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 platform.
So far, here is what we have covered 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 to start generating more traffic is add fresh content on a regular basis!)
In Part 2, we look at the setup phase. We help you understand 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 website, and what to do if your site is built using WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you how to set up a WordPress site on your domain)
In Part 3, we look at important configuration decisions. We configured all the settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …
(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part 4, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can bring traffic automatically to your site.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate the distribution of your content to all other marketing channels!)
In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic generation using a number of tools and strategies.
WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems
In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the outcome of a clearly-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems and process in place.
(Optimizing traffic is the product of a business vision, planning, and systems)
Let’s briefly review the systems that will help you grow and manage new traffic.
These include:
- Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to create new traffic for your website.
- Technical Systems – How you ensure that your web presence remains operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to new traffic.
(Systems help you grow, automate, and manage your traffic)
Let’s briefly review the above systems:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to create traffic for your business. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:
- What is your content marketing strategy?
- How will you allocate your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
- Who will create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
- How will you measure the cost-effectiveness 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 to help generate some initial intelligence. 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 better targeted to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is down or your web pages take too long to load.
Your systems include handling areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing 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 server?
- Who is looking after my website and keeping my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
- Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should anything go wrong?
Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, new problems will always arise. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.
Business Systems
Your business systems help you manage and respond to new traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Resources management – human, financial
- Handling sales inquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer service/training
- etc.
If you plan to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement good systems to manage all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Loops
With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on is how to grow and optimize a “traffic loop”.
Let’s go through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the diagram below …
(An effective traffic loop)
Increase Reach And Visibility Online
Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) can help generate actionable and intelligent data, 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 drive more traffic using methods like LinkedIn, videos, cross promotions, etc.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
See previous sections of this tutorial series for many excellent plugins, tools, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.
Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:
- Share your comments and 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, infographics, etc.)
Build Authority And Credibility
Getting more content published is good, but to make this more effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with users.
Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more visitors.
Tips
- Focus on content that adds value to your audience 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.
Tools & Strategies
We have created a complete email course designed to help you never run out of content ideas for your website:
Also, look for WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your 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 tap.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting an online forum, community, or even your own social site.
With “Traffic On Tap,” all of your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with every post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.
Useful Tips
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an email 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.
Plugins, Tools, & Strategies
There are many solutions and WordPress plugins that can help grow your influence and improve engagement. For example:
- Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums & Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls and Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, image galleries, etc.
Identify Needs And Provide Solutions
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what your visitors are looking for, you should have no problem developing new products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of web traffic.
Traffic Ideas
- Consider creating a free or paid e-learning program.
- Publish a special report or even an e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
- Add e-commerce to your business.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), ask us about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:
- 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. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new ways 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 Web Traffic Blueprint – 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 get better your results.
In summary:
- Begin with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by good marketing, technical and business systems,
- Implement a content marketing strategy (consider adding 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 necessary to build authority, trust, 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your WordPress web site and build a better business online.
***
"If you're new to WordPress, this can stand on its own as a training course and will stay with you as you progress from beginner to advanced and even guru status." - Bruce (Columbus, Ohio)
***