WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn your site into an automated web traffic machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do is publish content consistently to automatically start generating new traffic!)

In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase. We explained the best way to get started 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 site has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discuss the configuration phase. We configured all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 we show you how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can drive traffic automatically to your site as you begin to add web content consistently.

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis comes from a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

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

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

These include:

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

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, 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 marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What is your content marketing strategy/online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you apply to these marketing channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the cost-effectiveness 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 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.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems keep your web presence up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking a long time to load.

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

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

• Who looks after my webhosting?
• 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. should things go wrong?

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

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes in place to help you manage and respond to the influx of traffic. These include:

• 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 make sure you have implemented good systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is to implement your “traffic loop”.

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

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

Increase Reach And Visibility

The first step of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as possible.

Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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 data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more web traffic using methods like Pinterest advertising, banner ads, forum signatures, etc.

Tools & Strategies

See earlier sections of this article series for a number of useful plugins, tools, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is good, but to make this more effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and hence more visitors.

Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to users 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 you can sell or distribute online.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

We have created a comprehensive course on content creation that you can plug into for free here:

Also, look for plugins that allow you to 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 Recognition

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 or network.

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 reputation can be used to generate new traffic with every blog post you publish, forum post you add, or email broadcast you send out.

Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

• List-Building Solutions (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, video galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your users are trying to solve, you can develop new products, services, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new sources of web traffic.

Tips

• Create a free or paid online training program.
• Publish a special report that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools & Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website or blog:

• Membership Sites (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. Gathering and interpreting data 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 Web Traffic Automation 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:

• Start 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 methods if 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, this information has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your WordPress website and grow your business online.

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