Little Guy Branding Web Setup Checklist

Type of Web Setup or Launch

Develop on Temporary domain (eg: client already has a live website)

Develop on Final domain (with a coming soon page)

Launch: site developed on a temporary domain

Launch: site developed on final domain

NOTE: Don't clone an existing site other than matts162: Instead, clone 162, then use templates from the model site to avoid Yoast issues.

Make a list of page and post urls that need redirects

Done

If there's an existing site, make a list of page and post urls that need redirects

Done

NOTE: Normally this isn't necessary when developing on a final domain, because there is no existing site.

But sometimes a client is switching to a new domain and does have an existing website. In this case, redirects are required.

Get domain login info or delegate access

Completed

Check Monday.com

Add Temporary Dev Site

Done

Go to SiteGround and click "New Website".

Select Server 3 Hosting Plan

Choose "Temporary Domain"

If we're making an Avada Site:

Select "Migrate Website" and choose the automatic option

Copy the migration code
Click finish (do not add SG Site Scanner)

Go to https://matts162.sg-host.com/wp-admin (template site) and paste migration code into SG Migrator. Follow instructions to migrate site.

If we're making a site on another pagebuilder or theme (Elementor, Divi):

Select "Migrate Website" and choose the automatic option

Copy the migration code
Click finish (do not add SG Site Scanner)

Go to old site and paste migration code into SG Migrator. Follow instructions to migrate site.

Set up SSL on Temporary Domain

Done

NOTE: If SSL is already set up, still make sure to do the SG Optimizer steps below

Go to SG
Website List
Click "Site Tools"
Go to "Security > SSL Manager"
Choose "Let's Encrypt"
Login to WP Backend.
Go to "SG Optimizer> Environment"
Turn on "HTTPS Enforce"
Log back in.
Turn on "Fix Insecure Content"

Update Avada License (If we're using Avada)

Done

Check on licenses here:
https://my.avada.com/licenses/?domain=sg-host.com

(Use login from Matt)

Grab an unused one. If no available licenses, check with Matt.

If there's none available, try at this link
Google Drive

Delete the license from this folder once you've used it.

If none of those work, ask Matt for help.

Are we using another Avada site, or parts of it, as a template for the new site?

Yes

Create and import templates from reference site

Done

Go to the page you want to use as a template

At the page level, click the save button and save the template.

Save any other pages you want to have as templates.

Go to lgx>dashboard>Options>scroll to "Export Templates" and click it.

On the new site, go to lgx>dashboard>options>scroll to "Import Library Content" and upload the export

Create a page and at the page level click the save button and load the template you want. You can decide whether to replace other content.

What platform is the old site on?

WordPress

Other CMS

No CMS

Import content from existing WordPress site

Done

If importing from a WordPress site:
At the old site, go to Tools>Export>Export All Content (or a subset).

At the new site go to Tools>Import . Install the WordPress import. Then upload the export and import. Choose options to create users and download and import media files.

Import content from non-WordPress site

Done

Best to just google Import from x to WordPress.

Squarespace lets you export content. There are WordPress plugins for most other CMSs.

Manual content transfer (copy and paste / download media)

Done

Enable Wordfence Firewall

Done

Check if Wordfence firewall is set up after migrating matt162.

If not, enable it. Make sure ManageWP is allowed under firewall settings.

Make sure latest posts are copied to new site

Done

If there is an existing site

Deactivate Wordfence Before Migrating to Final URL

Done

Deactivate WF before migrating to final url.

When you deactivate, it will ask if you want to delete everything. Yes, you do.

It will then interrupt itself and say extended protection is enabled and give you an option to disable it. Disable it.

Then try to delete everything again. And confirm that, yes, you really want to do that.

Is the website we're replacing already hosted on our Siteground account?

Yes

Sometimes we redesign websites we already host on Siteground. In these cases, we need to remove WordPress from that domain on SG before we can migrate the new site to that domain.

Add new website to SG using Final Domain

Done

If we don't currently host the site on the final url. :

Make sure client has bought the URL and we have the DNS login information (should be in Monday.com)

Go to SiteGround and click "New Website".

