Author: WP Compendium

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to grow your business online automatically using WordPress.

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

In Part One of this series, we provided an overview of the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do is publish great content consistently to begin attracting more traffic!)

In Part Two, we focus on the setup phase of the blueprint. We explain 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 website was built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we look at important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure all the settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate the traffic-generation process with plugins.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize traffic generation using different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and great systems and process in place.

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

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

These include:

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

(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)

Let’s briefly review how important these systems are:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels do you plan to use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you assign your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the cost-effectiveness 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 to help generate some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages take a very long time to load.

Your technical systems include handling technical 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 will look after my server?
• Who will look after my website and keep my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if you experience difficulties?

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 robust enough 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 leads and sales inquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer service/training
• etc.

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need to put systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Tools And Methods

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

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

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

The first step of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as your time and resources will allow.

Traffic Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on 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 through your expertly configured WordPress site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Facebook ads) can help 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 increase more traffic using methods like Twitter ads, PPC advertising, email, etc.

Tools & Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

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

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

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We have created an entire email course aimed at helping you come up with limitless content ideas for posting to your web site:

Also, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about 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 Recognition

Grow Influence And Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic comes from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already like 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 broadcast you send out.

Traffic Tips

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

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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 & Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new sources of web traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create a free or paid online training course.
• Publish a special report that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools & Strategies

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

• 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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to gather and interpret data from existing traffic allows you to discover new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

You should already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.

WordPress Web 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:

• 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 traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other methods if needed to 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 visitors to your web site and grow your business online.

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