Tag: Traffic Generation

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to create an automated web traffic generation machine using WordPress.

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

In Part One of this series, we described 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 to start driving web traffic is add great content consistently!)

In Part 2, we look at critical setup decisions. We explain the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your website has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we looked at the configuration phase. We configured all the settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part Three you learn how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can bring visitors automatically to your website whenever you begin to post content on a consistent basis.

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

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website using a number of tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

(Optimizing 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 all traffic.

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your traffic)

Let’s briefly review how important these systems are for traffic:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your business. Your online marketing systems can be tested 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 apportion to these channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the ROI 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. pay-per-click ads) to help generate some initial intelligence. 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 website, 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 operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your web pages are taking too long to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks after my webhosting?
• Who is looking after my website and keeping my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should any issues arise?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, new problems will arise. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage and respond to traffic. These include:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need to put excellent systems in place to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Tools & Strategies

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is to implement a “traffic loop”.

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

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many members of your target audience as your resources allow.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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 some initial 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 increase web traffic using methods like Twitter, PPC advertising, joint ventures, etc.

Tools And Strategies

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

Also, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more 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 not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more traffic.

Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to users and that showcases 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 (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

We have created a complete email course designed to help you never run out of great content for posting to your website or blog:

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you 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 & Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting your own community.

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

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start 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.
• Start or join an online group on Facebook/LinkedIn.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & 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 discover what users want, you should have no problem developing new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create an e-learning program.
• Publish a “how-to” e-book that can be sold or distributed online.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress 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. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic allows you to discover new ways to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

You should already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress 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 traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other methods if required to build authority 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 article 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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