Select a Hosting Plan

Choose "Existing Domain" and enter url

Select "Migrate Website" and choose the automatic option

Copy the migration code and add that to the temp website

Click finish (do not add SG Site Scanner)

Point DNS in the next steps.

Remove WordPress from Final Domain, then Migrate new site

Done

Note: the client's website will be down while this step is taking place, so be sure to do it at a non-critical time.
If we currently host the site on the final domain:

Backup the current site to a temporary domain (create new temp site, then migrate the current site to it via migrator).

Remove WordPress from the final domain by deleting the current web application. Go to Websites>SiteTools for the final website>
WordPress>Install and Manage>3 Dots>Delete Application.

Check if there are any php files remaining in the public_html folder and delete them.

Then get the migration code at the final url site at Sitetools>WordPress>Migrate. Then follow the instructions before for automatic migrations.

Migrate DNS to the SG Nameservers (Unless this is already done.)

Done

We want to use SG nameservers to make use of the SG CDN.

Sign into the client's domain registrar and find their DNS settings.

Make a copy of their DNS settings

Go to SG>Websites>Site Tools>Domain>DNS Zone Editor. Make a copy of the default SG DNS settings

Note any duplicate entries already on SG. For example, there is TXT spf record in SG. We can only have one spf record.

Delete duplicate records from SG.

Add all entries from the client's DNS

Don't transfer settings that are only related to the previous website host. Look for GoDaddy specific DNS, for example (when in doubt, Google it or check with SG support)

After all settings are updated, point the domain to the SG Nameservers, which are currently the ones below, but check by going to SG>Websites>All Site Options>3 dots>Server Details.

Confirm DNS Propagation is Complete

Propagation completed

Check DNS at What's My DNS.
If you wait 24 hours and there are a few hold outs, go ahead and click Done and see if you can do the rest of the setup without issue.

Add Coming Soon Page

Done

Add Coming Soon by SeedProd plugin and create a coming soon page while the site is under development.

Set up SSL on Final Domain

Done

Go to SG
Website List
Click "Site Tools"
Go to "Security > SSL Manager"
Choose "Let's Encrypt"
Login to WP Backend.
Go to "SG Optimizer> Environment"
Turn on "HTTPS Enforce"

Set up CDN (Final Site and SG Nameservers)

Done

Make sure we're using our Nameservers for everything, If we aren't using our NS, check with Kevin.

Sitetools > Speed > CDN

Choose the FREE version. Follow whatever steps appear.

Refresh the page to make sure it takes.

Reactivate Wordfence after migrating to final url

Done

After adding and activating WordFence, click to get a new license, choose free and use support@lgxbranding.com as the email.

Update Avada License

Done

If developed on a temp site, copy license from temp site, unregister temp site at url below, then reregister on the new site and refresh at the link below.

Check on licenses here:
https://my.avada.com/licenses/?domain=sg-host.com

(Use login from Matt)

Grab an unused one. If no available licenses, check with Matt.

If there's none available, try at this link
Google Drive

Delete the license from this folder once you've used it.

If none of those work, ask Matt for help.

Update Site Title and Tagline

Done

Go to Settings>General.

Set Colors

Done

lgx>Options>Colors:

Put in the company / organization colors (replace default colors). Be sure to use a descriptive name for each color.

Add logo and favicon

Done

lgx>Options>Logo>Logo

lgx>Options>Logo>Favicon

Set up Typography

Done

lgx>Options>Typography>Body Typography

lgx>Options>Typography>Headings Typography

Upload Media

Done

Upload available assets

Setup ManageWP

Done

Go to: https://orion.managewp.com/ (get login from Matt or Kevin)

"ADD WEBSITE" with + icon in the top left corner

Type in URL, Click ADD WEBSITE, choose USE CONNECTION KEY INSTEAD

In WORDPRESS > PLUGINS - find ManageWP in the list and click to "Connection Management" to get a connection key

Paste connection key into ManageWP and make sure it connects

Make sure ManageWP is allowed in Wordfence Firewall under Advanced Firewall Options.

Once connected, go to ManageWP and try to sign into the WP backend from there to make sure the users are set up correctly. (If not, choose a new user for logging in from the Settings section).

Go to Backups and toggle the switch to start automatic backups. Then choose the paid option (it's prepaid so the actual cost will be zero).

