Author: WP Compendium

Welcome to Part Five of our Website 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, we 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 to automatically begin bringing new traffic is post web content consistently!)

In Part Two, we looked at critical setup decisions. We explained the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things up if you already have a website, and what to do if your existing site has been built with WordPress.

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

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

(In Part Three you learn how to configure all the settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate your traffic using a number of WordPress plugins.

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

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize the traffic system using a number of tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis is the product of a clearly-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems in place.

(Optimized traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your business.
• 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.

(Use systems to 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 drive new traffic to your website. You can test your marketing systems 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 assign your budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results of your marketing 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 results. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your web pages are taking too long to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who will look after my server?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if any problems occur?

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

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes to help you manage traffic. This includes:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement excellent systems for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(Implementing, optimizing and automating a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

The first step of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as you can.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on social media accounts 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more web site visitors using methods like LinkedIn, YouTube, joint ventures, etc.

Tools And Strategies

See earlier sections of this article series for a number of useful tools and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, see other posts on this site to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• Share your comments and posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for shares/likes,
• 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 out there is a great first step, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing higher 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 visitors and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools & Methods

If you need endless content ideas for your website or blog, then subscribe to our FREE email training series on growing your business with content marketing here:

Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your 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 demand.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online forum, membership site, or even your own social site.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic comes from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with a single blog post or email broadcast.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• 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, online forum, or social community.
• Start or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

There are many solutions and plugins that are easy to implement and can help grow your online influence and improve user engagement. For example:

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, video galleries, etc.

Identify Problems And Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what your visitors want, you should have no problem developing new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating new sources of traffic.

Tips

• Create an e-learning course.
• Publish a special report or even an e-book that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your site.

Tools And Methods

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

• Membership Site plugins (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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to gather and interpret data from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.

You should have already 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 Automation Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do 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 (consider also investing in 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 needed 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, this article has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your website and get better results online.

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