WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

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

In Part One, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do is publish content regularly to start attracting traffic!)

In Part 2, we focused on critical setup decisions. We explained the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your existing website was built with WordPress.

(In Part two we show you where to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)

In Part 3, we discuss configuring the system. We configured web hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part Four, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help bring new visitors automatically to your website or blog.

(Publish once, automate the rest!)

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize traffic generation using different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, the key to generating quality traffic consistently is having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive traffic to your website.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow, automate, and manage your web traffic)

Let’s briefly review the above systems:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the cost-effectiveness of your online marketing 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 you generate some initial 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 keep your web presence up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages take a very long time to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who will look after my webhosting?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should anything go wrong?

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

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage traffic. This includes:

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus on are ways to grow, optimize, and automate your “traffic loop”.

Let’s walk through an example of implementing, optimizing, and automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the processes illustrated below …

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

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

Traffic Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on 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.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help generate some initial actionable 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 drive more traffic using methods like paid advertising, social media, cross promotions, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Focus on creating and publishing content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

If you need great content ideas for your website or blog, then subscribe to our email training series 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 Recognition

Grow Influence And Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting an online community.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic comes 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 a single blog post or email.

Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

Many solutions and WordPress plugins are available that are easy to implement and can help grow your influence and improve engagement. For example:

• List-Building Solutions (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, video galleries, etc.

Identify Problems And Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what users are searching for, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services, products, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Create a free or paid e-learning course.
• Publish a special report or even an e-book that can be sold or distributed online.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools And Methods

If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress site:

• 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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic 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:

• Start 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 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, trust, 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 visitors to your web site and get better results online.

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