Author: WP Compendium

Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to automate traffic to your website using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part One, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do to automatically drive web traffic is post content consistently!)

In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase. We explained the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a website, and what to do if your website has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discussed the configuration phase of the blueprint. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help drive traffic automatically to your site as you begin to post content on a consistent basis.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize your traffic using a number of tools and strategies.

WordPress 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 in place.

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

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

These include:

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

(Use systems to grow and manage your traffic)

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• How will you apportion your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the results of your online 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. Facebook ads) to help generate some initial actionable data, such as the keywords 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 online presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking too long to load.

Your systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating new software (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• Who looks after my server?
• 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 problems 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, you will always run into problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems to help you manage traffic. These include:

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

If you intend to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Loops

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on are ways to develop a “traffic loop”.

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many members of your target audience as your resources allow.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically distribute your content to sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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 can help generate data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring more visitors using methods like LinkedIn ads, YouTube, Reddit, etc.

Tools And Strategies

We’ve already covered many useful tools, plugins, and methods in previous sections of this article series.

Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

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

Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and viewed by more people and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create and publish content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing PDF guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Tools & Strategies

We have created a complete email course designed to help you come up with limitless content for your web site:

Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

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

Grow Influence And Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting an online community or even your own social network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” 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 every post you publish or email you send out.

Tips

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Start or join an online group on Facebook.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

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

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

Identify Problems And Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new products and services, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Traffic Ideas

• Consider creating an e-learning program.
• Publish a PDF guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your site.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to consider adding to your site include:

• 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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic lets you discover new ways to generate additional traffic.

You should already have installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic System – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the process, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and improve your results.

In summary:

• Begin 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 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, trust, 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 drive more traffic automatically to your WordPress web site and build a better business online.

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