Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to turn a website into an automated web traffic generating machine using the WordPress CMS platform.
So far, here is what we have covered in this article series:
In Part One, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your website …
(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do is post great content on a consistent basis to begin attracting web traffic!)
In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase of the automation blueprint. We helped you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing website has been built using WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you where to set up a WordPress web site on your domain)
In Part Three, we focus on configuring WordPress. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …
(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)
In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate the traffic system with different WordPress plugins.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate your content distribution to all other channels!)
In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic generation process using different tools and strategies.
WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the outcome of a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems in place.
(Automated traffic is the product of a business vision, sound planning, and systems)
Let’s review the systems that will help you grow and manage this traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your website.
- Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.
(Systems help you grow, automate, and manage your traffic)
Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to drive new traffic to your business. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
- What resources and portion of your budget will you apportion to these channels?
- Who will create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
- How will you track conversions and measure the results of your marketing campaigns?
During the setup and configuration phase, you would 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. Facebook ads) to help you generate some intelligence. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems keep your digital presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your pages take a very long time to load.
Your systems include handling areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing and updating new software (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.
Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- Who looks after my server?
- Who is looking after my website and keeping my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
- Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if you experience difficulties?
Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, new problems will always arise. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.
Business Systems
Your business systems help you manage traffic. These include:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling sales enquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer training/service
- etc.
If you plan to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then you will need to put systems in place for managing all outsourcing.
WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization
If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is to focus on developing, optimizing and automating a “traffic loop”.
Let’s go through an example of implementing, optimizing, and automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …
(An effective traffic loop)
Increase Reach And Visibility
Step 1 of the process is to expose your business to as many potential users as your time and resources will allow.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically syndicate your content to places like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content.
- As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate some initial data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
- Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to attract traffic using methods like Facebook, videos, StumbleUpon, etc.
Plugins, Tools, And Strategies
See earlier sections of this article series for a number of useful plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.
Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:
- Share your posts online,
- Run contests, offer discounts or downloads for shares/likes,
- Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)
Build Authority & Credibility
Getting more content out there is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.
Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more visitors.
Useful Tips
- Create and publish 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” guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
Tools & Methods
We have created a complete email training series designed to help you never run out of great content for posting to your website or blog:
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
As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by building a list or starting an online membership site.
With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic will come from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with every post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
- Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
- Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.
Tools & Methods
Many solutions and WordPress plugins are available that are easy to implement and can help increase your influence and improve engagement. For example:
- List-Building Software (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums and Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls and Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, image galleries, etc.
Identify Problems And Provide Solutions To These
By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your users are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new sources of web traffic.
Useful Tips
- Create a free or paid online training course.
- Consider publishing PDF guides that can be sold or distributed online.
- Consider adding an e-commerce store to your business.
Plugins, Tools, & Methods
If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), contact us to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:
- Membership Site plugins (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
- e-Courses (e.g. Courseware)
- Event Registrations (e.g. EventEspresso)
Analyze Data & Feedback
The final step of the process is the collection and analysis of data. Learning to gather and interpret data from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.
Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you can also understand the data.
WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary
All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the cycle, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and improve your results.
In summary:
- Begin with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by solid marketing, technical and business systems,
- Implement a content marketing strategy (consider also investing in some paid advertising to drive initial traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
- Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions if necessary to help build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to improve engagement with visitors,
- 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, this information has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your WordPress website and expand your business online.
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"These tutorials have so much information and are easy to understand. If you use WordPress or plan to in the future these will help you with everything you need to know." - Valisa (Mesa, Arizona)
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