Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your website using the WordPress CMS platform.
So far, here is what we have covered in this series:
In Part 1 of this article 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 web site, all you have to do is add content on a regular basis to attract more traffic!)
In Part Two, we focus on critical setup decisions. We help you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your website is built with WordPress.
(In Part two we show you how to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)
In Part Three, we discuss configuring the system. We configured web hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(In Part Three you learn how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part 4, you learned how to set up various WordPress plugins that can drive new traffic automatically to your website whenever you begin publishing content on a regular basis.
(Publish content one-time, automate the rest!)
In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic generation process with different tools and methods.
WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis is the product of a clearly-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and great systems in place.
(Automating traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and systems)
Let’s review the systems that will help you grow and manage your new traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – How you drive traffic to your business.
- Technical Systems – How you ensure that your web presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
- Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.
(Use systems to grow and manage your web traffic)
Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to drive traffic to your website. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:
- What channels will you use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
- How will you apply your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
- How will you create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
- How will you test and measure the ROI 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 initial intelligence. 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 site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your web pages are taking a long time to load.
Your systems need to handle technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing and updating software (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.
Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- Who is looking after my webhosting?
- 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. 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, there will always be new problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.
Business Systems
You need good business systems in place to help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling leads and sales enquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer service/training
- etc.
If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need systems in place for managing 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 are ways to implement and optimize a “traffic loop”.
Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the processes illustrated below …
(An effective traffic loop)
Increase Reach And Visibility
The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your website.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) can help generate data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
- Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to bring more web visitors using methods like Facebook ads, videos, joint ventures, etc.
Tools & Methods
See previous sections of this tutorial series for many excellent tools and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.
Also, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:
- Share your posts online with others,
- Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for likes/shares,
- Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Publish and 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 needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.
Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more people to share it with others and hence more traffic.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Focus on creating content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing expert guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
Tools, Plugins, & Strategies
We have created an entire email training series aimed at helping you come up with endless content for your site:
Also, look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:
- Legal Pages
- Testimonials
- Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
- Ratings
- User Reviews
- Badges/Certificates Of Trust
Grow Influence And Engagement
At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting an online community.
With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic will come from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate traffic with every post you publish, forum post you add, or email broadcast you send out.
Tips
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free or paid membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.
Tools And Strategies
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 and Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls & Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, video galleries, etc.
Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what users need, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services, products, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new sources of web traffic.
Traffic Tips
- Create an e-learning program.
- Publish educational guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
- Consider adding e-commerce to your business.
Tools, Plugins, And Strategies
If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to add to your website include:
- Membership Site plugins (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 allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.
Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.
WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Summary
All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the process, 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 methods as needed 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 information has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your WordPress web site and build a better business online.
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