Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to drive new traffic automatically to your site using WordPress.
So far, here is what we have covered in this series:
In Part 1, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your website …
(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do is add web content regularly to automatically generate more web traffic!)
In Part Two, we look at the setup phase of the automation process. We help you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your existing website was built with WordPress.
(In Part two we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)
In Part 3, we discussed the configuration phase. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …
(In Part Three you will configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part 4, we looked at ways to automate traffic to your website with different plugins.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate your content distribution to all other channels!)
In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize traffic generation with different tools and methods.
WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process 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 include:
- Marketing Systems – How you create traffic for your business.
- Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence optimized for receiving traffic.
- Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.
(Use systems to grow, automate, optimize, and manage your traffic)
Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your website. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:
- What is your content marketing strategy/online marketing strategy?
- How will you apply your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
- Who will create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
- How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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. Google AdWords) to help you generate some results. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield 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.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your web pages are taking a very long time to load.
Your technical systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.
You can test your technical systems by 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 issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect to face new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.
Business Systems
Your business systems and processes help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:
- Communication systems
- Resources management – human, financial
- Handling leads and sales inquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer training/service
- etc.
If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then you will need excellent systems in place for managing all outsourcing.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation
If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is to implement your “traffic loop”.
Let’s go through an example of implementing, optimizing, and further automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the illustration below …
(Implementing an effective traffic loop)
Increase Reach & Visibility Online
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 allows you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources 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 can help you generate some initial actionable and intelligent 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 different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to bring web visitors using methods like SEO, podcasts, joint ventures, etc.
Tools, Plugins, & Methods
See earlier sections of this tutorial series for many useful tools, plugins, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.
Also, 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.
- Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)
Build Authority And Credibility
Getting more of your content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with users.
Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more people to link to it and share it with others and hence more visitors.
Traffic Ideas
- Create and publish content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing expert reports that you can sell or distribute online.
Plugins, Tools, & Strategies
We have created an entire course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and ways to never run out of web content ideas that you can plug into at no cost here:
Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts on this site to learn more about plugins that allow you to 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 & Engagement
At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting an online group.
With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate traffic with a single blog post or email.
Tips
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a paid or free membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Create or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.
Plugins, Tools, & Methods
Many solutions and plugins are available that can help increase your online influence and improve engagement. For example:
- List-Building Software (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums & 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
By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what your visitors are searching for, you should have no problem developing new services, products, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new streams of traffic.
Tips
- Create an e-learning course.
- Consider publishing special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
- Consider adding e-commerce to your business.
Plugins, Tools, And Methods
If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to consider adding to your website 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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.
Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.
WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – 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 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 needed to build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to increase 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 information has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your web site and build a more successful business online.
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"I have used the tutorials to teach all of my clients and it has probably never been so easy for everyone to learn WordPress ... Now I don't need to buy all these very expensive video courses that often don't deliver what they promise." - Stefan Wendt, Internet Marketing Success Group
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