WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to grow your business online automatically using WordPress.

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

In Part 1, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do is add content on a consistent basis to automatically begin attracting traffic!)

In Part 2, we focused on critical setup decisions. We explained 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 has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we look at configuring the system. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three we show you how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various plugins that can help get new visitors automatically to your website or blog simply by adding new content on a regular basis.

(Publish content one-time, automate the rest!)

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic-getting process using a number of tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating high-quality traffic on a consistent basis is the result of having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Optimized traffic is the result of a business vision, planning, and systems)

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence up and running for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Use systems to 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 channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you apportion to these channels?
• How will you create your content and 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) to help you generate some initial actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

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

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking 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 planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, new problems will arise. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage and respond to 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 you will need good systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Tools & Strategies

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

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

(Implementing and optimizing your traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as you can.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically distribute your content to places 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 actionable data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more web traffic using methods like paid advertising, banner ads, email ads, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

See earlier sections of this article series for a number of excellent plugins, tools, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

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

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 visitors.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Focus on content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

We have created an entire email training series designed to help you never run out of great content ideas for your web site:

Also, contact us to learn more about WordPress 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 & Engagement

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

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

Useful Tips

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

Tools And Strategies

Many solutions and plugins are available that can help grow your online influence and improve engagement. For example:

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums and Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & 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 find out what your visitors want, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Tips

• Create an online training course.
• Consider publishing a special report that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to consider adding to your website or blog include:

• 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 learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

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

WordPress Web 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 necessary to help build authority 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 drive more visitors automatically to your web site and build a more successful business online.

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