Tag: Drive More Visitors To WordPress Site

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn your website into an automated web traffic machine using WordPress.

So far, we have covered the following in this series:

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do is add great content on a regular basis to automatically begin attracting new web traffic!)

In Part Two, we looked at the setup phase of this blueprint. We helped 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 website, and what to do if your site was built using WordPress.

(In Part two we show you how to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part Three, we discussed the configuration phase of the blueprint. We explained how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three you will configure all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate the traffic-generation process with plugins.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic generation with a number of different tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – 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 clear business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your online presence operating efficiently for receiving 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 importance of the above systems briefly:

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 is your online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you apportion to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the results of your 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. pay-per-click ads) to help 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 web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your pages take a long time to load.

Your technical systems include handling areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (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 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. should problems arise?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you can expect new problems to arise. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes in place to help you manage new traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have implemented good systems to manage 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 focus on are ways to develop a “traffic loop”.

Let’s walk through an example of implementing, optimizing, and automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the illustration below …

(Implementing, automating and optimizing a traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as your resources will allow.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help generate some initial actionable and intelligent data such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more traffic using methods like Pinterest ads, podcasts, cross promotions, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

Also, ask us about 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 likes/shares,
• Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content published is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• 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, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

If you need endless ideas for posting content on your site, we recommend subscribing to our FREE email training series on growing your business online with content marketing here:

Also, look for plugins that allow you to 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 Trust

Grow Influence And Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting an online forum, community, or even your own social site.

With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic comes from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with a single blog post or email broadcast.

Tips

• Encourage commenting and 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.
• Create or join an online group on Facebook.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

Many solutions and plugins are available that are easy to implement and can help grow your influence and improve engagement. For example:

• List-Building Solutions (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what users want, you should have no problem developing new products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Useful Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning course.
• Consider publishing a special report or even an e-book that can be sold or distributed online.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your business.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

• Membership Site plugins (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 the collection and analysis of data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can 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 Traffic Automation System – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the same process, 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 solid 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 methods as required to build authority and credibility, and also to improve 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 information has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your website and get better results online.

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