Tag: Web Traffic

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

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

In Part One of this series, we describe 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, all you have to do is add content on a consistent basis to automatically begin bringing more web traffic!)

In Part 2, we discussed the setup phase of the automation blueprint. We helped you understand the best way to get started 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 existing site has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focus on configuring the system. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various WordPress plugins that can drive new traffic automatically to your site.

(Publish content one-time, automate the rest!)

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize traffic generation using a number of tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic System – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the result of having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Automated traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to ensure that your online presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)

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

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to drive new traffic to your website. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness of your online marketing 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) to help generate some initial data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your web presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your pages are taking too long to load.

Your systems need to adequately handle 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 will look after my server?
• 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 anything go wrong?

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

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes in place to help you manage the influx of new traffic. These include:

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

Let’s go through an example of implementing, optimizing, and automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the processes illustrated below …

(Implementing, automating and optimizing a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many traffic generation sites and channels as your resources will allow.

Useful Tips

• An 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 through your expertly configured WordPress site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Facebook ads) can help generate actionable data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more traffic using methods like Facebook, YouTube, cross promotions, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:

• Share your posts online,
• Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for shares/likes,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is a great first step, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and viewed by more people and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Focus on content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools & Strategies

We have created an entire email series aimed at helping you come up with unlimited content for posting to your site:

Also, contact us to learn more about WordPress plugins that allow you to 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 Trust

Grow Influence And Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by growing a list or starting a network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic comes from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with a single blog post or broadcast.

Tips

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

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

There are many solutions and plugins that can help grow your influence and improve user engagement. For example:

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, 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, video galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you can develop new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Create an online training course.
• Consider publishing an instructional e-book that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add an e-commerce store to your business.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to add to your site 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. 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 website. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the same 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 good marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (consider adding 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 as necessary to help 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your web site and build a more successful business online.

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