Tag: Web Traffic

Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to drive new traffic automatically to your site using WordPress.

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

In Part One of this article series, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your website …

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

In Part Two, we focus on the setup phase of the blueprint. We explain the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything 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 a WordPress website on your domain)

In Part Three, we look at the configuration phase. We explained how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate the traffic system with WordPress plugins.

(Publish content once, automate the rest!)

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

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

(Optimizing traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, planning, and excellent systems)

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

These include:

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

(Use systems to grow, automate, optimize, and manage your web traffic)

Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are for traffic:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to drive new traffic to your business. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apportion your budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, 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 keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your digital presence remains operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages take a very long time to load.

Your systems include handling areas like webhosting, website 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 will look 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 problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you can expect problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage new traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have good systems in place for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on are ways to implement a “traffic loop”.

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

(Implementing, automating and optimizing a traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as your time and resources will allow.

Useful Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly notify and publicize your content to social media accounts 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 can help generate some initial data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get more web traffic using methods like Facebook advertising, PPC advertising, Reddit, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

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

• 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, 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 users.

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an educational guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about plugins that allow you to 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 demand.” You can do this by building a list or starting a membership 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 reputation can be used to generate traffic with a single blog post or email broadcast.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, 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 And Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create an e-learning program.
• Publish a training guide that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

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

You should already have installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. 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 repeat the cycle, 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 good 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 as needed 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your WordPress website and build a more successful business online.

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