WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to grow your business online automatically using the WordPress CMS platform.

So far, here is what we have covered in this series:

In Part One, we described the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do is post content on a consistent basis to automatically begin bringing more web traffic!)

In Part Two, we focused on the setup phase. We helped you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a website, and what to do if your website was built with WordPress.

(In Part 2 we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part 3, we discussed configuring the system. We configured all the settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure all the settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate the traffic system with different WordPress plugins.

(Publish content one-time and automate your content distribution to all other services!)

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic generation process using different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is achieved by having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Automating traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and systems)

Let’s briefly review the systems that will help you grow and manage all traffic.

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your web presence remains optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your traffic)

Let’s briefly review how important these systems are for optimizing traffic:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your business. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels do you plan to use to drive traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you allocate your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the ROI of your online campaigns?

During the setup and configuration phase, you should have installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics). If you’re just starting out, you may want to consider investing in some paid advertising (e.g. pay-per-click ads) to help generate some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages take too long to load.

Your systems need to handle technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking after my server?
• Who will look after my website and keep my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should any issues occur?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you can expect new problems to arise. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage and respond to the influx of traffic. This includes:

• Communication systems
• Resources management – human, financial
• Handling leads and sales enquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer training/service
• etc.

If you plan to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Methods

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is focus on how to develop a “traffic loop”.

Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and further automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …

(Implement and optimize your traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as you can.

Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically distribute your content to sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate some initial data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get more visitors using methods like Twitter advertising, banner ads, email ads, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

See previous sections of this article series for a number of useful tools, plugins, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, see other posts on this site to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website:

• Share your comments and posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for shares/likes,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Publish and distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is a great first step, but to make this more effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting more people to link to it and share it around and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

If you need great topics for content that you can post on your web site, then subscribe to our email training course on content marketing here:

Also, look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• Legal Pages
• Testimonials
• Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
• Ratings
• User Reviews
• Badges/Certificates Of Trust

Grow Influence & Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online forum, membership site, or even your own social site.

With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic comes from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate traffic with every post you publish or email you send out.

Useful Tips

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

There are many solutions and WordPress plugins that are easy to implement and can help grow your online influence and improve user engagement. For example:

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your users are trying to solve, you should have no problem developing new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Consider creating an online training program.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to add to your website include:

• Membership Sites (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• Learning Management Systems (e.g. Courseware)
• Event Registrations (e.g. EventEspresso)

Analyze Data & Feedback

The final step of the process is the collection and analysis of data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is rinse and repeat, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and improve your results.

In summary:

• Start with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by solid marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (consider adding some paid advertising to drive traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other methods as required to help build authority and credibility, and also to increase engagement with users,
• Promote any new solutions, products or services using your existing channels and strategies to generate additional streams of traffic,
• Analyse your data and your results, automate your processes wherever possible, and begin the cycle again.

Hopefully, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your WordPress web site and build a more successful business online.

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