Tag: Web Traffic

Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to grow your business online automatically using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One of this article series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do to bring more web traffic is publish great content consistently!)

In Part 2, we discuss the setup phase of the blueprint. We explain the best way to get started if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your website is built using WordPress.

(In Part 2 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 hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part Four, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can help bring traffic automatically to your site when you begin publishing fresh content.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic system using a number of tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, generating targeted traffic on a consistent basis is achieved by having a clearly-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems in place.

(Generating consistent traffic is the result of a business vision, planning, and excellent systems)

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

These include:

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

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, 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 methods used to drive new traffic to your website. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What channels do you plan to use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you allocate to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the ROI of your online 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 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 keep your digital presence optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is down or your pages take a long time to load.

Your 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 will look after my server?
• 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. should things go wrong?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you will run into many problems. 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 and respond to new traffic. These include:

• Communication systems
• Managing human and financial resources
• Handling sales enquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer service/training
• etc.

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus on is how to develop your “traffic loop”.

Let’s walk through an example of implementing, optimizing, and further automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the diagram below …

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your website.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows 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 online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. pay-per-click ads) can help you generate actionable data such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring traffic using methods like Twitter, YouTube, StumbleUpon, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

We’ve covered a number of excellent tools and methods in earlier sections of this article series.

Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress site:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content published is good, but to make this 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 it shared on other sites and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Focus on content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We have created a complete email series aimed at helping you never run out of great content ideas for posting to your website:

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about 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 Recognition

Grow Influence & Engagement

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

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

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

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

• List-Building Solutions (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/Problems And Provide Solutions To These

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning program.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your site.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you plan to provide services, products, and 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 the collection and analysis of data. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the 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 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 solutions as required 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your web site and build a better business online.

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