Welcome to Part 5 of our 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 series:
In Part One, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is post great content on a regular basis to automatically start generating web traffic!)
In Part 2, we look at critical setup decisions. 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 website has been built with WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you where to set up a WordPress site on your domain)
In Part Three, we discuss the configuration phase of the blueprint. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(In Part 3 we show you how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)
In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can get new visitors automatically to your website.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate your content distribution to all other channels!)
In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website with a number of different tools and strategies.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Systems
In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, generating high-quality traffic on a consistent basis comes from a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.
(Optimized traffic is the product of a business vision, planning, and systems)
Let’s review briefly the systems that will help you grow and manage all traffic.
These include:
- Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to create traffic for your website.
- Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to keep your online presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.
(Use systems to grow, automate, and manage your web traffic)
Let’s briefly review the importance of the above systems:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your website. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What is your content marketing strategy?
- What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you allocate to these channels?
- How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and 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. Google AdWords) to help you generate some initial 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 site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems and processes keep your online presence up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site 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 software (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.
You can test your technical systems by questions such as:
- Who looks 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. when problems arise?
Many potential issues can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect new problems to arise. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.
Business Systems
You need good operational systems and processes to help you manage and respond to the influx of traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling leads and sales enquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer service/training
- etc.
If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then you will need to put excellent systems in place for managing all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization
If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is to focus on developing a “traffic loop”.
Let’s go through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the flowchart below …
(Traffic loop)
Increase Reach & Visibility
The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your business and website.
Useful Tips
- An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources 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 can help you generate data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
- Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to increase more visitors using methods like LinkedIn advertising, YouTube, joint ventures, etc.
Tools & Methods
We’ve covered a number of excellent plugins, tools, and methods in previous sections of this tutorial series.
Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:
- Share your comments and posts online with others,
- Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for shares/likes,
- Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Publish and distribute content online in different media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)
Build Authority & Credibility
Getting more of your content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.
Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.
Useful Tips & Ideas
- Create and publish content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing a special report or PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
If you need endless content ideas for your website or blog, we recommend subscribing to our email training course on growing your business with content marketing 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 And Engagement
At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting an online group.
With “Traffic On Tap,” all of your traffic will come from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with a single post or email.
Traffic Optimization Tips
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
- Start or join an online group on Facebook/LinkedIn.
Tools, Plugins, And Strategies
Many solutions and plugins are available that can help grow your influence and improve engagement. For example:
- Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls & Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, video galleries, etc.
Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions
By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what your visitors need, you should have no problem developing new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.
Useful Tips
- Create a free or paid e-learning course.
- Publish educational guides 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 products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your 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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to gather and interpret data from existing traffic allows you to discover new ways to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.
Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you can also understand the data.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – 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:
- Start with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by solid marketing, technical and business systems,
- Implement a content marketing strategy (with 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 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your WordPress web site and grow your business online.
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"These tutorials have so much information and are easy to understand. If you use WordPress or plan to in the future these will help you with everything you need to know." - Valisa (Mesa, Arizona)
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