Tag: Increase Web Traffic

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

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

In Part 1, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do is publish great content on a consistent basis to generate web traffic!)

In Part 2, we focus on the setup phase. 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 website, and what to do if your website was built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we look at important configuration decisions. We configured all the settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part Three you learn how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we looked at ways to automate the traffic-getting process with WordPress plugins.

(Publish once, automate the rest!)

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize the traffic generation process with a number of different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis comes comes from the combined outcome of having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and great systems and process in place.

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

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

These include:

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

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, and manage your traffic)

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the cost-effectiveness of your online 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) to help you 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 keep your web presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking a long time to load.

Your systems need to handle 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 will look 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 any problems arise?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you will run into many new problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage the influx of new traffic. This includes:

• Communication systems
• Managing human and financial resources
• Handling sales enquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer training/service
• etc.

If you plan to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement excellent systems for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is focus on how to grow and optimize a “traffic loop”.

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

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

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

Useful Tips And Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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 some initial actionable and intelligent 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 get more web visitors using methods like Pinterest ads, PPC advertising, email ads, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

We’ve already covered a number of excellent plugins, tools, and methods in previous sections of this article series.

Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website:

• Share your comments and posts online,
• Run contests, offer discounts or downloads for likes/shares,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with users.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more visitors.

Tips

• Focus on creating content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.

Tools & Strategies

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

Also, see other posts on this site to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you 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 Recognition

Grow Influence & Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting an online membership site.

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

Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Start or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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 (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, 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 & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your users are trying to solve, you should have no problem developing new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create a free or paid e-learning course.
• Publish PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your business.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

• Membership Sites (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-Learning 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. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the 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 (with 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 as required 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 WordPress web site and build a more successful business online.

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