WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

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 web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is post web content on a consistent basis to automatically attract more web traffic!)

In Part Two, we looked at the setup phase of this process. We helped you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a website 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 two we show you where to set up a WordPress website on your domain)

In Part Three, we focus on the configuration phase. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you will configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

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

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

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Systems

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

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

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

These systems include:

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

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

Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are for traffic:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to drive new traffic to your website. 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 apply your budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, 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 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. Google AdWords) to help you generate some intelligence. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some 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’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your digital presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your web pages take a very long time to load.

Your technical systems include handling areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, 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. should any issues occur?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, there will always be problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems to help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

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

Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and further automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

• 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 on your site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate some initial actionable and intelligent data such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more website traffic using methods like Facebook, videos, forum ads, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

See previous sections of this tutorial series for many excellent tools and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is good, but to make this more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more traffic.

Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to potential users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

We have created a complete 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 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 Recognition

Grow Influence & 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 community.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic will come from 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.

Traffic Optimization Tips

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

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

Many solutions and plugins are available that are easy to implement and can help grow your influence and improve user engagement. For example:

• List-Building Tools (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums and Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & 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 discover what your visitors are searching for, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products, services, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new sources of web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create an online training course.
• Publish educational guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools & Methods

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to add to your website or blog include:

• Membership Site plugins (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. By learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the process over and over again, 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 good 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 methods if necessary to build authority, trust, 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 automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your website and get better results online.

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