Category: Traffic Generation

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to automate traffic to your site using the WordPress CMS.

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

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do to automatically generate traffic is publish great content consistently!)

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

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

In Part Three, we discussed the configuration phase of the traffic automation blueprint. We configured webhosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 we explain how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate the traffic system using various WordPress plugins.

(Publish content one-time and automate your content distribution to all other services!)

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating consistent traffic of high quality is having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

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

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

These systems include:

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

(Systems help you grow, automate, 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 methods used to drive new traffic to your business. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What channels do you plan to use to drive traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apportion your budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the results 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 to help you generate some intelligence. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases 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 keep your web presence up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your pages take a long time to load.

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

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

• Who is looking 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 anything go wrong?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you can expect 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 and respond to traffic. This includes:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have implemented good systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(Implement and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly notify and publicize your content to social media accounts 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 data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get more traffic using methods like Pinterest, podcasts, forum signatures, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We’ve already covered a number of excellent tools, plugins, and methods in previous sections of this article series.

Also, look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content published is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.

Traffic Tips

• Focus on creating content that adds value to users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an e-book that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools & Methods

We have created a detailed course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and how to never run out of ideas for content that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:

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

Grow Influence And Engagement

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

With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic comes from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with every blog post you publish or email you send out.

Tips

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

Tools And Strategies

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

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

Identify Problems & Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your users are trying to solve, you can develop new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Tips

• Create an online training program.
• Consider publishing an instructional PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools & Strategies

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), ask us about WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

• 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.

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

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the process, 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 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 if required 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, this post has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your web site and build a better business online.

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