WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Website 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 One of this series, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do is post content regularly to automatically attract web traffic!)

In Part 2, we discuss the setup phase of the traffic automation system. We explain the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your website has been built using WordPress.

(In Part 2 we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part 3, we looked at configuring the system. We configured all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 we show you how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can help drive visitors automatically to your site.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize traffic generation with a number of different tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog 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.

(Generating consistent traffic is the product of a business vision, sound planning, and great systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to create new traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to keep your online presence up and running for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to 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 website. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apportion your budget and resources to these marketing channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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 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 and processes keep your online presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages take a very long time to load.

Your technical systems include handling areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

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

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you will run into problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems to help you manage and respond to traffic. This includes:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have systems in place for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Loops

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

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

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many members of your target audience as you can.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly notify and publicize your content to 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. pay-per-click ads) can help generate some initial actionable and intelligent data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create 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 attract web traffic using methods like paid advertising, solo ads, forum ads, etc.

Tools And Methods

See earlier sections of this tutorial series for many useful tools and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:

• Share your comments and posts online,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for shares/likes,
• Accept user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Publish and 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 good, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to build 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 shares and views and hence more traffic.

Tips

• Focus on creating content that adds value to potential users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Tools & Strategies

We have created a comprehensive course on content creation that you can plug into at no cost here:

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

• 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 an online group.

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

Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Create or join an online group on Facebook.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

• List-Building Solutions (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, 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

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what your visitors are looking for, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create an e-learning course.
• Consider publishing PDF guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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

• Membership Sites (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-Learning 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 gather and interpret data from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.

You should already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. 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:

• 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 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, 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, this post has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your website and improve your business online.

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