Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to drive new traffic automatically to your site using WordPress.
So far, here is what we have covered in this series:
In Part One, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated web traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do to bring more traffic is add new content consistently!)
In Part Two, 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 website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing website was built using WordPress.
(In Part two we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)
In Part Three, we discussed configuring the system. We configured webhosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(In Part 3 you learn how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part Four, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can get visitors automatically to your website or blog.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate your content distribution to all other channels!)
In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website with a number of different tools and methods.
WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems
In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the product of a clearly-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and great systems in place.
(Optimized traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, planning, and great systems)
Let’s review briefly the systems that will help you grow and manage all traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your website.
- Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to traffic.
(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)
Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to drive new traffic to your website. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:
- What is your content marketing strategy/online marketing strategy?
- What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you assign to these channels?
- How will you create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
- How will you measure the results 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 to help generate some initial actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages take a very long time to load.
Your technical systems need to be able to adequately handle technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.
Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- Who is looking after my webhosting?
- 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 problems can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you will always run into many new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.
Business Systems
You need good business systems and processes to help you manage new traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling sales inquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer training/service
- etc.
If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you also implement excellent systems for managing all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Tools & Strategies
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 and optimize your “traffic loop”.
Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and further automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the processes illustrated below …
(An effective traffic loop)
Increase Reach And Visibility
Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.
Tips
- Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to traffic-getting sources like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content on your site.
- As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
- Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to attract website traffic using methods like paid ads, PPC advertising, updates, etc.
Plugins, Tools, And Methods
See previous sections of this article series for a number of useful tools and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.
Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts on this site to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:
- Share your comments and posts online,
- Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for likes/shares,
- Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)
Build Authority And Credibility
Getting more content published is good, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.
Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more traffic.
Useful Tips
- Create and publish content that adds value to potential users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing an educational guide that you can sell or distribute online.
Tools & Strategies
We have created a complete email series designed to help you come up with unlimited content for your site:
Also, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:
- Legal Pages
- Testimonials
- Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
- Ratings
- User Reviews
- Badges/Certificates Of Trust
Grow Influence And Engagement
As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting your own online community or social network.
With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic will come from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate traffic with a single post or broadcast.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
- Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.
Tools And Strategies
There are many solutions and plugins that can help grow your influence and improve user engagement. For example:
- List-Building Tools (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums and Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls and Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, image galleries, etc.
Identify Needs & Provide Solutions
By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what users need, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating new streams of web traffic.
Useful Tips & Ideas
- Create an e-learning course.
- Publish an e-book that can be sold or distributed online.
- Add an e-commerce store to your business.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to add to your site include:
- Membership Site plugins (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 to collect and analyze data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.
Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.
WordPress Web Traffic System – 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:
- 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 as needed to help build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to increase 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your WordPress web site and build a better business online.
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"This is an awesome training series. I have a pretty good understanding of WordPress already, but this is helping me to move somewhere from intermediate to advanced user!" - Kim Lednum
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