Tag: Drive More Visitors To WordPress Site

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to create an automated web traffic machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part 1, we explain 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 is publish great content on a regular basis to automatically start generating more traffic!)

In Part Two, we discussed critical setup decisions. We helped you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your site was built using WordPress.

(In Part two we show you where to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)

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

(In Part 3 you will configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can help bring traffic automatically to your website.

(Publish content one-time, automate the rest!)

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize the traffic system with different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization 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 great systems in place.

(Generating consistent traffic is the product of a business vision, planning, and excellent systems)

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to new traffic.

(Systems help you 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 methods used to drive new traffic to your business. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apportion your budget and resources to these marketing channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the cost-effectiveness 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 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 web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your digital presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your pages take a long time to load.

Your systems need to adequately handle 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 will look after my server?
• 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. if problems occur?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you can expect new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes in place to help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have excellent systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Strategies

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus on are ways to develop, optimize, and further automate your “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 …

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your business.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on sites 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) can help you generate some initial data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more web traffic using methods like LinkedIn, solo ads, forum signatures, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

We’ve already covered many excellent tools and methods in earlier sections of this tutorial series.

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

• Share your posts online,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for likes/shares,
• Display 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 content out there is good, but to make this more effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with users.

Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

We have created a detailed course on content creation that you can plug into for free here:

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

• 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 group.

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 a single post or email broadcast.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site.
• Create or join an online group on Facebook.

Tools & Methods

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

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums and Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Problems & Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what your visitors are searching for, you can develop new services, products, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create an online training program.
• Consider publishing an instructional e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your site.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

• 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. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

You should already have installed an analytics tool 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 rinse and repeat, 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 good 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 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your web site and build a better business online.

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