WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to create an automated traffic machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do is add fresh content on a regular basis to bring traffic!)

In Part Two, we look at the setup phase of the blueprint. We help you understand 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 2 we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part Three, we looked at configuring WordPress. We explained how to configure web hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 we explain how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate your traffic using various WordPress plugins.

(Publish content one-time and automate your content distribution to all other marketing channels!)

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize the traffic system using a number of tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and great systems and process in place.

(Generating regular traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and systems)

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

These include:

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

(Systems help you grow, automate, 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 strategies used to drive new traffic to your business. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you apply to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI of your online 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. Facebook ads) to help generate some initial results. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable 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.

Technical Systems

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

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

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

• Who looks 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 anything go wrong?

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

Business Systems

Your business systems and processes help you manage and respond to the influx of new traffic. These include:

• Communication systems
• Resources management – human, financial
• Handling leads and sales enquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer training/service
• etc.

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as possible.

Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on sites 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 can help generate some initial actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get traffic using methods like SEO, banner ads, StumbleUpon, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

We’ve already covered a number of excellent tools and strategies in earlier sections of this article series.

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

• Share your comments and posts online,
• Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for likes/shares,
• Accept 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 great, but to make this more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

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 traffic.

Traffic Ideas

• Focus on creating content that will add value to potential visitors and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing expert guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

We have created an entire email email-based training course designed to help you come up with limitless content for posting to your web site:

Also, if you haven’t already, look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress 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 tap.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting an online forum, membership site, or even your own social network.

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

Useful Tips And Ideas

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

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

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

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, video galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what your visitors want, you can develop new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of web traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create a free or paid online training course.
• Publish a special report that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your business.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), ask us about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• 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 traffic opportunities.

You should have already installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you can also understand 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 (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 if required to 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, this article has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your web site and get better results online.

***

***