WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your website using WordPress.

So far, we have covered the following in this series:

In Part One, we provided an overview of the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do to automatically start attracting traffic is add fresh content on a consistent basis!)

In Part 2, we focused on the setup phase of the automation process. We helped you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your existing site was built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focused on configuring the system. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three you learn how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can drive new visitors automatically to your website or blog whenever you begin publishing new content.

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

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website using a number of tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clearly-defined business vision, great digital planning, and great systems in place.

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

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

These systems include:

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

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, and manage your web traffic)

Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to create traffic for your business. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you allocate to these marketing channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness of your online 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. Google AdWords) to help you generate some results. 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 better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your online presence optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages are taking a very long time to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking 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. when issues occur?

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

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes in place to help you manage the influx of new 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 support, then make sure you also implement great systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(Implementing and optimizing your traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

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

Traffic 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.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate data, 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 increase more visitors using methods like SEO, podcasts, forum signatures, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is good, but to make this more effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting more people to share it with others and hence more visitors.

Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing expert guides that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools & Methods

We have created a comprehensive email course on content creation that you can plug into at no cost here:

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

• Legal Pages
• Testimonials
• Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
• Ratings
• User Reviews
• Badges/Certificates Of Recognition

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 an online community.

With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic comes from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with every post you publish, forum post you add, or email broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site.
• Start or join an online group on Facebook/LinkedIn.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

• Autoresponders (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 & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating new streams of traffic.

Useful Tips

• Consider creating an e-learning program.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:

• Membership Site plugins (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• Learning Management Systems (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 traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – 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 get better 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 also investing in 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 help build authority and credibility, and also to increase 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 automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your WordPress website and build a more successful business online.

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