Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn a website into an automated web traffic generating machine using the WordPress CMS platform.
So far, we have covered the following in this article series:
In Part One of this series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated web traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do is publish new content on a regular basis to automatically generate more web traffic!)
In Part 2, we look at critical setup decisions. We explain the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing site has been built using WordPress.
(In Part two we show you how to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)
In Part Three, we focused on the configuration phase. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …
(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate traffic generation using plugins.
(Publish content once and automate your content distribution to all other channels!)
In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize your traffic using a number of tools and strategies.
WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems
In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and great systems in place.
(Automating traffic is the result of a business vision, planning, and great systems)
Let’s briefly review the systems that will help you grow and manage your traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your business.
- Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.
(Use systems to grow and manage your traffic)
Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are for traffic:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to create traffic for your business. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What is your content marketing strategy/online marketing strategy?
- What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
- How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
- How will you test and measure the ROI of your online 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 results. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems and processes ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages take a very long time to load.
Your systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating software (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.
You can test your technical systems by questions such as:
- Who is looking after my webhosting?
- Who is looking after my website and keeping 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 process and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, you should expect new problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.
Business Systems
Your business systems help you manage the influx of traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling sales enquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer training/service
- etc.
If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you also implement great systems to manage all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization
With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on is how to grow, optimize, and further automate your “traffic loop”.
Let’s walk 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 And Visibility Online
The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many potential users as your resources allow.
Traffic Optimization Tips
- Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on sites 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 website, which you can use to create 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 visitors using methods like LinkedIn ads, videos, Reddit, etc.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
We’ve already covered many excellent tools, plugins, and methods in earlier sections of this tutorial series.
Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:
- Share your comments and posts online,
- Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for likes/shares,
- Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Publish and distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)
Build Authority And Credibility
Getting more content published is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with users.
Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared around and viewed by more people and hence more visitors.
Tips
- Focus on creating content that adds value to users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing an educational guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
Tools, Plugins, And Strategies
If you need great content ideas for your web site, we recommend subscribing to our FREE email training course on content marketing here:
Also, learn more about 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 & 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 online community or social network.
With “Traffic On Demand,” all of your traffic will come from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with every blog post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.
Tips
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
- Start or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.
Plugins, Tools, And Strategies
There are many solutions and plugins that are easy to implement and can help increase your online influence and improve user engagement. For example:
- List-Building Solutions (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums and Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls and Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, video galleries, etc.
Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your users are trying to solve, you can develop new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.
Useful Tips
- Create a free or paid online training course.
- Publish instructional PDF guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed 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), then some of the more useful WordPress 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. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.
You should have already installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.
WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary
All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the process over and over again, 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 solid 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 as necessary 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your WordPress website and get better results 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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