Category: WordPress Sales Funnel

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

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

In Part 1, we provided an overview of the traffic automation process, and explained 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 to begin attracting more web traffic is post new content regularly!)

In Part 2, we discussed the setup phase. We helped you understand the best way to get started 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 website has been built using WordPress.

(In Part two we show you where to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)

In Part 3, we look at the configuration phase of the automation blueprint. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three you will configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate the traffic-generation process using WordPress plugins.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic system using various tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

(Generating consistent 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 your new traffic.

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Use systems to grow, automate, and manage your web traffic)

Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you apply to these channels?
• Who will create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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. Facebook ads) to help generate some initial actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages take too long to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking 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. should things go wrong?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, you will run into problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

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

• Communication systems
• Resources management – human, financial
• Handling leads and sales enquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer service/training
• 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 Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

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

Let’s go through an example of how to implement, optimize, and further automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the processes illustrated below …

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.

Tips

• Your 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 you generate some initial actionable data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring traffic using methods like LinkedIn advertising, solo ads, cross promotions, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content published is a great first step, but to make this more effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with users.

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more people to link to it and share it around and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to potential visitors and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report or even an e-book that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools And Methods

We have created a detailed course on content creation that you can plug into for free here:

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more 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 Trust

Grow Influence And 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 group.

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic will come from 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 you send out.

Useful Tips

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

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

Many solutions and plugins are available that are easy to implement and can help grow your online 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, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs & Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you can develop new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Consider creating an e-learning program.
• Consider publishing expert guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools & Strategies

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

• 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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics program like 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 improve your results.

In summary:

• Begin with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by good marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (with 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 needed 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, 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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