Tag: Increase Web Traffic

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

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

In Part 1 of this article series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do to automatically start generating more traffic is add content consistently!)

In Part Two, we discuss critical setup decisions. We explain 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 site has been built using WordPress.

(In Part two we show you where to set up a WordPress site on your domain)

In Part 3, we looked at the configuration phase. We explained how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part Three we explain how to configure all the settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can help drive new traffic automatically to your site.

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

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

WordPress Traffic System – Systems

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

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

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

These systems include:

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

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

Let’s briefly review how important these systems are:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you assign your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• Who will create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness of your online 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) to help you 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 better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems keep your online presence optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your web pages take a long time to load.

Your systems need to be able to adequately handle technical areas like webhosting, website 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 will look after my website and keep my site 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 done correctly. Like all technology, however, you will always run into many problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes to help you manage traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then you will need systems in place for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus on are ways to develop a “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 …

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

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

Useful Tips And Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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. Google AdWords) can help you generate actionable 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 get more traffic using methods like Pinterest advertising, PPC advertising, StumbleUpon, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

We’ve covered a number of useful tools, plugins, and strategies in earlier sections of this tutorial series.

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

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

Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

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

Tools And 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 content ideas that you can plug into for free here:

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

• 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 tap.” You can do this by building a list or starting your own online community or social network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic comes from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with a single post or email.

Tips

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

Tools & Strategies

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

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

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what users want, you should have no problem developing new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of web traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create an online training program.
• Consider publishing expert reports that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools & Methods

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to add to your website include:

• 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. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new ways to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

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

WordPress Web Traffic 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 get better your results.

In summary:

• Start 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 initial traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions as needed to help build authority, trust, 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 drive more visitors automatically to your web site and get better results online.

***

***