Category: WordPress Configuration

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn your website into an automated traffic machine using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part One, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do is add fresh content consistently to bring traffic!)

In Part 2, we discussed critical setup decisions. We explained the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing website was built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discussed important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure all the settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 we explain how to configure all the settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate your traffic with different WordPress plugins.

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

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize your traffic with a number of different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to create traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to ensure that your online presence remains operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your traffic)

Let’s briefly review the above systems:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies 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 drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you apply to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI of your online 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) to help you generate some actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your pages are taking a long time to load.

Your systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks after my server?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should things go wrong?

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

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes to help you manage and respond to the influx of new traffic. These include:

• Communication systems
• Managing human and financial resources
• Handling leads and sales inquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer service/training
• etc.

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

WordPress Web Traffic System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many traffic generation sites and channels as you can.

Useful Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate actionable and intelligent data such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create 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 traffic using methods like Pinterest, YouTube, email ads, etc.

Tools & Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is a great first step, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with users.

Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create and publish 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 an educational guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.

Tools & Methods

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

Also, see other posts and tutorials 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 Trust

Grow Influence And Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting an online network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic comes from an audience of 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, forum post you add, or email broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips & 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, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Start or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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

• Autoresponders (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 & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what users are searching for, you can develop new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Consider creating an e-learning course.
• Consider publishing educational guides that you can sell or distribute online.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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 consider adding to your site 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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new opportunities to create additional traffic.

You should already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret 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 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 solutions as necessary 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 information has given you 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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