WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to drive new traffic automatically to your site using WordPress.

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

In Part 1 of this article series, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do to automatically begin bringing new web traffic is add fresh content on a consistent basis!)

In Part Two, we focus on the setup phase of the automation blueprint. We help you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a website, and what to do if your existing website was built using WordPress.

(In Part 2 we show you where to set up a WordPress site on your domain)

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

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

In Part Four, we showed you how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help drive traffic automatically to your website or blog just by adding content on a consistent basis.

(Publish once, automate the rest!)

In this section 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 System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Automating traffic is the result of a business vision, planning, and systems)

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your digital presence remains operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to new traffic.

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

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to create traffic for your website. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What channels do you plan to use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apply your budget and resources to these marketing channels?
• How will you create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results of your campaigns?

During the setup and configuration phase, you should 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 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.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems keep your web presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking too long to load.

Your systems need to be able to adequately handle technical areas like webhosting, site 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 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 you experience difficulties?

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

Business Systems

You need good operational systems to help you manage and respond to the influx of traffic. This includes:

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

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Strategies

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

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

(Implement, optimize, and automate your traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

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

Tips

• Your 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) can help generate some initial 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 drive more website visitors using methods like Facebook, videos, forum ads, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with users.

Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared around and viewed by more people and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a training guide that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you need endless content ideas for your web site, then subscribe to our FREE email training course on growing your business with content marketing here:

Also, ask us about 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 Recognition

Grow Influence And Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting a group.

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with every post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips & Ideas

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

Tools And Methods

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

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums and Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & 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 find out what your visitors want, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create a free or paid online training program.
• Consider publishing an educational guide that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

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

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the cycle, 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 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 as 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, 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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