Category: WordPress Optimization

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

So far, we have covered the following in this 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 generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do is add new content consistently to start generating new traffic!)

In Part Two, we looked at critical setup decisions. We helped you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your site was built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focus on important configuration decisions. We configured web hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part Three you will configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate traffic generation using a number of plugins.

(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 article series, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website using a number of tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, the key to generating high-quality traffic on a consistent basis is having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to drive new traffic to your website.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you 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. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you apportion to these channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI of your online 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 to help you generate some initial intelligence. 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 site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your digital presence up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is down or your 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.

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 maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if you experience difficulties?

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

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes in place to help you manage the influx of new traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then you will need good systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically syndicate your content to sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) can help generate actionable and intelligent 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.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring web traffic using methods like Twitter advertising, banner ads, forum signatures, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

We’ve already covered a number of excellent tools, plugins, and strategies in earlier sections of this tutorial series.

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is good, but to make this activity more effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Focus on content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

We have created an entire email email-based training course aimed at helping you never run out of content ideas for posting to your website or blog:

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

• 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 demand.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting your own online community or social network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic comes from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate traffic with a single post or broadcast.

Useful Tips

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

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

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

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your users are trying to solve, you should have no problem developing new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Tips

• Create an e-learning program.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools & Strategies

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions 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 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 learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

You should already have installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do 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 (consider also investing in 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 as necessary to help build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to increase engagement with users,
• 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 post has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your website and improve your business online.

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