Category: WordPress Optimization

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

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

In Part 1 of this series, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do to automatically start attracting web traffic is post new content consistently!)

In Part 2, we look at the setup phase. We explain the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing site has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we discussed the configuration phase. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate the traffic system using various WordPress plugins.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic generation using a number of tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – 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 excellent systems and process in place.

(Automating traffic is the product 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 systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to create traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your web presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, and manage your 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 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 new traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you assign your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• How will you create and optimize 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 to help you 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 better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

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

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

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

• Who will look after my server?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site 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 process and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you should expect to face new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems to help you manage the influx of new traffic. This includes:

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Loops

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

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

(Implementing, automating and optimizing a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as your resources will allow.

Traffic Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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 can help generate some initial data, 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 get visitors using methods like Pinterest ads, PPC advertising, StumbleUpon, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

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

Also, see other posts on this site to learn more about WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content published is a great first step, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and viewed by more people and hence more visitors.

Traffic Optimization 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 educational guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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 ideas for web content that you can plug into at no cost here:

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

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

Grow Influence And Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online community or even your own social network.

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 reputation can be used to generate traffic with every post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.

Traffic Optimization Tips

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

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

• List-Building Tools (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums and Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Problems And Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Traffic Ideas

• Create a free or paid e-learning program.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides that can be sold or distributed online.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your business.

Tools And Strategies

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

• Membership Sites (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-Learning Courses (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 ways to create additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – 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 good 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 solutions if required 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 article has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your WordPress web site and build a better business online.

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