Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to drive visitors automatically to your site using the WordPress CMS platform.
So far, here is what we have covered in this article series:
In Part 1 of this article series, 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 site, all you have to do is post fresh content on a regular basis to automatically start generating more traffic!)
In Part 2, 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 was built using WordPress.
(In Part two we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)
In Part Three, we discussed the configuration phase of the automation process. We configured all the settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(In Part 3 you will configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate traffic generation with different plugins.
(Publish once and automate your content distribution to all other marketing channels!)
In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic system using various tools and methods.
WordPress Web Traffic System – Systems
In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, generating high-quality traffic on a consistent basis comes from a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and great systems and process in place.
(Generating regular traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)
Let’s review the systems that will help you grow and manage all traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – How you create traffic for your website.
- Technical Systems – How you keep your online presence up and running for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.
(Use systems to grow, automate, optimize, and manage your traffic)
Let’s briefly review the above systems:
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 is your content marketing/online marketing strategy?
- What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you allocate to these channels?
- Who will create your content and marketing campaigns?
- How will you 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. Google AdWords) to help 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 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 up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages take a long time to load.
Your systems need to adequately handle areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new software (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.
You can test your technical systems by questions such as:
- Who looks after my webhosting?
- 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. if you experience difficulties?
Many potential issues can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, new problems will always arise. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.
Business Systems
You need good business systems to help you manage traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling sales enquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer training/service
- etc.
If you intend to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical support, then you will need to put systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization
With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is to grow, optimize, and automate your “traffic loop”.
Let’s go through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …
(Implementing an effective traffic loop)
Increase Reach & Visibility Online
Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.
Useful Tips & Ideas
- An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to social media accounts 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 generate actionable data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.
- Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to drive more web site visitors using methods like LinkedIn ads, YouTube, updates, etc.
Tools And Strategies
See earlier sections of this article series for a number of useful tools and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.
Also, if you haven’t already, look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:
- Share your posts online,
- Run contests, offer discounts or downloads for shares/likes,
- Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)
Build Authority And Credibility
Getting more content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.
Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.
Traffic Tips
- Focus on content that adds value to potential users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing a special report that you can sell or distribute online.
Tools And Methods
We have created a complete email training series designed to help you never run out of content ideas for your website:
Also, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress website:
- Legal Pages
- Testimonials
- Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
- Ratings
- User Reviews
- Badges/Certificates Of Trust
Grow Influence & Engagement
As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting a community.
With “Traffic On Demand,” most of 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 new traffic with a single post or email.
Tips
- Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
- Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
- Create or join an online group on Facebook.
Plugins, Tools, & Strategies
Many solutions and plugins are available that are easy to implement and can help increase your online influence and improve user engagement. For example:
- List-Building Software (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, image galleries, etc.
Identify Problems & Provide Solutions To These
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what your visitors want, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new streams of traffic.
Tips
- Consider creating an online training course.
- Consider publishing PDF guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
- Add an e-commerce store to your site.
Tools And Strategies
If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:
- 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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.
You should have already installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.
WordPress Web Traffic 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 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 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 as required to help build authority 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your web site and build a better business online.
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"This is an awesome training series. I have a pretty good understanding of WordPress already, but this is helping me to move somewhere from intermediate to advanced user!" - Kim Lednum
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