Category: WordPress Business Strategies

Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to grow your business online automatically using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part One of this series, we provided an overview of the traffic automation process, and 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 publish content consistently to attract traffic!)

In Part Two, we look at the setup phase of this process. We help 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 website has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discussed the configuration phase. We configured all the settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various plugins that can drive new traffic automatically to your website or blog.

(Publish once, automate the rest!)

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website using different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, generating targeted traffic on a consistent basis comes comes from the combined outcome of having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems in place.

(Automated traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and great systems)

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your web presence remains optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to 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?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you apportion to these marketing channels?
• Who will create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the cost-effectiveness 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. Facebook ads) to help you generate some 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 ensure that your web presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your web pages take too long to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who will look after my webhosting?
• Who will look after my website and keep 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 problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you will always run into new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems and processes help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you have systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus on are ways to grow and optimize your “traffic loop”.

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

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

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically distribute your content to places 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 can help generate some initial actionable data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get more visitors using methods like Pinterest ads, banner ads, joint ventures, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

We’ve covered many excellent tools and strategies in previous sections of this article series.

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

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

Publishing better quality 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.

Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that will add value to potential visitors and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an e-book that you can sell or distribute online.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

If you need ideas for posting content on your website or blog, we recommend subscribing to our FREE email training series on growing your business with content marketing here:

Also, look for plugins that allow you to 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 Trust

Grow Influence And Engagement

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

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 traffic with a single blog post or broadcast.

Useful Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

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

• List-Building Solutions (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, video galleries, etc.

Identify Problems And Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what users are looking for, you can develop new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new streams of web traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create an e-learning program.
• Consider publishing a training guide that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

• Membership Sites (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. By learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

You should have already installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Web Traffic System – 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 good 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 solutions 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your website and build a more successful business online.

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