Tag: Drive More Traffic To Website

Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your website using WordPress.

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

In Part One of this series, we provided an overview of the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do is publish new content on a consistent basis to start attracting traffic!)

In Part 2, we discuss the setup phase. We help you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your existing website has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we discussed important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three you will configure all the settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we looked at ways to automate the traffic-getting process using various WordPress plugins.

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

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize traffic generation using a number of tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation 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 well-defined business vision, great digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to drive new traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you 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 for traffic:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels do you plan to use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you allocate to these channels?
• Who will create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results of your 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 initial 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 keep your digital presence up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking a very long time to load.

Your technical systems need to be able to adequately handle technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, 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, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should any issues occur?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you will run into new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems to help you manage traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have systems in place for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is focus on how to develop 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 and website.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly share your content on 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.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) can help you generate actionable 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 get more web site visitors using methods like Twitter ads, banner ads, cross promotions, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

See earlier sections of this article series for many useful tools and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• Share your 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, audio, etc.)

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content out there is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more visitors.

Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to potential users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing expert guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.

Tools & Methods

We have created an entire email training series aimed at helping you never run out of content ideas for posting to your site:

Also, see other posts and tutorials on this site to 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 demand.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting a forum or network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic will come from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with every post you publish, forum post you add, or email you send out.

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.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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

• Autoresponders (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, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what your visitors want, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products and services, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new sources of traffic.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Consider creating an online training course.
• Consider publishing an educational guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
• Add an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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 or blog 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. Learning to gather and interpret data from existing traffic allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the cycle, 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 traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions if needed to build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to increase 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 automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your WordPress website and improve your business online.

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