The 60-minute launch manual.

You'll upload five files to the public_html/ directory. You can use FileZilla (FTP) or cPanel's built-in File Manager — both work. For a one-shot launch, File Manager is faster.

1. In cPanel, open File Manager → navigate to public_html/.
2. If there's a default index.html, delete or rename it.
3. Click Upload and select the three HTML files: index.html, launch.html, outlook.html.
4. Upload the two PHP files: config.php and subscribe.php.
5. Set permissions on all files to 644. Set the directory to 755. (Right-click → Permissions in File Manager.)

Create two small PHP files. The first holds your credentials (keep it out of Git if you're versioning). The second handles the form submission.

config.php — paste this, replace the placeholders with your real values:

<?php
// config.php — database credentials. Do NOT commit to git.

return [
  'host'     => 'localhost',
  'dbname'   => 'youracct_freelancepro',
  'username' => 'youracct_fpadmin',
  'password' => 'YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD_HERE',
  'charset'  => 'utf8mb4',
];

subscribe.php — handles the form POST, validates, and inserts:

<?php
// subscribe.php — newsletter signup endpoint. PHP 8.3+.

declare(strict_types=1);
header('Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8');
header('X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff');

function respond(int $code, array $data): never {
    http_response_code($code);
    echo json_encode($data);
    exit;
}

if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] !== 'POST') {
    respond(405, ['ok' => false, 'message' => 'POST only.']);
}

$email = trim((string)($_POST['email'] ?? ''));
if (!filter_var($email, FILTER_VALIDATE_EMAIL) || strlen($email) > 255) {
    respond(400, ['ok' => false, 'message' => 'Please enter a valid email.']);
}

// Simple rate-limit: 1 submission / IP / 60s via a lock file.
$ipHash = hash('sha256', $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] ?? '');
$lock   = sys_get_temp_dir() . "/fp_{$ipHash}.lock";
if (file_exists($lock) && (time() - filemtime($lock)) < 60) {
    respond(429, ['ok' => false, 'message' => 'Easy — already received.']);
}
touch($lock);

try {
    $cfg = require __DIR__ . '/config.php';
    $dsn = "mysql:host={$cfg['host']};dbname={$cfg['dbname']};charset={$cfg['charset']}";

    $pdo = new PDO($dsn, $cfg['username'], $cfg['password'], [
        PDO::ATTR_ERRMODE            => PDO::ERRMODE_EXCEPTION,
        PDO::ATTR_EMULATE_PREPARES   => false,
        PDO::ATTR_DEFAULT_FETCH_MODE => PDO::FETCH_ASSOC,
    ]);

    $stmt = $pdo->prepare(
        'INSERT INTO subscribers (email, source, ip, user_agent)
         VALUES (:email, :source, :ip, :ua)
         ON DUPLICATE KEY UPDATE created_at = created_at'
    );
    $stmt->execute([
        ':email'  => $email,
        ':source' => 'homepage',
        ':ip'     => substr((string)($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] ?? ''), 0, 45),
        ':ua'     => substr((string)($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'] ?? ''), 0, 255),
    ]);

    respond(200, [
      'ok' => true,
      'message' => 'Subscribed. Check Sunday\'s inbox.'
    ]);

} catch (Throwable $e) {
    error_log('subscribe.php: ' . $e->getMessage());
    respond(500, ['ok' => false, 'message' => 'Something went sideways. Try again in a minute.']);
}

Test it immediately:

• Visit yourdomain.com/index.html.
• Submit the newsletter form with a test email.
• In phpMyAdmin, open the subscribers table — you should see one row.
• If you get a 500 error, check cPanel → Error Log and verify config.php credentials.

1. Create config.php with your real DB credentials.
2. Create subscribe.php with the code above.
3. Upload both via File Manager to public_html/.
4. Submit a test email on the homepage.
5. Verify one row appears in the subscribers table in phpMyAdmin.

Gumroad handles Stripe, PayPal, taxes, receipts, and file delivery for a flat fee. For a 60-minute launch it's unbeatable. Stripe Checkout is an option too, but Gumroad's built-in digital delivery saves you an hour.

1. Sign up at gumroad.com, complete payout info (Stripe or PayPal).
2. Click New Product → Digital Product.
3. Name it "FreelancePro Toolkit — Complete Kit." Upload a ZIP with all your assets (or a placeholder ZIP — you can replace any time).
4. Set price to $29. Enable Pay What You Want with a minimum of $29 if you want tipping, otherwise fixed.
5. In settings: enable ratings, enable affiliates (default 30% commission), turn on "Mark as best-seller" later once you have 10 sales.
6. Copy the product's public URL. It will look like https://gumroad.com/l/xxxxxx.
7. Open index.html, find the buy-btn script at the bottom, and replace the placeholder Gumroad URL with your real one.

Before you send a single marketing message, run this checklist. If any item fails, fix it before launching — a broken checkout on day one is a brand wound that's hard to heal.

1. Open the site on desktop and mobile. Both render correctly.
2. Play with the rate calculator. Numbers update as you type.
3. Submit the newsletter form with a real email. Confirm row in MySQL.
4. Click the buy button. Lands on Gumroad product page.
5. Complete a real test purchase (you can refund yourself immediately). Verify receipt, download link, and file download.
6. Check all three pages: index.html, launch.html, outlook.html — all load.
7. Test in Chrome, Safari, and one mobile browser.

A custom domain makes the site trustworthy. Skip this at your peril — conversion rates on .atspace.cc subdomains are notably lower.

1. In your registrar (Namecheap, Porkbun, etc.), set nameservers to Atspace's — find these in cPanel → Domains or the welcome email.
2. Alternatively, use A records: point @ and www to Atspace's IP address (also in the welcome email).
3. Wait 5–30 minutes for DNS propagation. Use dnschecker.org to confirm.
4. In cPanel, open Addon Domains and add your domain pointing to public_html/.
5. Open SSL/TLS Status → install Let's Encrypt certificate. This is free.
6. In Domains, enable Force HTTPS Redirect.
7. Test: visit http://yourdomain.com and confirm it redirects to https://.

You're live. Now: your first five customers come from people who already trust you. Don't broadcast to strangers yet — the social proof comes later.

1. Text five people. Not a mass email. Individual messages to freelancers you know: "Built a thing, would love your honest take." Offer a free copy. Ask for a testimonial if they like it.
2. Post once on X/Twitter: a 5-tweet thread ending with the link. Lead with a surprising number from your rate calculator ("Most freelancers under-charge by $18,400/yr. Here's the math.").
3. Post once on LinkedIn: a personal story about undercharging, the lesson, and the tool. End with a soft CTA.
4. Post in /r/freelance and /r/digitalnomad: share the free calculator, not the paid product. Reddit hates sales pitches — give value, mention the toolkit at the end if asked.
5. Tag 3 friends to share. Ask directly. This is not shameful, it's how every launch works.