Category: Traffic Generation

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to turn a website into an automated traffic generating machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do to automatically begin attracting new web traffic is publish great content regularly!)

In Part 2, we discuss critical setup decisions. We help you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your site has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we look at configuring WordPress. We explained how to configure all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can bring web traffic automatically to your website as you begin publishing content.

(Publish content once and automate your content distribution to all other services!)

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website using different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the outcome of a clearly-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and great systems in place.

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

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

These include:

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

(Use systems to grow, automate, optimize, and manage your web traffic)

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels do you plan to use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you allocate your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize 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 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 keep your online presence up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages are taking a long time to load.

Your technical systems need to handle areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating software (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, 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 maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should anything go wrong?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you will always run into many new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage traffic. This includes:

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Tools & Strategies

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is focus on how to implement, optimize, and automate your “traffic loop”.

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

(Implement, optimize, and automate your traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many potential users as your time and resources will allow.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow 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 data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get web site traffic using methods like paid advertising, social media, Reddit, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

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

• Share your comments and posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for likes/shares,
• Add 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 to make this more effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with users.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more people to link to it and share it with others and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

We have created a detailed course on content creation that you can plug into for free here:

Also, contact us to learn more about 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 Recognition

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, membership site, or even your own social network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” 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 a single post or broadcast.

Useful Tips

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

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

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

Identify Needs And Provide Solutions To These

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

Tips

• Create an online training course.
• Publish a PDF guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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 add 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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to gather and interpret data from existing traffic allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Web Traffic System – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the cycle, 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 (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 solutions 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 automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your website and get better results online.

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