Tag: Traffic Generation

Welcome to Part Five of our 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 series:

In Part One of this series, we provided an overview of the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do is post great content on a regular basis to bring more web traffic!)

In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase of the automation process. We explained the best way to get started 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 two we show you where to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)

In Part 3, we looked at configuring the system. We configured webhosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate your traffic with different plugins.

(Publish once to WordPress and automate the distribution of your content to all other marketing channels!)

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website using different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, the key to generating consistent traffic of high quality is having a well-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

(Generating automated traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)

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

These systems include:

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

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

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to drive traffic to your website. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to drive traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you assign to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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 data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your web presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your web pages are taking too long to load.

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

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

• Who looks after my server?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site, plugins, themes, etc. 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 process and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect new problems to arise. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems and processes help you manage traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical support, then you will need systems in place to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Methods

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

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

(Implementing, optimizing and automating a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as possible.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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 can help generate data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring visitors using methods like Facebook, YouTube, email, etc.

Tools & Strategies

See earlier sections of this tutorial series for many useful plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

Also, learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

• Share your posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts 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 of your content out there is good, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with users.

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting more people to share it around and hence more traffic.

Traffic Ideas

• Create and publish content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you need endless content ideas for your web site, then subscribe to our FREE email training series here:

Also, if you haven’t already, 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 And Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by building a list or starting a network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic will come 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 post you publish or email broadcast you send out.

Tips

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

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

Many solutions and WordPress plugins are available that can help grow your online influence and improve engagement. For example:

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

Identify Problems & Provide Solutions To These

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 solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Useful Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning program.
• Publish special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products 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 to collect and analyze data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Web 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 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 methods if required to help build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to improve 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, this information has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your web site and improve your business online.

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