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

So far, here is what we have covered in this series:

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to automatically begin attracting web traffic is add great content on a consistent basis!)

In Part Two, we looked at critical setup decisions. We helped you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your existing website was built using WordPress.

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

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

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various plugins that can bring new visitors automatically to your website or blog whenever you begin publishing web content.

(Publish content one-time, automate the rest!)

In this article, we look at ways to optimize your traffic with a number of different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating targeted traffic on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Generating regular traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, planning, and systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your online presence up and running for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Use systems to grow, automate, and manage your web 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. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• Who will create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and 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 to help you generate some initial 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 web presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is down or your web pages are taking too long to load.

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

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

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

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you can expect new problems to arise. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes to help you manage the influx of traffic. This includes:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then you will need to put systems in place for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization 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 how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …

(WordPress can help implement, optimize, and automate your traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.

Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically syndicate 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 on your site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate some initial data, which you can use to create content better targeted 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 Pinterest advertising, PPC advertising, StumbleUpon, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

See previous sections of this tutorial series for a number of useful plugins, 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 plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

• Share your 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 & Credibility

Getting more content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared around and viewed by more people and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Focus on creating and publishing content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Tools & Methods

We have created a complete email email-based training course designed to help you never run out of content ideas for your web site:

Also, contact us to learn more about 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 & Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting an online group.

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 reputation can be used to generate new traffic with a single post or email.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools And Strategies

Many solutions and plugins are available that are easy to implement and can help increase your online influence and improve user engagement. For example:

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and 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 discover what problems your users are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new sources of traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create an e-learning program.
• Consider publishing special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), ask us about plugins that let you 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. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is rinse and repeat, 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 solid 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 necessary to help build authority and credibility, and also to improve 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 article has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your WordPress web site and get better results online.

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