hacks Webinar January 10, NOON EST: https://www.wp-bff.com/wpSerious Side Hustlers Subscription Program: https://www.wp-bff.com/seriousFree 30 Day List Building Challenge: https://www.wp-bff.com/30dayBroken Link Checker: https://validator.w3.org/checklinkWordPress Protection Package: https://www.wp-bff.com/wordpress-protection
Posted by Shannon Mattern on Wednesday, January 10, 2018
