WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

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

In Part One, we described the traffic automation process, and explained 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 publish new content consistently to start generating web traffic!)

In Part 2, we look at the setup phase. We help you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your site is built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discussed important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure web hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can get new traffic automatically to your website or blog.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize traffic generation using various tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, generating high-quality traffic on a consistent basis is achieved by having a well-defined business vision, great digital planning, and good systems in place.

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

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

These include:

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

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

Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing/online marketing strategy?
• How will you apply your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• Who will create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and 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. pay-per-click ads) 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 web content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

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

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks 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 problems arise?

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

Business Systems

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

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement great systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(Implementing, automating and optimizing a traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

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

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) can help you generate data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract traffic using methods like Facebook advertising, banner ads, cross promotions, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We’ve already covered a number of useful tools and strategies in earlier sections of this tutorial series.

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content published is good, but to make this 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 it shared on other sites and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Focus on creating and publishing content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We have created an entire email series designed to help you never run out of great content for posting to your website:

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more 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 do this by building a list or starting your own community.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of 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 traffic with a single post or broadcast.

Useful Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Start or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools And Methods

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

• List-Building Solutions (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, 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, video galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what your visitors want, you can develop new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Create an online training course.
• Publish a PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools And 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 consider adding to your website 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 the collection and analysis of data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new ways to create additional traffic.

You should already have installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Traffic 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 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 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 required to build authority and credibility, and also to improve engagement with visitors,
• 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 WordPress website and build a better business online.

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