Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to automate traffic to your site using the WordPress CMS platform.
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 or blog is the key to generating automated traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do to automatically bring more traffic is publish great content on a consistent basis!)
In Part 2, we look at the setup phase of the traffic automation system. We explain the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your site has been built with WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you how to set up a WordPress website on your domain)
In Part Three, we discuss configuring the system. We configured all the settings that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(In Part Three you will configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part Four, you learned how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help bring web traffic automatically to your website or blog.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate your content distribution to all other channels!)
In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize traffic generation with different tools and methods.
WordPress Traffic Automation System – Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems and process in place.
(Generating automated traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and systems)
Let’s briefly review the systems that will help you grow and manage all traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your website.
- Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence up and running for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.
(Systems help you grow, automate, 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 create new traffic for your website. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:
- What channels do you plan to use to drive traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
- How will you apply your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
- Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
- How will you 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 results. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages are taking a very long time to load.
Your technical systems include handling areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.
Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- Who is looking after my server?
- Who is looking after my website and keeping my site maintained and up-to-date?
- Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if issues occur?
Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, you will always run into problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.
Business Systems
You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage the influx of traffic. These include:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling leads and sales inquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer training/service
- etc.
If you plan to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need excellent systems in place for managing all outsourcing.
WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization
If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus on are ways to grow a “traffic loop”.
Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the diagram below …
(Implement, automate, and optimize your traffic loop)
Increase Reach And Visibility Online
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 notify and publicize your content to traffic-getting sources 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. Facebook ads) can help generate data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
- Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to drive more website visitors using methods like LinkedIn, social media, Reddit, etc.
Plugins, Tools, And Strategies
See earlier sections of this article series for a number of useful plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.
Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:
- Share your posts online with others,
- Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for likes/shares,
- Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Publish and distribute content online in different media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)
Build Authority & Credibility
Getting more of your content out there is a great first step, but to make this more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.
Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more visitors.
Traffic Tips
- Focus on creating content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing an instructional e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
Tools, Plugins, And Strategies
We have created an entire course on content creation that you can plug into at no cost 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 website:
- 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 tap.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting a community.
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 a single post or email.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Start or join an online group on Facebook/LinkedIn.
Plugins, Tools, And Methods
There are many solutions and plugins that are easy to implement and can help grow your online influence and improve user engagement. For example:
- Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums and Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls and Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, image galleries, etc.
Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what your visitors want, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new streams of web traffic.
Tips
- Create an e-learning course.
- Publish educational guides that can be sold or distributed online.
- Add an e-commerce store to your site.
Tools, Plugins, & Methods
If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions 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 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 to collect and analyze data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new opportunities to create content that can generate you additional traffic.
You should have already installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you can also understand the data.
WordPress Web 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 get better your results.
In summary:
- Begin 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 needed 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your website and build a more successful business online.
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"I have used the tutorials to teach all of my clients and it has probably never been so easy for everyone to learn WordPress ... Now I don't need to buy all these very expensive video courses that often don't deliver what they promise." - Stefan Wendt, Internet Marketing Success Group
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