Tag: Web Traffic

Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Web Site 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 explained 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 automatically generate more web traffic is publish content regularly!)

In Part Two, we discussed the setup phase. We helped you understand the best way to start 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 existing website has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we look at the configuration phase of this process. We explained how to configure webhosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you learn 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 the traffic-getting process with plugins.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize the traffic generation process with a number of different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis is achieved by having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems in place.

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

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

These include:

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

(Systems help you grow 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 methods used to create traffic for your website. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels do you plan to use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to your marketing channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you 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 you generate some 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.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your web presence optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is down or your web pages take too long to load.

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

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

• Who looks 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 anything go wrong?

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

Business Systems

You need good business systems in place to help you manage and respond to traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you also implement great systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Loops

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

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

(WordPress can help you implement, automate, and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as you can.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically syndicate your content to sites 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. pay-per-click ads) can help you generate actionable and intelligent 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 different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring more traffic using methods like Pinterest advertising, podcasts, Reddit, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

See previous sections of this article series for many excellent tools and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

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

• Share your comments and posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer discounts or downloads for shares/likes,
• Accept user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Publish and distribute content online in different media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, infographics, etc.)

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and hence more visitors.

Traffic Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an instructional e-book that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools And Methods

We have created an entire course on content creation that you can plug into for free here:

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts on this site to learn more about plugins that let you 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 And 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,” your traffic comes from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with every blog post you publish or email you send out.

Useful Tips

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

Tools & Methods

There are many solutions and plugins that are easy to implement and can help increase your influence and improve user engagement. For example:

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what users need, you can develop new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new sources of web traffic.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Consider creating an e-learning course.
• Consider publishing an e-book that can be sold or distributed online.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

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

• 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 to collect and analyze data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic allows you to discover new ways to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress 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:

• Begin 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 if required to help 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your WordPress web site and build a more successful business online.

***

***