Category: WordPress Optimization

Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn your website into an automated web traffic generating machine using WordPress.

So far, we have covered the following in this article series:

In Part 1, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your site …

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

In Part Two, we look at critical setup decisions. We explain 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 website, and what to do if your website has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discussed the configuration phase of the automation process. We configured web hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help bring new traffic automatically to your site as you begin to publish fresh content.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize traffic generation with a number of different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

(Generating consistent traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)

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

These systems include:

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

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

Let’s briefly review how important these systems are:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• 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 track conversions and measure the results 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. pay-per-click ads) to help you generate some results. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your web presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your web pages are taking a very long time to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking after my webhosting?
• 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 problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you should expect new problems to arise. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems and processes help you manage the influx of traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have implemented great systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Loops

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is to implement and optimize a “traffic loop”.

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

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

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your business and website.

Traffic Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources 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 some initial actionable and intelligent data such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get visitors using methods like Twitter ads, solo ads, joint ventures, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

See earlier sections of this article series for many useful plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, contact us to learn more about WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content published is good, but to make this activity more 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.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Create and publish content that adds value to potential users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a “how to” guide that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

We have created an entire email course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, content creation tools, and ways to never run out of new content ideas that you can plug into for free here:

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us 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 Trust

Grow Influence And Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting an online group.

With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic comes from 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 post or email.

Traffic Optimization Tips

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

Tools And Strategies

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

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums and Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, video galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what your visitors need, you should have no problem developing new services, products, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create a free or paid online training program.
• Publish a special report or even an e-book that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

• Membership Site plugins (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-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 lets you discover new traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the cycle, 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 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 if necessary to build authority, trust, 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 article has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your WordPress web site and get better results online.

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