Category: WordPress Business Strategies

Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to drive new visitors automatically to your site using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One of this article series, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do to generate traffic is publish new content regularly!)

In Part 2, we discuss critical setup decisions. We explain the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your site is built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we discussed the configuration phase. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three we explain how to configure all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can bring new traffic automatically to your site whenever you begin adding new content.

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

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic system using different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems

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

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

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

These include:

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

(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels do you plan to use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you allocate your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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 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 content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your web presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking a long time to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking after my webhosting?
• 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. if you experience difficulties?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you can expect problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage and respond to new 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 maintenance, then you will need to put systems in place to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Strategies

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

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

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

Increase Reach & Visibility

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

Traffic Optimization Tips

• 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 online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate some initial actionable and intelligent 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 bring traffic using methods like paid advertising, videos, Reddit, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

We’ve already covered many useful tools, plugins, and strategies in previous sections of this tutorial 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 website or blog:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content published is a great first step, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing higher 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 traffic.

Traffic Ideas

• Create and publish content that adds value to users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing PDF guides that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

We have created an entire email training series designed to help you never run out of content for your site:

Also, ask us about WordPress plugins that let you 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 & Engagement

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

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

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Encourage users 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.

Tools & Strategies

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

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

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you should have no problem developing new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new sources of web traffic.

Useful Tips

• Consider creating an e-learning course.
• Publish instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), see other posts on this site to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• Membership Site plugins (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-Learning Courses (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 lets you discover new opportunities to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation 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 get better 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 also investing in 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 help build authority, trust, 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your web site and grow your business online.

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