Tag: WordPress Traffic Blueprint

Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to drive visitors automatically to your website using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do is publish web content on a regular basis to automatically bring web traffic!)

In Part Two, we looked at the setup phase. We helped you understand the best way to get started 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 has been built using WordPress.

(In Part 2 we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part Three, we focus on configuring WordPress. We configured all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three we explain how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate traffic generation using plugins.

(Publish once, automate the rest!)

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic system with a number of different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a well-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to create traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to keep your online presence up and running for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.

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

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to create traffic for your business. You can test your online 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 budget will you assign to these channels?
• How will you create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI of your online marketing campaigns?

During the setup and configuration phase, you should 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) to help generate 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 web presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is down or your pages take too long to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks after my server?
• Who is looking after my website and keeping my site, plugins, themes, etc. 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 process and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you should expect new problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems and processes help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then you will need to put good systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Loops

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

Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the processes illustrated below …

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your business.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow 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.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Facebook ads) can help generate data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring more visitors using methods like Facebook ads, podcasts, forum signatures, etc.

Tools & Strategies

See previous sections of this tutorial series for many excellent plugins, tools, and strategies 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 WordPress site:

• Share your comments and posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer discounts/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 And Credibility

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

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

We have created a comprehensive course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, content creation tools, and how to never run out of new web content ideas 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 Recognition

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 an online community or even your own social network.

With “Traffic On Tap,” all of your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with a single blog post or email broadcast.

Useful Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start 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.
• Create or join an online group on Facebook/LinkedIn.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

• List-Building Solutions (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, video galleries, etc.

Identify Needs & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your users are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new products, services, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create an online training program.
• Consider publishing special guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
• 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), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to consider adding to your site 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 allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.

You should already have installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic System – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the process over and over again, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and get better your results.

In summary:

• Start with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by good marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (with some paid advertising to drive traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other methods if necessary 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 drive more visitors automatically to your WordPress web site and build a more successful business online.

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