In Part One of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series overview, we explained that the key to creating an automated traffic generation machine is to use an “expertly configured” WordPress website.
As we also explained, an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is different than a professionally-configured WordPress web site. An expertly configured WordPress website or blog is a site that is not only powered by the WordPress CMS, but has also been expertly set up and configured (either by yourself or professionally) to take full advantage of the tremendous power, ease-of-use and built-in functionality of WordPress and its integration with other services, specifically in areas like SEO, external site syndication and reporting.
(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do is publish great content regularly to automatically bring web traffic!)
Once you have your WordPress site expertly configured and fully set up, all you need to do then to automatically start driving traffic is publish great content on a regular basis.
As outlined in Part 1 of this article series, the components of this automated online traffic machine are as follows:
- Setup
- Configure
- Automate
- Optimize
In this article, we look at the “Setup” phase of the traffic automation process. You will learn the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, or if you already have an existing site that may or may not have been built using WordPress.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Setup
If You Have No Web Presence Yet
If you haven’t got a web presence yet, it’s quite simple … build a site with WordPress!
WordPress is the most powerful, flexible, cost-effective and easy-to-use content management system available. We provide many articles, tutorials, and tips on this site about the benefits and advantages of using WordPress to grow your business online.
For example, to learn just how popular WordPress has become as a platform for building a web presence, see this article: Some Facts And Figures About WordPress Usage
After choosing to build your web presence with WordPress, the next step is to decide which WordPress platform you will run your web presence on.
This step is very important as there are two types of WordPress platforms available …
WordPress Self-Hosted vs WordPress Hosted
(Self-Hosted vs Hosted WordPress)
WordPress provides users with a “self-hosted” and a “hosted” option.
WordPress.org allows you to download the full-featured WordPress software for free and host a WordPress site or blog using your own domain name. This is the “self-hosted” WordPress option.
In the “hosted option”, WordPress will host your site for free at WordPress.com. There are, however, a number of limitations to what you can and can’t do with your site when it is hosted for free at WordPress.com.
If you are planning to build a professional business presence online and you want to set up the traffic system described here, then choose the “self-hosted” WordPress version. The benefits of choosing the “self-hosted” option (WordPress.org) far outweigh those of hosting a free blog at WordPress.com. You have full control over your web presence and avoid the limitations of the hosted option. Keep in mind that the free hosting limitations can be overcome by upgrading to a paid option, but then why not start off with a WordPress site hosted on your domain and avoid the hassles of upgrading later?
If You Have An Existing Web Site
If you already own an existing website, check if your web site has been built using WordPress.
If you need help with this step, check this article: How To Tell If A Web Site Is A WordPress Website
If your web site was built using WP software, move to the next step, and make sure that your site’s internal settings have been properly configured. We cover this step in more detail in another tutorial.
If your existing website runs on something other than WordPress, then you have some decisions to make.
Take a look at the simple flowchart below …
(Use this simple diagram to help you choose where to set up WordPress on your domain)
Basically, you have two choices:
- Replace your existing website with a WordPress-driven site, or
- Keep your existing site and add a WordPress blog. This blog will then be used to drive traffic to your main site.
If you choose to keep your existing website and add a WordPress blog, make sure to use the self-hosted version of WordPress, which requires your own domain name and web hosting, but allows you to fully configure your blog’s settings and customize the look and feel of your existing website using an appropriate theme for WordPress.
To use WordPress for your main site, install the software in the “root” directory of your domain (e.g. http://www.mydomainname.com).
If you have a website, then you will want to install WordPress in a subfolder of your domain, e.g. www.mydomainname.com/blog (you can name the subfolder anything you want).
If you already have a website that you don’t want to delete or replace with a WordPress site, you can choose to set up your WordPress site or blog on an entirely different domain.
This way:
- mydomainname.com – goes to your existing website
- myotherdomain.com – goes to your WordPress site
Once you have set up your WordPress site, the next step is to configure it. This step is covered in the next article in the series.
This is the end of Section 2
To read the rest of this article, click on the link below:
This article is part of a comprehensive series of articles designed to help you learn how to grow your business online and drive traffic automatically using a WordPress-powered website and proven marketing strategies that are easy and quick to implement.
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