WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to create an automated traffic machine using WordPress.

So far, we have covered the following in this article series:

In Part 1, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do to start generating more web traffic is add web content regularly!)

In Part 2, we focused on the setup phase. 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 site has been built using WordPress.

(In Part 2 we show you how to set up a WordPress website on your domain)

In Part Three, we discussed the configuration phase. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three we show you how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate your traffic using various WordPress plugins.

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

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website using a number of tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, the key to generating consistent traffic of high quality is having a well-defined business vision, great digital planning, and good systems in place.

(Generating regular 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 new traffic.

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to drive new traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to keep your web presence optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Use systems to grow, automate, optimize, and manage your traffic)

Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apportion your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the ROI of your 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. pay-per-click ads) 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.

Technical Systems

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

Your technical systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, 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 server?
• Who looks after my website and keeps 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 issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect new problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems and processes help you manage and respond to traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you also implement good systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on is growing, optimizing and further automating a “traffic loop”.

Let’s go through an example of implementing, optimizing, and further automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …

(WordPress can help implement and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

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

Useful Tips And Ideas

• 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 through your expertly configured WordPress site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help 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, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more web traffic using methods like Twitter advertising, videos, cross promotions, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

We’ve covered many excellent tools and strategies in earlier sections of this tutorial series.

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

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

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

Traffic Tips

• Focus on content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Tools And Methods

We have created an entire email course on content creation that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about 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 achieve this by building a list or starting your own online community or social network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” all of your traffic will come from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with every post you publish, forum post you add, or email broadcast you send out.

Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site.
• Create or join an online group on Facebook.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, video galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your users are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new products, services, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Useful Tips

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

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress 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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new ways to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

You should have already installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the same process, 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 (with 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 methods as required to build authority 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 traffic automatically to your WordPress website and expand your business online.

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