Tag: Increase Web Traffic

Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your website using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One, we provided an overview of the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do to drive more traffic is add new content on a consistent basis!)

In Part Two, we focus on the setup phase. We help you understand 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 existing website is built using WordPress.

(In Part 2 we show you how to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)

In Part Three, we looked at important configuration decisions. We configured hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

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

(Publish once to WordPress and automate the distribution of your content to all other services!)

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website using a number of tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis is the result of having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

(Generating automated traffic is the product of a business vision, sound planning, and great systems)

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your online presence optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow 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 traffic to your business. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these marketing channels?
• Who will create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the results 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 you generate some initial actionable 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.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your web presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is down or your web pages are taking a very long time to load.

Your systems include handling 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 webhosting?
• 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. should things go wrong?

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

Business Systems

You need good operational systems in place to help you manage traffic. This includes:

• Communication systems
• Resources management – human, financial
• Handling sales enquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer training/service
• etc.

If you plan to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement great systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Loops

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

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content on your site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more traffic using methods like LinkedIn ads, PPC advertising, StumbleUpon, etc.

Tools And Methods

See earlier sections of this tutorial series for a number of excellent tools, plugins, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

Also, see other posts on this site to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress site:

• Share your posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for shares/likes,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, infographics, etc.)

Build Authority And Credibility

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

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create and publish content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

If you need help coming up with great topics for posting content on your website, then subscribe to our FREE email training series on growing your business online with content marketing here:

Also, learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:

• Legal Pages
• Testimonials
• Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
• Ratings
• User Reviews
• Badges/Certificates Of Recognition

Grow Influence & Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by growing a list or starting a group.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with every post you publish, forum post you add, or email you send out.

Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an email 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 & Strategies

There are many solutions and plugins that are easy to implement and can help grow your influence and improve 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, video galleries, etc.

Identify Problems And Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what users need, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for new products and services, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of traffic.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Consider creating an e-learning course.
• Publish instructional PDF guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to consider adding to your website include:

• 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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic allows you to discover new ways to create additional traffic.

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

WordPress Web Traffic 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 get better your results.

In summary:

• Start 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 initial traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions as necessary 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your WordPress web site and get better results online.

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