Category: WordPress Business Strategies

Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to drive visitors automatically to your website using WordPress.

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

In Part 1 of this article series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do is add great content consistently to begin attracting traffic!)

In Part Two, we looked at the setup phase. 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 site, and what to do if your website has been built using WordPress.

(In Part two we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part Three, we looked at the configuration phase. We explained how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate the traffic system using 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 your traffic using a number of tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the product of a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and great systems and process in place.

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to create traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your web presence remains up and running 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 traffic)

Let’s briefly review the above systems:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you apply to these channels?
• How will you create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness of your marketing 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 you generate some initial 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 digital presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking a long time to load.

Your systems need to be able to adequately handle areas like webhosting, site 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 is looking after my website and keeping my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should any problems occur?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, new problems will always arise. 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 new traffic. This includes:

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

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website.

Traffic Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on social media accounts 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 can help you generate some initial actionable data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get traffic using methods like Facebook, PPC advertising, email, etc.

Tools & Strategies

See previous sections of this article series for a number of useful plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

Also, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create and publish content that will add value to potential visitors and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an instructional PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

We have created an entire email course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, content creation tools, and ways to never run out of web content ideas that you can plug into for free here:

Also, ask us about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress site:

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

Grow Influence And Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by growing a list or starting your own community.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of 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 new traffic with every blog post you publish, forum post you add, or email you send out.

Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Start or join an online group on Facebook.

Tools And Methods

There are many solutions and plugins that can help increase your 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 Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what users want, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating new sources of traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create a free or paid online training course.
• Publish educational guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

If you plan to provide services, products, 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 website or blog 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 to collect and analyze data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic allows you to discover new opportunities to create additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation 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 improve 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 initial traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions as needed 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, this post has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your web site and expand your business online.

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