Welcome to Part 5 of our Web 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 1, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your website …
(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to automatically start driving web traffic is add fresh content consistently!)
In Part 2, we focused on the setup phase. We explained 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 site, and what to do if your existing site has been built with WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you how to set up WordPress on your domain)
In Part Three, we looked at configuring WordPress. We explained how to configure web hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …
(In Part Three we explain how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate your traffic using a number of plugins.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate your content distribution to all other marketing channels!)
In this article, we look at ways to optimize the traffic-getting process with a number of different tools and strategies.
WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, the key to generating targeted traffic consistently is having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.
(Generating regular traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, planning, and systems)
Let’s briefly review the systems that will help you grow and manage your new traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to drive traffic to your website.
- Technical Systems – The systems used to keep your web presence optimized for receiving traffic.
- Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to new traffic.
(Systems help you grow, automate, and manage your traffic)
Let’s briefly review how important these systems are:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to drive new traffic to your business. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
- How will you assign your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
- Who will 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 to help 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 better targeted to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems keep your web presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is down or your pages take too long to load.
Your technical systems need to be able to adequately handle areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.
Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- Who is looking after my server?
- Who looks after my website and keeps my site maintained and up-to-date?
- Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if you experience difficulties?
Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, new problems will always arise. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.
Business Systems
You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage the influx of traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Resources management – human, financial
- Handling leads and sales inquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer training/service
- etc.
If you plan to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you also implement good systems for managing all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization
With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on is how to implement and optimize your “traffic loop”.
Let’s go through an example of how to implement, optimize, and further automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …
(An effective traffic loop)
Increase Reach & Visibility Online
The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your website.
Useful Tips & Ideas
- An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to 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 data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
- Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to get more web traffic using methods like Pinterest advertising, solo ads, email, etc.
Plugins, Tools, & Methods
See earlier sections of this tutorial series for a number of useful plugins, tools, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.
Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress site:
- 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 various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)
Build Authority & Credibility
Getting more of your content out there is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.
Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting it shared around and viewed by more people and hence more traffic.
Tips
- Focus on content that adds value to users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that you can sell or distribute online.
Plugins, Tools, & Methods
If you need help coming up with great topics for content that you can post on your website, then subscribe to our email training course on content marketing here:
Also, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website:
- Legal Pages
- Testimonials
- Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
- Ratings
- User Reviews
- Badges/Certificates Of Recognition
Grow Influence And Engagement
At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by building a list or starting an online forum, membership site, or even your own social network.
With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic comes from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with a single post or broadcast.
Traffic Optimization Tips
- Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Start or join an online group on LinkedIn.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
There are many solutions and plugins that are easy to implement and can help grow your influence and improve user engagement. For example:
- List-Building Software (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, 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/Problems & Provide Solutions To These
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new sources of web traffic.
Useful Tips
- Create an online training program.
- Consider publishing a special report that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
- Consider adding e-commerce to your site.
Plugins, Tools, And Methods
If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), ask us about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:
- 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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.
You should have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary
Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is rinse and repeat, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and improve 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 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 as required to help build authority 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, this article has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your web site and get better results online.
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"I am beyond impressed with what you have put together. I can tell that you put a ton of hard work into building what you have. You have the absolute best content on WordPress I have ever seen!" - Robert T. Jillie
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