Tag: Increase Web Traffic

Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to grow your business online automatically using WordPress.

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

In Part 1 of this article series, we describe the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to automatically start driving web traffic is post content regularly!)

In Part Two, we look at critical setup decisions. We help you understand 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 was built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focused on configuring the system. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part 4, we explained how to set up various plugins that can bring new traffic automatically to your website just by publishing content on a regular basis.

(Publish content one-time and automate your content distribution to all other marketing channels!)

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website with different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, generating targeted traffic consistently is the product of a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your website.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to keep your online presence optimized for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow, automate, 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 drive traffic to your business. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• How will you apply your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create 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 to help generate some data, such as the keywords 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 and processes keep your online presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your web pages take too long to load.

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

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

• Who is looking after my webhosting?
• 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. if you experience difficulties?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, there will always be new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes in place to help you manage and respond to the influx of new traffic. These include:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need good 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 do is focus on implementing and optimizing your “traffic loop”.

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

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your business.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on 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 through your expertly configured WordPress site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help generate some initial 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 attract more visitors using methods like Pinterest ads, solo ads, cross promotions, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

See previous sections of this article series for many excellent plugins, tools, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content published is good, but to make this activity more effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.

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

Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Tools & Strategies

We have created a complete email course designed to help you come up with endless content ideas for your website:

Also, learn more 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 Trust

Grow Influence And Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting an online forum or network.

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

Useful Tips

• Encourage commenting and 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.
• Start or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Tools And Methods

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

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

Identify Needs & Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your users are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create a free or paid e-learning program.
• Publish an instructional e-book that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

• Membership Site plugins (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 allows you to discover new ways to create additional traffic.

You should have already installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – 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 get better your results.

In summary:

• Start 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 methods if necessary to help build authority and credibility, and also to improve 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 visitors to your WordPress web site and expand your business online.

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