Welcome to Part Five of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to drive new visitors automatically to your website using the WordPress CMS.
So far, here is what we have covered in this article series:
In Part One, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do is add content regularly to begin bringing traffic!)
In Part Two, we looked at the setup phase of the automation system. We explained the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your website has been built with WordPress.
(In Part two we show you how to set up a WordPress website on your domain)
In Part Three, we focus on configuring the system. We configured all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …
(In Part 3 you learn how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part 4, we looked at ways to automate traffic to your website with WordPress plugins.
(Publish once, automate the rest!)
In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize your traffic using different tools and strategies.
WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is achieved by having a well-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems in place.
(Consistent traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)
Let’s briefly review the systems that will help you grow and manage your traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your business.
- Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – The systems used to 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 channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
- How will you allocate your budget and resources to these channels?
- How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
- How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness 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 to help generate some initial 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 site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems and processes ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages take a very long time to load.
Your technical systems include handling areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating new software (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.
You can test your technical systems by questions such as:
- Who will look after my webhosting?
- 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. if you experience difficulties?
Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect to face problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.
Business Systems
Your business systems and processes help you manage new traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling sales enquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer service/training
- etc.
If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you have good systems in place to manage all outsourcing.
WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Loops
With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on is developing a “traffic loop”.
Let’s walk 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 Online
Step 1 of the process is to expose your business to as many members of your target audience as possible.
Useful Tips & Ideas
- Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources 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 some initial data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
- Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to attract web site visitors using methods like SEO, YouTube, joint ventures, etc.
Tools And Methods
We’ve already covered a number of excellent tools, plugins, and strategies in earlier sections of this tutorial series.
Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:
- Share your posts online with others,
- Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for shares/likes,
- Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Publish and distribute content online in different media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)
Build Authority And Credibility
Getting more content published is a great first step, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.
Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting it shared around and viewed by more people and hence more traffic.
Tips
- Create and publish content that will add value to users 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 you can sell or distribute online.
Tools, Plugins, & Methods
We have created a detailed course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and how to never run out of content ideas that you can plug into at no cost here:
Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website or blog:
- Legal Pages
- Testimonials
- Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
- Ratings
- User Reviews
- Badges/Certificates Of Recognition
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,” most of your traffic comes from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with every blog post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.
Useful Tips
- Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
- Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Start or join an online group on LinkedIn.
Tools & Methods
There are many solutions and WordPress plugins that are easy to implement and can help increase your online influence and improve user engagement. For example:
- Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls and Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, image galleries, etc.
Identify Problems And Provide Solutions To These
By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what your visitors are looking for, you can develop new products, services, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new sources of web traffic.
Tips
- Create a free or paid online training course.
- Publish educational guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online.
- Add e-commerce to your site.
Tools & Methods
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 add to your website or blog include:
- Membership Sites (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
- e-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 opportunities to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.
Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – 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 good 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, trust, 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 automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your WordPress website and get better results online.
***
"Your training is the best in the world! It is simple, yet detailed, direct, understandable, memorable, and complete." Andrea Adams, FinancialJourney.org
***