Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to drive traffic automatically to your site using the WordPress CMS.
So far, we have covered the following in this series:
In Part One of this series, we described the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to begin bringing new web traffic is post great content on a consistent basis!)
In Part 2, we discussed the setup phase of the blueprint. We helped you understand the best way to get started 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 website has been built using WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you how to set up WordPress on your domain)
In Part 3, we look at the configuration phase. We configured all the settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(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 showed you how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help bring visitors automatically to your site just by posting new content.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate the distribution of your content to all other services!)
In this article, we discuss ways to optimize traffic generation using different tools and strategies.
WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clearly-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems in place.
(Generating consistent traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and great systems)
Let’s briefly review the systems that will help you grow and manage new traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – How you drive traffic to your business.
- Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to keep your web presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
- Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.
(Systems help you grow and manage your traffic)
Let’s review the above systems briefly:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to create traffic for your website. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What is your online marketing strategy?
- What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these marketing channels?
- How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
- How will you test 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) to help generate some initial actionable data, such as the keyword phrases 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 ensure that your web presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your web pages are taking a long time to load.
Your technical systems need to handle areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.
Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- Who looks 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 problems can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you should expect new 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 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 intend to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have good systems in place for managing all outsourcing.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Strategies
With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus your efforts on is developing a “traffic loop”.
Let’s go through an example of implementing, optimizing, and further automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the processes illustrated below …
(An effective traffic loop)
Increase Reach & Visibility
The first step of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as possible.
Traffic Ideas
- Your expertly configured WordPress site allows 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 through your expertly configured WordPress site.
- As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help generate data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
- Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to drive web traffic using methods like LinkedIn ads, podcasts, forum signatures, etc.
Tools And Methods
We’ve already covered a number of excellent tools, plugins, and strategies in earlier sections of this tutorial series.
Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:
- Share your comments and posts online with others,
- Run contests, offer discounts or downloads for likes/shares,
- Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)
Build Authority & Credibility
Getting more content out there is a great first step, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.
Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more people to share it around and hence more visitors.
Useful Tips & Ideas
- Focus on content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing a special report that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
Tools, Plugins, & Methods
We have created an entire email email-based training course designed to help you never run out of great content ideas for posting to your web site:
Also, look for 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 Trust
Grow Influence And Engagement
As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting your own community.
With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic will come from 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 blog post or broadcast.
Useful Tips
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free or paid membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.
Tools And Strategies
Many solutions and plugins are available that can help grow your influence and improve user engagement. For example:
- List-Building Tools (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls & Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, video galleries, etc.
Identify Needs & Provide Solutions To These
By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what your visitors are searching for, you can develop new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating new streams of traffic.
Tips
- Create an online training program.
- Consider publishing PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
- Add e-commerce to your site.
Tools, Plugins, & Methods
If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to add to your site include:
- Membership Site plugins (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 traffic opportunities.
Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.
WordPress Web Traffic System – Summary
All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the process, 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 traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
- Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions as required to build authority and credibility, and also to improve 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 automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your website and build a more successful business online.
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