WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to drive visitors automatically to your site using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part 1 of this article series, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do to begin attracting more web traffic is post content consistently!)

In Part 2, we discussed critical setup decisions. 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 site 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 focused on the configuration phase of this blueprint. We explained how to configure webhosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, you learned how to set up various WordPress plugins that can drive new visitors automatically to your site simply by adding fresh content.

(Publish once to WordPress and automate the distribution of your content to all other channels!)

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic generation process using various tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Generating automated traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, planning, and systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to create 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 – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to new traffic.

(Use systems to grow and manage your web traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• How will you assign your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• How will you create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and 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 site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your web presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking too long to load.

Your systems include handling technical 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 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. if you experience difficulties?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with 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 operational systems and processes to help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:

• Communication systems
• Managing human and financial resources
• Handling leads and sales inquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer training/service
• etc.

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

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

(Implementing and optimizing a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your business and website.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources 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. Facebook ads) can help you generate data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring more visitors using methods like LinkedIn ads, banner ads, Reddit, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

See earlier sections of this tutorial 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, ask us about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create and publish content that will add value to potential visitors and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an e-book that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

We have created an entire email course on content creation that you can plug into for free here:

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about plugins that let you 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 do this by building a list or starting an online community or even your own social network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with a single post or email.

Useful Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

• List-Building Tools (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, 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 Needs & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your users are trying to solve, you can develop new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new streams of traffic.

Traffic Tips

• Create a free or paid online training course.
• Consider publishing a special report that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools And Strategies

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), look for WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

• 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 already have installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is rinse and repeat, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and get better 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 adding 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 required to help build authority and credibility, and also to improve 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, this post has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your website and build a better business online.

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