Tag: WordPress Traffic Blueprint

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to automate traffic to your site using WordPress.

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

In Part 1 of this series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do is post new content regularly to generate more traffic!)

In Part 2, we discussed the setup phase. We explained the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things 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 WordPress on your domain)

In Part 3, we discuss the configuration phase of this blueprint. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part 4, we looked at ways to automate the traffic system using a number of WordPress plugins.

(Publish content once and automate your content distribution to all other services!)

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize your traffic using various tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

(Optimized traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to drive traffic to your website.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your digital presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, and manage your web traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels do you plan to use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you assign 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 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. Facebook ads) 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 targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your web presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages are taking a long time to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by 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 any issues occur?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, there will always be new problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems to help you manage and respond to the influx of new traffic. This includes:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have good systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Loops

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is to focus on growing your “traffic loop”.

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many traffic generation sites and channels as you can.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically distribute your content to sites like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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 actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get visitors using methods like Twitter, social media, forum signatures, etc.

Tools And Methods

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

Also, contact us to learn more about WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

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

Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to potential visitors 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.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We have created a detailed course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and how to never run out of new ideas for content that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress site:

• 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 tap.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting an online community.

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic comes from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with a single blog post or email broadcast.

Tips

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Start or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

Many solutions and WordPress plugins are available that can help increase your influence and improve user engagement. For example:

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums and Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your users are trying to solve, you can develop new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create an online training program.
• Publish expert guides that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools And Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), ask us about WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

• 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 have already installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress 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 improve 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 initial traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions if necessary to build authority 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 improve your business online.

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