Tag: WordPress Traffic Blueprint

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your site using the WordPress CMS.

So far, here is what we have covered in this article series:

In Part One, we describe the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is add new content consistently to begin attracting more traffic!)

In Part Two, we discuss critical setup decisions. We help 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 site, and what to do if your website has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focus on the configuration phase of the blueprint. We configured web hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three we explain how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate traffic to your website using WordPress plugins.

(Publish once, automate the rest!)

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

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems

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

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to create traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)

Let’s briefly review how important these systems are for optimizing traffic:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to drive traffic to your website. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What is your content marketing/online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you apply to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the results of your 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 to help generate some initial actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your pages are taking too long to load.

Your technical systems need to be able to adequately handle areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating software (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who will look after my server?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if any problems arise?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect new problems to arise. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage and respond to 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 your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have implemented good systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Loops

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is focus on growing, optimizing and further automating your “traffic loop”.

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

(WordPress can help implement and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many traffic generation sites and channels as your time and resources will allow.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically distribute your content to places like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content on your site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Facebook ads) can help generate actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more traffic using methods like Twitter advertising, PPC advertising, Reddit, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

See previous sections of this article series for a number of excellent tools and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

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

Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools & Strategies

If you need ideas for posting content on your site, we recommend subscribing to our email training series on content marketing here:

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about 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 And Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by building a list or starting an online membership site.

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic comes from 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 or email broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

There are many solutions and plugins that can help grow your influence and improve engagement. For example:

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

Identify Needs & Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you should have no problem developing new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning program.
• Publish a special report or PDF guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools And Strategies

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

• Membership Site plugins (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 traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is rinse and repeat, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and improve 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 adding 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 required to build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to improve engagement with users,
• 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 article has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your web site and get better results online.

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