In Part 1 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, we explained that the key to creating an automated web traffic generation machine is to use an “expertly configured” WordPress website.
As we also explained, an expertly configured WordPress site is different than a professionally-configured WordPress site. An expertly configured WordPress website is a site that is not only driven by the WordPress CMS platform, but has also been expertly set up and configured (either by yourself or professionally) to take full advantage of the tremendous power, features and functionality of WordPress and the way it integrates with other services, specifically in areas like search engine optimization, external site syndication and reporting.
(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do is publish great content regularly to automatically drive traffic!)
Once your WordPress site has been fully set up and expertly configured, all you need to do to automatically drive web traffic is add content on a regular basis.
As outlined in Part One of this article series, the components of the automated online traffic blueprint are as follows:
- Setup
- Configure
- Automate
- Optimize
In this article, we look at the “Setup” phase of this process. The focus of this section is to help you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, or if you already have an existing site that may or may not have been built using WordPress.
WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Setup
If You Have No Web Presence
If you haven’t got a web presence yet, it’s quite simple … build a WordPress site!
WordPress is the most powerful, flexible, cost-effective and easy-to-use content management system available. We provide many articles, tutorials, and tips about the benefits and advantages of using WordPress to grow your business online.
For example, to see just how popular WordPress has become as a platform for doing business online, see this article: How Popular Is WordPress? Some Surprising Statistics About WordPress
After choosing to build your site with WordPress, the next step is to choose which type of WordPress platform you will use to build your web presence on.
This is important as there are two types of WordPress platforms you can choose from …
Self-Hosted Or Hosted WordPress?
(WordPress Hosted Or WordPress Self-Hosted?)
WordPress offers a ”hosted” and a “self-hosted” option.
WordPress.org allows you to download the full-featured WordPress CMS application for free and self-host a WordPress site or blog under your own domain name. This is the “self-hosted” WordPress option.
In the “hosted option”, WordPress will host your blog for free at WordPress.com. There are, however, a number of limitations on what you can and can’t do with your blog when it is hosted for free at WordPress.com.
If you plan to build a professional web presence and you want to set up the traffic system described here, then you should choose the “self-hosted” WordPress platform. The benefits of choosing the “self-hosted” option (WordPress.org) far outweigh those of hosting a free blog at WordPress.com. You get to have full control over your web presence and avoid the limitations of the hosted option. Keep in mind that You can overcome the limitations of the free hosting platform by upgrading to a paid option, but then why not start off by hosting a WordPress site on your domain and avoid the hassles of upgrading later?
If You Have An Existing Website
If you already have an existing site, check to see if it has been built using WordPress.
If you need help with this step, check this article: The Easy Way To Tell If Your Blog Runs On The WP CMS Platform
If your website is a WP website, move to the next step, and make sure that your site’s internal settings have been properly configured. We cover this step in more detail in another tutorial.
If your website is not a WordPress web site, you have some decisions to make.
Take a look at the diagram below. It will help you choose how to set up a WordPress website on your domain …
(Use the above diagram to help you choose where to set up WordPress on your domain)
Basically, you have two choices:
- Replace your existing web site with a WordPress-powered website, or
- Keep your existing web site and add a WordPress-driven blog. This blog will then be expertly configured and used to drive traffic to your main web site.
If you choose to keep your existing web site and add a WordPress-driven blog, make sure to use the self-hosted version of WordPress, which requires a domain name and webhosting, but allows you to fully configure your blog’s settings and customize the design of your existing website using a closely-matching theme.
To use WordPress as your main website, install it in the “root” folder of your domain (i.e. www.mydomainname.com).
If you have a website, then you will want to install WordPress in a subdirectory of your domain, e.g. www.mydomainname.com/blog (you can name the subfolder whatever you want).
If you have a site that you don’t want to delete or replace with a WordPress site, the other option you have is to set up your WordPress site or blog on an entirely different domain.
This way:
- mydomainname.com – goes to your existing website
- myotherdomain.com – goes to your WordPress site
Once you have set up your WordPress site, the next step is to configure its internal settings. This step is addressed in the next article in the WordPress Traffic Blueprint series.
This is the end of Section Two
To read more, click here:
This article is part of an article series aimed at helping website owners learn how to grow their business online inexpensively and drive traffic organically using a WordPress website or blog and proven online marketing methods.
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"These tutorials have so much information and are easy to understand. If you use WordPress or plan to in the future these will help you with everything you need to know." - Valisa (Mesa, Arizona)
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