Category: WordPress Sales Funnel

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

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

In Part 1, we describe the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do to generate more traffic is publish new content on a consistent basis!)

In Part 2, we focused on the setup phase. We explained 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 website has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focus on important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help drive new visitors automatically to your website when you begin posting content.

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

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic generation process with different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Systems

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

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive traffic to your website.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.

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

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy/online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you apportion to your marketing channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test 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 actionable 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’s needs.

Technical Systems

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

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

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

• Who is looking after my server?
• 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. when issues occur?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, there will always be problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

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

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need systems in place to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

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

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows 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 actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring web site visitors using methods like LinkedIn advertising, videos, joint ventures, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

We’ve covered a number of useful tools and methods in earlier sections of this tutorial series.

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

• Share your comments and posts online,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for shares/likes,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• 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 for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating 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 a “how-to” e-book that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Tools And Methods

If you need help coming up with ideas for posting content on your site, we recommend subscribing to our FREE email training course on growing your business online with content marketing here:

Also, learn more about WordPress 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 And Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting an online group.

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

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

Tools And Strategies

There are many solutions and plugins that are easy to implement and can help increase your online influence and improve engagement. For example:

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

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for new services, products, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create a free or paid online training course.
• Publish a PDF guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

If you plan to provide services, products, 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 or blog 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 the collection and analysis of data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic lets you discover new opportunities to create content that can generate you additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress Web 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:

• 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 initial traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other methods if required to build authority and credibility, and also to improve 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, this post has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your WordPress web site and build a better business online.

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