Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to grow your business online automatically using WordPress.
So far, we have covered the following in this article series:
In Part 1, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated web traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do to automatically generate more traffic is post new content on a consistent basis!)
In Part 2, we focus on critical setup decisions. We explain the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your site has been built using WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you where to set up a WordPress website on your domain)
In Part Three, we discussed important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(In Part 3 you learn how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part 4, you learned how to set up various plugins that can help bring traffic automatically to your website when you begin publishing content on a consistent basis.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate your content distribution to all other services!)
In this article, we discuss ways to optimize traffic generation using different tools and strategies.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.
(Generating automated traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and great 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 new traffic for your website.
- Technical Systems – The systems used to keep your online presence operating efficiently for receiving 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 for optimizing traffic:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to drive new traffic to your website. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What channels do you plan to use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
- How will you assign your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
- Who will create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
- How will you measure the results 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) to help generate some initial actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems keep your web presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your pages are taking too long to load.
Your systems need to handle technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.
You can test your technical systems by 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. if you experience difficulties?
Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you should expect new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.
Business Systems
Your business systems help you manage new traffic. These include:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling leads and sales inquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer training/service
- 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 Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Methods
If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is focus on how to develop and optimize a “traffic loop”.
Let’s go through an example of implementing, optimizing, and automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …
(Implementing and optimizing your traffic loop)
Increase Reach & Visibility
The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many members of your target audience as your time and resources will allow.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically syndicate your content to places like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content online.
- 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 targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
- Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to get more visitors using methods like Twitter ads, videos, cross promotions, etc.
Plugins, Tools, And Methods
We’ve already covered a number of excellent tools and strategies in earlier sections of this article series.
Also, look for 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 likes/shares,
- Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Publish and distribute content online in different media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)
Build Authority & Credibility
Getting more content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with users.
Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more traffic.
Useful Tips
- Create and publish content that adds value to users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing instructional PDF guides 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 new ideas for web content that you can plug into at no cost here:
Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:
- 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 demand.” You can do this by building a list or starting your own online community or social network.
With “Traffic On Tap,” most of 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 blog post you publish, forum post you add, or email broadcast you send out.
Tips
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Start or join an online group on Facebook.
Tools & Methods
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, MailChimp, 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, image galleries, etc.
Identify Needs And Provide Solutions
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what users want, you should have no problem developing new services, products, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.
Useful Tips
- Create a free or paid online training course.
- Consider publishing expert reports that you can sell or distribute online.
- Add an e-commerce store to your business.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress website or blog:
- Membership Site plugins (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 the collection and analysis of data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.
You should have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.
WordPress Traffic Automation 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 adding 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 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 website and build a better business online.
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