Category: WordPress Optimization

Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to turn a site into an automated traffic generation machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One of this series, we describe the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is post great content on a regular basis to bring traffic!)

In Part Two, we discussed the setup phase. We helped you understand the best way to start 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 was built using WordPress.

(In Part 2 we show you how to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part Three, we focused on the configuration phase of this blueprint. We configured all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part 4, we explained how to set up various plugins that can bring new visitors automatically to your website or blog.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize the traffic system with a number of different tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Systems

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

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to keep your digital presence up and running 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 importance of the above systems:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels do you plan to use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you apply to these channels?
• How will you create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results of your 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. Facebook ads) to help you generate some initial actionable data, such as the keyword phrases 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 and processes ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your pages take a very long time to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks after my webhosting?
• 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. should things go wrong?

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

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes in place to help you manage traffic. This includes:

• Communication systems
• Managing human and financial resources
• Handling leads and 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 good systems for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is focus on how to develop, optimize, and automate your “traffic loop”.

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

(WordPress can help implement and optimize your traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

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

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to 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 online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate 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.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more traffic using methods like Pinterest ads, YouTube, email ads, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content out there is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also 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 people to share it with others and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Focus on 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 educational guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.

Tools And Strategies

We have created an entire course on content creation that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:

• Legal Pages
• Testimonials
• Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
• Ratings
• User Reviews
• Badges/Certificates Of Recognition

Grow Influence & Engagement

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

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic will come from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with every blog post you publish or email broadcast you send out.

Tips

• Encourage commenting and 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 an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & 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 find out what your visitors are looking for, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services, products, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Traffic Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning course.
• Publish an instructional e-book that can be sold or distributed online.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to consider adding to your website include:

• 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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to gather and interpret data from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new opportunities to create content that can generate you additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – 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:

• Begin with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by solid 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 methods as necessary to help build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to increase 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 website and build a better business online.

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