Tag: Increase Web Traffic

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn your site into an automated web traffic generation machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

So far, here is what we have covered in this series:

In Part 1, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do is post content consistently to automatically drive web traffic!)

In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase of the traffic automation process. We helped you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, 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 3, we looked at configuring the system. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part Four, we explained how to set up various plugins that can bring visitors automatically to your site just by adding content consistently.

(Publish content one-time, automate the rest!)

In this article, we look at ways to optimize the traffic-getting process with different tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is achieved by having a clearly-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

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

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

These systems include:

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

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

Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to generate 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 measure the results of your 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) to help generate some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your web presence remains operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages take too long to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

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

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you will always run into problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems to help you manage and respond to the influx of new traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus your efforts on is developing and optimizing your “traffic loop”.

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

(WordPress can help you implement and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your business and website.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate actionable data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more traffic using methods like LinkedIn advertising, videos, Reddit, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

See previous sections of this article series for a number of excellent tools and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

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

• Share your posts online,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts 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 content out there is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more people to link to it and share it with others and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing expert guides that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

Also, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

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

Grow Influence And 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,” all of your traffic comes from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate traffic with every blog post you publish, forum post you add, or email broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site.
• Create or join an online group on Facebook/LinkedIn.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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

Identify Problems & Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what your visitors need, you should have no problem developing new products and services, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning course.
• Publish an instructional e-book that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Tools And Methods

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

• 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 the collection and analysis of data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.

You should already have installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation 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 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 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 methods as needed to build authority and credibility, and also to increase 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your website and get better results online.

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