StartupToDo.com checklist for building your microsite

• Find a focus
  • What keywords presently lead to your software?
  • What topics in your problem domain do you know a lot about?
  • What are the topics beginners need to know?
  • Can you get a decent URL for this microsite (check GoDaddy)
• Do the research
  • Start with a new folder in your browser's favorites, search there first.
  • Here's an excellent, free Firefox extension for this kind of research: http://www.zotero.org/
  • It will go faster if you "touch" each online resource just once. (write your annotation in the first pass)
• Organize for beginners
  • There will always be more beginners than experts!
  • Beginners are very appreciate of the help
• Add "nuggets" for the experienced
  • As you find more advanced, but good resources, include them with perhaps an advanced badge and why you think they should know about the resource.
• Help a lot, sell a little
  • You are building the credibility that will help your sales later. But you have to build the credibility first.
• SEO matters!
  • See the StartupToDo. com Guide re basic SEO things to do.
  • If you can't find a good URL with the keyword in it, pick a different topic.
• Keep it fresh, or else!
  • As Google moves to making easier to find "Recent" results, plan on updating your microsite at least monthly to keep it up to date.
  • People will suggest additional resources if you make it easy for them to. At a minimum, have a dedicated email address for this. Extra points for an online form (code one or use Google Docs). And double extra points if you define and document your updating procedure in advance of your first update.
• Design considerations
  • Avoid javascript, ajax, flash, etc. The point is the content.
  • Readability matters. You might want to check out http://typekit.com/ to get a special, but easy to read, look.
• Rinse, lather, repeat.
  • Track what traffic now comes from your microsite to your main site.
  • Obviously, you want to integrate a successful microsite into your Google AdWords strategy.
  • Why stop at one?
• [Checklist from the Guide, "Extending your software's reach with a microsite." at http://startuptodo.com (a training/productivity community for startups and microISVs).] Creative Commons By-Attribution Licensed.