WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to drive visitors automatically to your website using the WordPress CMS platform.

So far, here is what we have covered in this series:

In Part One, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your site …

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

In Part Two, we focused on the setup phase of this system. 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 site, and what to do if your existing site was built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focus on configuring the system. We explained how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate the traffic system with WordPress plugins.

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, generating quality traffic on a consistent basis is the result of a clearly-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems in place.

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

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

These include:

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

(Systems help you grow 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 new traffic for your business. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• How will you apportion your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• Who will create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the cost-effectiveness 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 to help you generate some initial actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your pages are taking a long time to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks after my server?
• Who will look after my website and keep my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if you experience difficulties?

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

Business Systems

You need good business systems in place to help you manage and respond to new traffic. This includes:

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

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

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Strategies

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on are ways to implement a “traffic loop”.

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

(Implement, optimize, and automate your traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your business.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help generate actionable and intelligent data such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to drive visitors using methods like Facebook advertising, PPC advertising, cross promotions, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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

Also, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content out there is a great first step, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an instructional e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

We have created an entire email course designed to help you never run out of great content ideas 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:

• 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 growing a list or starting a network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic comes from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with a single post or broadcast.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Encourage users to leave comments and start 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.
• Start or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (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/Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what users need, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services, products, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create an online training course.
• Consider publishing educational guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add 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 WordPress plugins you may want to add to your website or blog include:

• Membership Sites (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-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 ways to create additional traffic.

You should already have installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – 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 (with 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 needed 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your web site and grow your business online.

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