Tag: Web Traffic

Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to drive new visitors automatically to your site using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is add new content on a regular basis to begin attracting more traffic!)

In Part Two, we looked at the setup phase of the automation blueprint. We helped you understand the best way to start 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 website was built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focused on important configuration decisions. We configured web hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three you learn how to configure all the settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various WordPress plugins that can bring new visitors automatically to your site just by publishing web content on a consistent basis.

(Publish content one-time and automate your content distribution to all other services!)

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic system with a number of different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

(Consistent traffic is the product of a business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to new traffic.

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, and manage your web traffic)

Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to drive traffic to your website. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What channels do you plan to use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI 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 generate some initial 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.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking a long time to load.

Your technical systems include handling areas like webhosting, site 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 is looking after my webhosting?
• Who will look after my website and keep my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if you experience difficulties?

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

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage new traffic. This includes:

• Communication systems
• Resources management – human, financial
• 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 good systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

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 automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the diagram below …

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

The first step of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as possible.

Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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. Facebook ads) can help generate some initial data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to drive traffic using methods like LinkedIn, PPC advertising, Reddit, etc.

Tools & Strategies

We’ve 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 plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.

Tips

• 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 that you can sell or distribute online.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

We have created a complete email training series designed to help you come up with limitless content ideas for your website:

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about plugins that let you 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

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

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate traffic with every blog post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.

Traffic Ideas

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

Tools & Strategies

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

• Autoresponders (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 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 developing new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating new sources of web traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Consider creating an e-learning program.
• Publish special reports that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to add to your site include:

• Membership Sites (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-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. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – 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 (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 solutions as necessary to build authority, trust, 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, this article has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your WordPress website and expand your business online.

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