Author: WP Compendium

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to automate traffic to your site using the WordPress CMS.

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

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

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

In Part 2, we focused on the setup phase of the blueprint. 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 two we show you where to set up a WordPress site on your domain)

In Part 3, we looked at configuring WordPress. We configured all the settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 we show you how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate your traffic with different WordPress plugins.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic-getting process using different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic System – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, the key to generating consistent traffic of high quality is having a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and great systems and process in place.

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to keep your web presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to traffic.

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

Let’s briefly review the above systems:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing/online marketing strategy?
• How will you assign your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results of your campaigns?

During the setup and configuration phase, you would 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 generate some intelligence. 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 web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your web presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your web 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 applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks after my server?
• Who is looking after my website and keeping 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 planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect new problems to 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 traffic. These include:

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

If you intend to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you also implement good systems for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Tools & Methods

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

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

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as your time and resources will allow.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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. Google AdWords) can help you generate actionable data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more web visitors using methods like Twitter advertising, YouTube, forum ads, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

We’ve already covered a number of excellent plugins, tools, and strategies in earlier sections of this article series.

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts on this site to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress website:

• Share your posts online,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for shares/likes,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, infographics, 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 better quality content improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more visitors.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Create and publish content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a training guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

We have created an entire email training series aimed at helping you never run out of great content for posting to your site:

Also, if you haven’t already, look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress website or blog:

• 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 a network.

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

Useful Tips

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

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, 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 problems your users are trying to solve, you can develop new products, services, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create a free or paid e-learning program.
• Consider publishing PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
• Add an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress 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 the collection and analysis of data. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic lets you discover new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – 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 (with 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 solutions if needed 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, this information has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your WordPress website and build a more successful business online.

***

***