First Steps

by Josh, Friday, 24 October 2008 09:02

Welcome to KickApps! In order to help you get your site ready for launch, we've put together this list of suggested "first steps" to help you get started. It's an evolving list, so if you have suggestions or questions about getting started, feel free to post them on the KickDeveloper Message Board.

  1. Login to the Affiliate Center (the AC)

    2. The Affiliate Center is the place where you build and run all aspects of your KickApps community. When you're in the AC, you can access your community pages at any time by clicking the "Launch Site" link in the upper left corner of the pages.

  2. Choose Your Community's Features

    3. You probably already selected the features you want for your community during the sign-up process. If you did, we've already created a suite of community pages for you based on those choices. If you didn't, or you want to make any changes, you can do so at any time by visiting the Add/Remove Features page in the AC.

  3. Set up a Community Homepage

    4. A Community Homepage can serve as both the front door and hub of your community. If you don't have one yet, we recommend that you add a Community Homepage to your site.

  4. Integrate KickApps With Your Existing Website

    5. If you plan on integrating KickApps with an existing website, consider embedding widgets and integration components throughout it to make it easy for your visitors to find your community and participate in it.

  5. Customize Your Pages

    6. Use the Site Styler to quickly customize the look and feel of your site, or get more advanced by adding custom CSS, HTML, or scripts. Learn more about customizing your pages..

  6. Select an Advertising Option

    7. If you're using KickApps for free under our Ad Network model, consider purchasing full control of your community's advertising inventory. Learn more about advertising on KickApps.

  7. Consider Customizing Your URLs

    8. You can use a technique called "DNS masking" to customize the URLs of your community pages. To implement this technique, you need to own a domain (like http://www.mysite.com) or a subdomain (like http://subdomain.mysite.com). Learn more.

  8. Create Your Own Member Profile

    9. Are you going to be the "host" of your community? If so, your members will want to get to know who you are, so it's a good idea to fill out your profile and upload a profile picture.

    1. Login to your site.
    2. Click "my home" (on the left-hand side of your top nav), then "edit my profile".
    3. Fill in the "about me" section on this page and click save.
    4. Click the "Edit Account" subtab in this area, and scroll down to the profile icon section. Click "Add new profile icon" and follow the steps to upload a picture or other image to serve as your avatar.
  9. Seed Your Site with Relevant, High-Quality Media

    10. Once you've got your site set up and styled to your liking, the next step is to fill it up with media that will be of interest to your members. Cool and interesting videos, pictures, and audio will draw new people in to your site and keep them engaged when they get there. Here's how to do it:

    1. Log into your site
    2. Click "my home".
    3. At the top left of the "my home" page, you'll find a section called "Get Active" with links to add videos, audio tracks, photos, or blog posts. Follow these links to add some exciting media to your site.
  10. Invite Your Friends

    11. Get the word out! Invite your friends, family, coworkers, colleagues, and anyone else who might be interested in your community. Log into your site, click "my home", then select "invite friends" from the subnav.

    If you have any questions, feel free to post to the KickDeveloper Message Board. Best of luck on setting up your site, and come back to KickDev to let us know when you've launched it!