Creator Percolator
Start Here (the Page)
Creator Tool Watch
Ghost continues rolling out 6.x improvements
Ghost’s 6.x line (native analytics, ActivityPub support, ongoing performance and editor refinements) is settling in as the new baseline for publishers using Ghost as a long-term CMS.
→ https://ghost.org/changelog/
Why it matters: Ghost is doubling down on first-party data and open distribution, reinforcing its position as a stable “home base” rather than a growth-at-all-costs platform.
Link-in-bio tools keep expanding into monetization
Linktree and similar tools continue adding native commerce features (digital products, affiliate links, paid links).
→ https://linktr.ee/blog/
Why it matters: These tools are no longer just traffic routers; they’re becoming lightweight revenue layers—useful, but another example of tool boundaries blurring.
AI video repurposing becomes table stakes
Tools that turn long-form video into short clips (for Shorts, Reels, TikTok) are now common in creator workflows.
→ https://www.opus.pro/
Why it matters: As content production gets cheaper and faster, differentiation shifts toward distribution, audience ownership, and conversion—not creation itself.
Email platforms emphasize onboarding and lifecycle flows
ESPs increasingly highlight welcome sequences, automations, and lifecycle messaging in their product docs.
→ Beehiiv automations: https://www.beehiiv.com/product/automations
→ Kit conditional content: https://help.kit.com/en/articles/2502581-conditional-content
Why it matters: Platforms are quietly acknowledging that retention beats raw list growth. Early engagement is becoming the core metric.
Website builders compete on integrations, not templates
Webflow, WordPress, and Ghost continue to differentiate themselves by ecosystem depth—email, payments, analytics, and automation—rather than visual themes alone.
→ Webflow integrations: https://webflow.com/integrations
→ WordPress plugins: https://wordpress.org/plugins/
Why it matters: Choosing a site platform is increasingly a stack decision, not a design one.
Creator-economy investment remains selective
Funding and acquisitions continue, but capital is concentrating around monetization, analytics, and infrastructure rather than generic “audience growth” tools.
→ https://www.axios.com/technology/creator-economy
Why it matters: Expect more tools that help creators run durable businesses—and fewer that promise growth without structure.
The “Start Here” Page Is the Most Underrated Asset You Own
Most creator websites have dozens of pages.
- Articles
- Posts
- Archives
- Link Lists
- Resources
- And an About page that’s way too busy
And yet the single page that quietly determines whether a new visitor ever becomes a regular reader is often missing, buried, or treated as an afterthought.
I’m talking about the “Start Here” page.
Why New Readers Get Lost (Even on Good Sites)
When someone discovers your work for the first time, they don’t think:
“I wonder what their latest post is.”
They think:
What is this about?
Is this for someone like me?
Where should I begin?
How much time will this take?
Is it worth following along?
A chronological archive answers none of those questions.
And don’t forget: they very likely haven’t landed on your home page. If you’ve managed to garner any SEO-driven Google love, they’ve done a search that lead to some random internal page on your site. (And as a side note: the takeaway from this is that your home page is every page.)
Enter the Start Page and its singular contribution: orientation.
The Simple Structure That Works Across Every Topic
Here is a structure that works whether your site is about cooking, fitness, finance, fiction, photography, parenting, travel, history, or anything else.
1. A short framing paragraph
This answers:
What this site is about
Who it’s for
What kind of attention it requires
Example (generic on purpose):
This site is for people who are interested in thinking more clearly about X. Some readers are new to the topic; others have been at it for years. You don’t need to read everything here. This page will help you start in the right place.
2. Three paths, not twenty links
Instead of listing everything, offer three ways in.
These are not categories.
They are entry modes.
Examples (adapted to any niche):
If you’re new → “Start with this short introduction”
If you want something practical → “Try this hands-on guide”
If you want depth → “Here’s a longer, representative piece”
Each path should link to one thing, not a list.
3. One clear ongoing option
This is usually:
the newsletter
a membership
a subscription
or a “follow along” mechanism
Not five CTAs.
One.
Example:
If this resonates, the best way to keep up is the weekly newsletter. It’s short, focused, and designed to be readable even if you miss an issue.
Many creators find that once they build a good Start Here page, they begin linking to it more often than their homepage.
It becomes the default recommendation:
“If you’re new, start here.”
A Quick Test You Can Run Today
Ask yourself:
If someone intelligent but unfamiliar with my work landed on this page, would they know where to begin in under 30 seconds?
If the answer is no, the page isn’t finished yet.
This has nothing to do with writing skill.
It’s about empathy.