Tag: Web Traffic

Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn your website into an automated web traffic machine using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part One of this series, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your site …

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

In Part Two, we looked at the setup phase. We explained the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your site was built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focus on important configuration decisions. We configured all the settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three we show you how to configure all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can help drive new visitors automatically to your website or blog just by adding fresh content regularly.

(Publish once, automate the rest!)

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize the traffic-getting process using a number of tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, generating quality traffic on a consistent basis is the outcome of a clearly-defined business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your digital presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your 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 business. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you apply to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the results 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 to help generate some 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 ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages are taking too long to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking after my webhosting?
• 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 things go wrong?

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. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage traffic. This includes:

• Communication systems
• Managing human and financial resources
• Handling leads and sales inquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer training/service
• etc.

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – 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 implementing 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 illustration below …

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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 you generate some initial data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more web visitors using methods like Pinterest advertising, YouTube, forum signatures, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content out there is great, but to make this more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing special guides that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools And Methods

If you need great content ideas for your website or blog, then subscribe to our email training series here:

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about WordPress 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 Recognition

Grow Influence And Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online forum, community, or even your own social site.

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 credibility can be used to generate traffic with every blog post you publish, forum post you add, or email broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips

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

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

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

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your users are trying to solve, you can develop new products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new sources of web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create a free or paid online training course.
• Publish PDF guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Tools & Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to consider adding to your website or blog include:

• Membership Site plugins (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-Learning 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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic lets you discover new ways to create content that can help you generate additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the 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 (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 help 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, this information has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your WordPress website and build a more successful business online.

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