Tag: Increase Web Traffic

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to turn a website into an automated web traffic machine using WordPress.

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

In Part One, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is post web content on a regular basis to generate more web traffic!)

In Part Two, we looked at critical setup decisions. We explained the best way to get started 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 existing website was built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focused on configuring the system. We configured webhosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three we show you how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help get new traffic automatically to your website.

(Publish once to WordPress and automate your content distribution to all other channels!)

In Part Five 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 methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, the key to generating consistent traffic of high quality is having a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Optimizing traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, planning, and excellent systems)

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to create new traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to new traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your traffic)

Let’s briefly review how important these systems are for traffic:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to your marketing channels?
• How will you create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI of your 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 you generate some initial data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

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

Your technical systems need to handle technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.

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

• Who looks after my webhosting?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should things go wrong?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed 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 operational systems and processes to help you manage and respond to traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then you will need to put systems in place to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web 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 is implementing a “traffic loop”.

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

(Implement, automate, and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

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

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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 generate data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase traffic using methods like Twitter ads, social media, Reddit, etc.

Tools & Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is a great first step, but to make this more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Focus on content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools & Strategies

We have created a comprehensive email course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, content creation tools, and ways to never run out of new content ideas that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, ask us about WordPress 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 Trust

Grow Influence And Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by building a list or starting an online community.

With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic will come from an audience of 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 or broadcast you send out.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools And Strategies

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

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

Identify Needs And Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what your visitors want, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid online training program.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress site:

• 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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do 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 solid 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 necessary to help build authority, trust, 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 post 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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