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 automate traffic to your site using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part 1, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your site …

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

In Part Two, we look at the setup phase. We help 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 with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we looked at the configuration phase. We configured webhosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate traffic generation with different plugins.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website using various tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Systems

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

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

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

These systems include:

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

(Use systems to grow, automate, optimize, 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 methods used to drive new traffic to your website. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you apportion to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI of your 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 generate some initial 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 site, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

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

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

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

• Who is looking after my server?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if issues occur?

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

Business Systems

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

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

If you plan to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you have systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Strategies

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is focus on how to develop a “traffic loop”.

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

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

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

Useful Tips And Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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 actionable and intelligent 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.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to drive visitors using methods like Twitter ads, PPC advertising, joint ventures, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

We’ve covered a number of useful tools, plugins, and methods in previous 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 with others,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for likes/shares,
• Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Publish and distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools And Strategies

We have created a detailed email course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, content creation tools, and ways to never run out of content ideas that you can plug into for free here:

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

• 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 a community.

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

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

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs And Provide Solutions

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

Useful Tips

• Create an online training course.
• Consider publishing a special report that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools And Strategies

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website:

• 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 the collection and analysis of data. By learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new opportunities to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

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

WordPress Traffic 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:

• Begin with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by solid marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (consider adding 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 as necessary 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 traffic automatically to your web site and build a more successful business online.

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