Tag: Increase Web Traffic

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to turn your website into an automated traffic generation machine using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part 1, we describe the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do is add new content regularly to automatically begin bringing traffic!)

In Part Two, we discussed the setup phase of this system. We explained the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things up if you already have a website, and what to do if your existing site has been built using WordPress.

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

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

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

In Part 4, you learned how to set up various WordPress plugins that can bring new traffic automatically to your website or blog when you begin posting fresh content on a regular basis.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website using a number of tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating targeted traffic consistently is having a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

(Automating traffic is the product of a business vision, sound planning, and systems)

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

These include:

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

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

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to drive new traffic to your website. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to drive traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you allocate to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI of your online marketing 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 generate some 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 website, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your web presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your web pages are taking a very long time to load.

Your technical systems need to be able to adequately handle areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new software (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking after my server?
• 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. if any issues arise?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, you will run into many new problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage new traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have implemented good systems for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Loops

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

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

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

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

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate some initial data, which you can use to create web 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, PPC advertising, email ads, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

We’ve already covered many useful tools, plugins, and methods in previous sections of this tutorial series.

Also, ask us about WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:

• Share your comments and posts online,
• Run contests, offer discounts or downloads for shares/likes,
• Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Publish and distribute content online in different 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 users.

Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting more people to share it with others and hence more traffic.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Focus on creating content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

We have created an entire 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 web content ideas that you can plug into for free here:

Also, if you haven’t already, look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress site:

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

Grow Influence & Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by growing a list or starting your own community.

With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic comes 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

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.

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

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what your visitors are searching for, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new services, products, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Tips

• Create a free or paid online training course.
• Publish special reports that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools & Methods

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• 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 lets you discover new opportunities to create content that can help you generate additional traffic.

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the process over and over again, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and get better 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 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 traffic automatically to your WordPress web site and build a more successful business online.

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