Tag: Drive More Visitors To WordPress Site

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to grow your business online automatically using WordPress.

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

In Part One of this article series, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to bring more traffic is add new content consistently!)

In Part Two, we look at critical setup decisions. 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 is built using WordPress.

(In Part two we show you where to set up a WordPress web site on your domain)

In Part Three, we focused on important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part Three we explain how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate traffic to your website using a number of WordPress plugins.

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

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize your traffic using different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is achieved by having a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

(Automated traffic is the product of a business vision, planning, and systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to keep your online presence up and running for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, and manage your traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to create traffic for your business. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels do you plan to use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you allocate to these channels?
• Who will create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the results 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) to help generate some data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems keep your web presence up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your web pages are taking too long to load.

Your systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing and updating software (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.

Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• Who is looking after my server?
• Who is looking after my website and keeping 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 issues 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. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:

• Communication systems
• Managing human and financial resources
• Handling sales inquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer service/training
• etc.

If you intend to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have implemented great systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

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

(Implementing and optimizing your traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as possible.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly notify and publicize your content to 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 can help you generate some initial actionable and intelligent data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, 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 bring visitors using methods like Twitter, YouTube, email ads, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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

Also, if you haven’t already, look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

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

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more traffic.

Traffic Optimization 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 a training guide that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools And Methods

We have created a complete email email-based training course designed to help you come up with endless content for posting to your site:

Also, look for 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

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by growing a list or starting a network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” all of 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 every post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.

Traffic Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Start or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Tools And Methods

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

• Autoresponders (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, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what users are looking for, you should have no problem developing new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new sources of traffic.

Tips

• Create an e-learning course.
• Publish PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress website or blog:

• Membership Site plugins (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress 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 improve your results.

In summary:

• Start 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 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, this article has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your web site and build a more successful business online.

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