WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

So far, here is what we have covered in this article 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 website or blog, all you have to do to bring more traffic is publish fresh content consistently!)

In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase. We explained the best way to get started if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your website was built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focused on the configuration phase. We configured all the settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help get new visitors automatically to your site just by adding fresh content.

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

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to new traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• How will you apply your budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the results 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 generate some initial data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

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

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

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

Many potential problems can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems to help you manage and respond to the influx of new traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then you will need systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Tools And Methods

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

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

(WordPress can help you implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

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

Useful Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows 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 online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more web site traffic using methods like Pinterest ads, YouTube, joint ventures, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

We’ve covered many excellent tools, plugins, and methods in previous sections of this tutorial series.

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

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

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared around and viewed by more people and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing 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 educational guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.

Tools & Strategies

If you need topics for posting content on your web site, we recommend subscribing to our email training course on content marketing here:

Also, 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 Recognition

Grow Influence And Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online membership site.

With “Traffic On Tap,” 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 broadcast.

Useful Tips

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

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

There are many solutions and plugins that can help increase your influence and improve engagement. For example:

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (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 And Provide Solutions

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 new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Tips

• Create an online training course.
• Publish a “how to” guide that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), ask us about plugins that let you 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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic lets you discover new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do 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 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 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your web site and build a better business online.

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