Set up Uptime Monitor

Done

uptimerobot.com
matt@littleguydesign.com + Standard PW
Add New Monitor

Choose HTTPS monitor, Add NAME, Add URL, 5 minutes checking frequency, Check mark SUPPORT email (NOT MATT) & SLACK downtime notifications - CREATE MONITOR

Set up reCaptcha API

Done

Go to google.com/recaptca

Sign in to Google.

Click v3Admin Console

Follow instructions, fill out form

Choose v3

Go to settings in Forms > Add-Ons > install the ReCaptcha plugin. Then go to Forms > Settings > ReCaptcha and enter the codes from Google. In the V3 section.

Are email notifications getting to the client and customer?

Yes

Test all forms and make sure that everyone is getting email confirmations who should be. It's not enough if we get the notifications at our lgx email, because clients' email may have tighter restrictions. If notifications aren't working, and everything is set up correctly in Gravity Forms, we may need to set up SMTP / Microsoft API.

Set up SMTP or Microsoft API

Done

Okay, so this is in flux because email providers are making things difficult.

Possible solutions:

Find out what email service the client is using.

If it's Microsoft, try having the client set up Send Grid and enable that in WP Forms SMTP plugin.

If they can't use the free service, try Fluent SMTP's Outlook service and set up an API in Microsoft Azure.

If it's not Microsoft, try googling SMTP settings for that service.

Get name and password for an email address that the client wants to send emails from.

Use WP Forms SMTP plugin and choose "other SMTP.

Remove lgx emails from form notifications

Done

Once we've confirmed that email notifications are working, remove lgxbranding emails from form notifications, especially support@lgxbranding.com. Leave notifications for Wordfence (but be sure email settings are the same as matt162)

Encourage search engines and update WP Settings

Done

Settings > Reading

Make sure "Discourage search engines from indexing this site" is UNCHECKED

Also enable comments under Settings > Discussion if client wants comments on posts

Deactivate and delete unused plugins

Done

BE SURE TO GET RID OF SG SECURITY, WHICH IS AUTOMATICALLY ADDED WHEN YOU MIGRATE A SITE. Some plugins are loaded on the template site that you don't need for a particular build. Deactivate and remove the ones you didn't need.
This includes deactivating and deleting Seedprod, the the coming soon page, once the site is live. We've have issues with the

Run the Avada Performance wizard

Done

lgx>performance

Click the "Find Recommendations" button to identify elements that aren't being uses and so can be disabled.

LEAVE LAZY LOADING OFF (We use SG Optimizer for this)
LEAVE CSS COMPILING DISABLED (Again, use SG Optimizer for this, if used)

SG Optimizer Setup

Done

The site might still perform poorly after doing the performance wizard.

Sometimes the following settings break the site, depending on factors such as which plugins are enabled, and what works can change with updates. So try and test.

Under "Frontend"
Minify CSS, JS, HTML

Combine CSS

Combine JS, but set it to exclude, reCaptcha, jquery, and Wordfence.

Defer render blocking JS, but set it to exclude, jquery and Wordfence. (Seems okay to defer reCaptcha.)

Under "Environment" you can schedule database cleanup, but leave "Delete all page and post revisions" unchecked. We need those revisions.

Fix Icon Problem (if icons aren't loading)

Done

lgx > Options > Advanced > Theme Features > Save Changes

If that doesn't work, try:

lgx > Options > Performance

Turn off CSS Compiling and JS Compiler and Save Changes

Reset Avada Caches

Reable CSS and JS compiling

Force HTTPS from within SG Optimizer > Environment Optimization

Set up redirects based on list made at the beginning

Done

To do a redirect, SG>Websites>select website>Sitetools>Domain>Redirects

Turn off coming soon page

Done

Let Jenna know you've launched so she can check with Jason, etc.

Done

Simplify Backend for Client

Done

Under lgx Branding > WP Admin > Hide Admin Menus, hide the following:

Dashboard

Plugins

Settings

Comments (unless they need it)

Users (unless they need it)

Tools

Set up WP Training with Client

Done

That should be it!

Click submit

Comments

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

That should be it!

Main Omaha Location

Second Omaha Location