Tag: Traffic Generation

Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to grow your business online automatically using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part 1 of this article series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do is post new content consistently to automatically begin attracting more traffic!)

In Part Two, we look at the setup phase. We help you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your website has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we discuss the configuration phase of this process. We configured all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part Three we explain how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate the traffic system with WordPress plugins.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize your traffic using different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, generating high-quality traffic consistently is the outcome of a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your website.
• 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, and manage your 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. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you allocate to these marketing channels?
• Who will create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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 to help you generate some results. 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.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your digital presence up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your web pages take a long time to load.

Your systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks after my server?
• Who will look after my website and keep 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 and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, new problems will always arise. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage and respond to the influx of new traffic. These include:

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

If you intend to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need excellent systems in place for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Methods

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus your efforts on is developing, optimizing and further automating a “traffic loop”.

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

(WordPress can help implement and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as you can.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically distribute your content to sites 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) can help you generate data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more website visitors using methods like LinkedIn, solo ads, email ads, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

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

• Share your comments and posts online,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for likes/shares,
• Accept user generated content, feeds, etc.
• 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 more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

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

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, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We have created a detailed email course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and ways to never run out of new web content ideas that you can plug into for free here:

Also, look for WordPress plugins that allow you to 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 & 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 group.

With “Traffic On Demand,” all of your traffic comes from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with a single blog post or email.

Useful Tips And Ideas

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

Tools & Methods

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

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

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what your visitors want, you can develop new products, services, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning course.
• Publish educational guides that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Tools And Methods

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), ask us about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:

• 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. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

You should already have installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the process, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and improve 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 methods if necessary to build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to increase 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, this article has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your web site and get better results online.

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