Category: WordPress Optimization

Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to grow your business online automatically using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One of this article series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do is post web content regularly to automatically drive more traffic!)

In Part 2, we look at the setup phase. We help you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing site has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focused on the configuration phase of the automation blueprint. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 we explain how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can get visitors automatically to your website whenever you begin to add new content on a regular basis.

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

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website with different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to drive traffic to your website.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Use systems to grow, automate, and manage your web traffic)

Let’s briefly review how important these systems are for traffic:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to create new traffic for your business. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apply your budget and resources to these marketing channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the ROI of your online 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) to help generate some results. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

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

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks 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 things go wrong?

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

Business Systems

You need good business systems to help you manage and respond to the influx of traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement excellent systems for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Strategies

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

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

(WordPress can help you implement, optimize, and automate your traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to social media accounts 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 can help you generate actionable and intelligent data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase traffic using methods like Twitter ads, YouTube, forum ads, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

Also, if you haven’t already, 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 with others,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for shares/likes,
• Accept user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in different media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content published is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.

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 traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create and publish content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing PDF guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools, Plugins, & 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 content ideas that you can plug into for free here:

Also, see other posts on this site to learn more 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 Recognition

Grow Influence & Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by growing a list or starting a membership site.

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic will come from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with a single blog post or email.

Tips

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

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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

• List-Building Software (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs & Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what users need, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new sources of traffic.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning course.
• Publish a special report that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

• Membership Site plugins (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 interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new ways to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

You should have already installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Traffic System – 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 improve your results.

In summary:

• Start 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 traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other methods if required 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your WordPress web site and build a more successful business online.

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