Category: Traffic Generation

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

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

In Part 1, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to automatically attract web traffic is add content on a regular basis!)

In Part 2, we look at the setup phase. We help you understand the best way to start 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 existing website was built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focused on important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various plugins that can bring traffic automatically to your website just by posting fresh content.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize your traffic using different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis is the result of a clearly-defined business vision, great digital planning, and great systems and process in place.

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

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

These include:

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

(Use systems to grow and manage your traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• How will you assign your budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) to help generate some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking a long time to load.

Your technical systems need to handle technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (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 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. should anything go wrong?

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

Business Systems

Your business systems and processes 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 you will need to put systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on are ways to implement, optimize, and further automate a “traffic loop”.

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

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

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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 you generate actionable 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 drive more web traffic using methods like Pinterest, PPC advertising, Reddit, etc.

Tools & Strategies

See previous sections of this article series for many useful plugins, tools, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

Also, see other posts on this site to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more traffic.

Tips

• Create and publish 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 PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Tools And Strategies

We have created a comprehensive email course on content creation that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts on this site to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website:

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

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 your own community.

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

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.

Tools And Strategies

There are many solutions and WordPress plugins that can help grow your online influence and improve engagement. For example:

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & 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 find out what problems your users are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new streams of traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Consider creating an online training program.
• Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

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

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Traffic System – 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 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 initial traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other methods as necessary to help build authority, trust, 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, this information has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your WordPress website and expand your business online.

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