Tag: Drive More Visitors To WordPress Site

Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to turn your website into an automated traffic machine using WordPress.

So far, here is what we have covered in this article series:

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do to start generating web traffic is add content consistently!)

In Part 2, we look at the setup phase. We explain the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a website, and what to do if your website was built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focused on important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we looked at ways to automate your traffic with WordPress plugins.

(Publish content one-time and automate your content distribution to all other marketing channels!)

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize your traffic with a number of different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a well-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and great systems in place.

(Automating traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your web presence optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

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 online marketing strategy?
• How will you apportion your budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the results of your online 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 to help generate 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 and processes keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages take a very long time to load.

Your systems need to adequately handle technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating software (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks after my webhosting?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if you experience difficulties?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, new problems will arise. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems in place to help you manage the influx of new traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have implemented good systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Loops

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus your efforts on is developing and optimizing a “traffic loop”.

Let’s go through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the flowchart below …

(Implementing, automating and optimizing a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as your resources will allow.

Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on places 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 you generate some initial data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get more traffic using methods like LinkedIn advertising, videos, updates, etc.

Tools & Methods

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

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is great, but to make this more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing expert reports that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

We have created a comprehensive course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and ways to never run out of content ideas that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• 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 building a list or starting your own online community or social network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic comes from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with a single post or broadcast.

Useful Tips

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Start or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, 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 Problems And Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your users are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new streams of web traffic.

Tips

• Consider creating an e-learning program.
• Publish expert reports that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

• 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. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the process over and over again, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and get better 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 solutions as required to help 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, this information has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your WordPress web site and get better results online.

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