Tag: Increase Web Traffic

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

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

In Part 1 of this 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 website or blog, all you have to do is add great content on a regular basis to attract traffic!)

In Part 2, we discuss critical setup decisions. We explain 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 existing website has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we discuss important configuration decisions. We configured all the settings that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part 4, you learned how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help bring new traffic automatically to your site.

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

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize the traffic generation process using various tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

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

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

These include:

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

(Use systems to grow, automate, and manage your web traffic)

Let’s briefly review the above systems:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to create new traffic for your website. Your 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 apply to these marketing channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you 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 (e.g. Facebook 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 site, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems keep your online presence optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages are taking a long time to load.

Your systems include handling areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking 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 website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you will run into many problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

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

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement good systems for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(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 allow.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically syndicate your content to sites 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 content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more web traffic using methods like LinkedIn, banner ads, joint ventures, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We’ve covered a number of excellent tools and methods in previous sections of this tutorial series.

Also, look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is good, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and viewed by more people and hence more traffic.

Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

We have created an entire course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and ways to never run out of content ideas that you can plug into for free here:

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts on this site to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website:

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

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 an online community or even your own social network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with every blog post you publish or email broadcast you send out.

Useful 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.
• Start or join an online group on Facebook/LinkedIn.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

• Autoresponders (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, video galleries, etc.

Identify Needs & Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what your visitors need, you should have no problem developing new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new streams of traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create a free or paid online training program.
• Publish PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to consider adding 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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and can 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:

• Start with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by good marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (with 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 if needed to 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 drive more visitors automatically to your website and build a better business online.

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