Category: WordPress Optimization

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your website using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part One, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your site …

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

In Part Two, we focused on the setup phase. We helped you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything 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 focus on the configuration phase. We configured web hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three we explain how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help bring web traffic automatically to your website as you begin to add fresh content consistently.

(Publish content one-time, automate the rest!)

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize your traffic with different tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Systems

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

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

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

These systems include:

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

(Use systems to grow and manage your web traffic)

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

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to drive traffic to your website. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What is your content marketing/online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results of your 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 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 web content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

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

Your systems need to adequately handle areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new software (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.

Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• Who is looking after my server?
• Who will look after my website and keep my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if you experience difficulties?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you should expect problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

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

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have good systems in place for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

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

(Implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as you can.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically distribute your content to places like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) can help you generate some initial data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get visitors using methods like paid advertising, PPC advertising, StumbleUpon, etc.

Tools & Strategies

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

Also, if you haven’t already, look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content published is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Focus on creating content that adds value to potential visitors 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” e-book that can be sold or distributed online.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

If you need endless content ideas for your website, we recommend subscribing to our email training series here:

Also, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your 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 tap.” You can do this by building a list or starting an online community or even your own social network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic will come from an audience of 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 broadcast.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Encourage visitors 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, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, 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 And Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what users want, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create an online training program.
• Consider publishing educational guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools & Strategies

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

• Membership Sites (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 traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – 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 get better your results.

In summary:

• Start with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by solid marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (with 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 help 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 drive more traffic automatically to your WordPress web site and improve your business online.

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