Category: Traffic Generation

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to drive visitors automatically to your site using the WordPress CMS platform.

So far, we have covered the following in this 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 website or blog is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do to automatically start generating web traffic is publish fresh content consistently!)

In Part Two, we discussed the setup phase of the blueprint. We helped 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 website has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focus on the configuration phase. We configured web hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part Four, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can get web traffic automatically to your website or blog whenever you begin to publish content on a consistent basis.

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

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

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the result of having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to keep your online presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, and manage your web traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to drive traffic to your business. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you allocate to these channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the ROI 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 to help generate some actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

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

Your systems include handling areas like webhosting, website 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 is looking after my webhosting?
• Who will look after my website and keep 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 issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, there will always be new problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

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

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement good systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on is growing, optimizing and automating a “traffic loop”.

Let’s walk 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 and optimize your traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

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

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) can help generate some initial actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more web traffic using methods like Pinterest advertising, solo ads, Reddit, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority And 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 visitors.

Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Focus on content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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

Also, ask us about plugins that let you 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 & Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online forum or network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” 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 every blog post you publish or broadcast you send out.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Tools & Methods

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

• List-Building Tools (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums and 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

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what your visitors want, you can develop new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Tips

• Create a free or paid online training course.
• Consider publishing educational guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools And Strategies

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to add to your website include:

• 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 the collection and analysis of data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – 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 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 traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other methods if necessary to build authority and credibility, and also to improve 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 traffic automatically to your web site and build a more successful business online.

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