Category: WordPress Sales Funnel

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

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

In Part One, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to generate traffic is publish great content regularly!)

In Part Two, we focus on the setup phase. We explain 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 website is built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discussed the configuration phase of this blueprint. We configured all the settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you will configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various plugins that can drive new traffic automatically to your site.

(Publish once, automate the rest!)

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website using different tools and strategies.

WordPress 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 clear business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Generating consistent traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, planning, and systems)

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

These include:

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

(Systems help you 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 drive traffic to your business. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What channels do you plan to use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you allocate your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the cost-effectiveness 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) 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 content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your web presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages are taking a long time to load.

Your systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new software (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, 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 issues can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you will run into problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

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

• Communication systems
• Managing human and financial resources
• Handling leads and sales enquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer training/service
• etc.

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your business.

Useful Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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 data such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get traffic using methods like Twitter, videos, Reddit, etc.

Tools & Strategies

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

Also, ask us about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress site:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content out there is good, but to make this more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with users.

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

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

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

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

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts on this site 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 & Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online community or even your own social site.

With “Traffic On Tap,” all of your traffic comes from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with every post you publish or email broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Create or join an online group on Facebook.

Tools And Strategies

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

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

Identify Problems And Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what your visitors want, you should have no problem developing new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new streams of traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create a free or paid e-learning program.
• Publish instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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

• 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 generate additional traffic.

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the same process, 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 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 methods if required to 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 automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your website and expand your business online.

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