Tag: Web Traffic

Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to create an automated traffic machine using WordPress.

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

In Part One, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do to start driving traffic is post content regularly!)

In Part 2, we look at critical setup decisions. We help you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things up if you already have a website, and what to do if your existing website was built with WordPress.

(In Part two we show you how to set up a WordPress site on your domain)

In Part 3, we discussed important configuration decisions. We configured all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part Three we explain how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate traffic generation using various plugins.

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

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize your traffic with different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, the key to generating consistent traffic of high quality is having a well-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems in place.

(Optimized traffic is the result of having a clear 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 methods used to create traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your online presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to new traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apply your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• Who will create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the cost-effectiveness of your online 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 you 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 website, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

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

Your systems include handling areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.

Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• Who is looking after my server?
• 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. if any issues occur?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, you should expect to face new problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems to help you manage traffic. This includes:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have good systems in place to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(Implementing, optimizing and automating a traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your business.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help generate some initial actionable and intelligent data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring web traffic using methods like Twitter, social media, Reddit, etc.

Tools & Strategies

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

Also, contact us 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 discounts or downloads for shares/likes,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in different media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content out there is a great first step, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting more people to share it with others and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Tools & Strategies

We have created an entire email email-based training course designed to help you come up with unlimited content ideas for your website or blog:

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

• 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 membership site.

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

Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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

• List-Building Solutions (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 Problems & Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what users need, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Consider creating a free or paid online training course.
• Consider publishing an e-book that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website:

• Membership Sites (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 ways to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

You should have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. 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 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 (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 solutions as needed 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, this information has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your web site and build a more successful business online.

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