Tag: Web Traffic

Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to drive new traffic automatically to your website using the WordPress CMS.

So far, here is what we have covered in this series:

In Part One, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do is add great content regularly to start generating traffic!)

In Part Two, we discuss the setup phase of the traffic automation system. We help you understand the best way to get started 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 site was built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we discuss the configuration phase. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help bring visitors automatically to your site when you begin publishing web content.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize the traffic generation process with different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis is achieved by having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and good systems in place.

(Optimized traffic is the result of a business vision, sound 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 strategies used to create new traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your online presence remains operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to 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 methods used to create new traffic for your business. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• Who will create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test 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 (e.g. Facebook 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.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your digital presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking a very long time to load.

Your systems need to be able to adequately handle technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating 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 looks after my website and keeps my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should anything go wrong?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like 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. This includes:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Loops

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

Let’s go through an example of implementing, optimizing, and further automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the flowchart 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 will allow.

Useful Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) can help generate actionable data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more visitors using methods like Facebook ads, YouTube, cross promotions, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

We’ve already covered many useful plugins, tools, and strategies in previous sections of this tutorial series.

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• Share your posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for shares/likes,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Publish and distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content published is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content also 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 visitors.

Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing special reports that can be sold or distributed online.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

We have created a detailed course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and how to never run out of content ideas that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, ask us about plugins that allow you to 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 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 a forum or network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” 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 every post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips

• Encourage visitors 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.
• Start or join an online group on Facebook/LinkedIn.

Tools & Strategies

There are many solutions and WordPress plugins that are easy to implement and can help increase your influence and improve user engagement. For example:

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, 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 And Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services, products, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Useful Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning course.
• Consider publishing special guides that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about plugins that let you 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 allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Web Traffic System – 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 get better your results.

In summary:

• Begin with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by good marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (consider adding 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 help build authority and credibility, and also to improve 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your website and build a better business online.

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