Tag: Web Traffic

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

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 is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to automatically bring traffic is post new content regularly!)

In Part Two, we focus on the setup phase. 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 using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focused on important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate your traffic using various plugins.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website with different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

(Generating automated traffic is the result of a business vision, planning, and great systems)

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

These systems include:

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

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

Let’s briefly review how important these systems are:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• How will you apportion your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the ROI of your 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 to help you generate some initial data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

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

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking after my webhosting?
• Who is looking after my website and keeping my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. when issues occur?

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 can expect new problems to arise. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems in place to help you manage and respond to the influx of traffic. These include:

• 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 services, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Loops

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is to grow your “traffic loop”.

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

(WordPress can help implement and optimize your traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to expose your business to as many potential users as you can.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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. Google AdWords) 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 the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more web traffic using methods like paid advertising, videos, email ads, etc.

Tools & Strategies

See earlier sections of this tutorial series for many excellent tools and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

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

• Share your comments and posts online,
• Run contests, offer discounts or downloads for likes/shares,
• Accept 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 content out there 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 views from social sharing and hence more visitors.

Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that adds value to users 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 Amazon.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you need great content ideas for your site, we recommend subscribing to our FREE email training series on content marketing here:

Also, if you haven’t already, look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:

• 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 building a list or starting your own online community or social network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” all 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 new traffic with every blog post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.

Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Start or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Tools And Strategies

Many solutions and WordPress 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 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 find out 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 to generate new sources of web traffic.

Tips

• Consider creating an e-learning program.
• Consider publishing educational guides or 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 website include:

• Membership Site plugins (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 to collect and analyze data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies 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 solid marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (with 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 necessary to help build authority, trust, 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, this post has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your web site and build a better business online.

***

***