Tag: Traffic Generation

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn your website into an automated web traffic machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One, we describe the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do to automatically begin bringing traffic is post fresh content on a consistent basis!)

In Part Two, we focused on critical setup decisions. We explained the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things 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 3, we focus on the configuration phase. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various plugins that can help bring new visitors automatically to your site whenever you begin adding web content.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website using various tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, generating quality traffic consistently is achieved by having a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Optimized traffic is the result of a business vision, planning, and great systems)

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your web presence up and running for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to new traffic.

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

Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are for optimizing traffic:

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 do you plan to use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you apply to these channels?
• Who will create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI 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 generate some results. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases 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 ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages are taking too long to load.

Your technical systems need to be able to adequately handle areas like webhosting, website 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 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. when issues occur?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, there will always be new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes to help you manage and respond to the influx of traffic. These include:

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

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

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization

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

Let’s walk 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 your traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

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

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on 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 online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to drive traffic using methods like Pinterest, YouTube, StumbleUpon, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

See previous sections of this article series for many excellent plugins, tools, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

• Share your posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer discounts or downloads for likes/shares,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, infographics, 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 build authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to potential visitors and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report or even an e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Tools And Methods

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

Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress website or blog:

• Legal Pages
• Testimonials
• Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
• Ratings
• User Reviews
• Badges/Certificates Of Recognition

Grow Influence & Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting an online forum or network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic will come from 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 users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site.
• Create or join an online group on Facebook.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

• List-Building Tools (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, video galleries, etc.

Identify Needs And Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what your visitors 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

• Consider creating a free or paid online training program.
• Publish a special report that can be sold or distributed online.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to add to your website or blog include:

• 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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.

You should have already installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress Web 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 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 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 automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your WordPress web site and build a better business online.

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