Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your website using WordPress.
So far, we have covered the following 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 generating automated web traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do is publish new content on a regular basis to start generating traffic!)
In Part 2, we focus on critical setup decisions. We help you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things 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 how to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)
In Part 3, we discuss the configuration phase. We explained how to configure all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …
(In Part 3 we explain how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)
In Part Four, we showed you how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help drive new visitors automatically to your website or blog.
(Publish content one-time and automate your content distribution to all other channels!)
In this article, we look at ways to optimize the traffic system with a number of different tools and methods.
WordPress Traffic Automation System – Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, the key to generating consistent traffic of high quality is having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.
(Automating traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, planning, and systems)
Let’s review the systems that will help you grow and manage your traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to drive new traffic to your website.
- Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to keep your digital presence optimized for receiving traffic.
- Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.
(Use systems to 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 strategies used to drive new traffic to your business. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What is your online marketing strategy?
- What resources and portion of your budget will you apportion to these channels?
- How will you create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
- How will you measure the ROI of your online 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 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 better targeted to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems and processes keep your online presence up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages take a long time to load.
Your systems include handling areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating software (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, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
- Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should any problems occur?
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 able to handle these.
Business Systems
You need good business systems in place to help you manage the influx of new traffic. These include:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling leads and sales enquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer service/training
- etc.
If you intend to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement excellent systems for managing all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization
If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is to focus on developing, optimizing and automating your “traffic loop”.
Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the processes illustrated below …
(WordPress can help you implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop)
Increase Reach & Visibility Online
Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your business and website.
Traffic Optimization Ideas
- Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content on your site.
- As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help generate some initial actionable data, which you can use to create 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 increase visitors using methods like LinkedIn ads, banner ads, forum ads, etc.
Tools & Strategies
See earlier sections of this article series for many useful tools and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.
Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:
- Share your comments and posts online with others,
- Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for likes/shares,
- Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
- 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 to make this more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.
Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more traffic.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Focus on creating content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing expert reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
Plugins, Tools, & Methods
If you need endless content ideas for your web site, we recommend subscribing to our email training series here:
Also, if you haven’t already, 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 And Engagement
At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting a group.
With “Traffic On Demand,” 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 every blog post you publish or broadcast you send out.
Tips
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free or paid membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Create or join an online group on Facebook.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
Many solutions and WordPress plugins are available 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 Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls and Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, image galleries, etc.
Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions To These
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what your visitors are searching for, you can develop new products and services, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of web traffic.
Useful Tips & Ideas
- Consider creating an e-learning program.
- Consider publishing expert reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
- Consider adding e-commerce to your business.
Tools And Methods
If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to consider adding to your website or blog include:
- 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 learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new ways to generate additional traffic.
Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary
Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is rinse and repeat, 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 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 if necessary to 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, this post has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your web site and get better results online.
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