Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to create an automated web traffic generating machine using the WordPress CMS platform.
So far, we have covered the following in this article series:
In Part One, we describe the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your website …
(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do is publish content consistently to automatically attract web traffic!)
In Part 2, we discuss the setup phase of the automation system. We explain 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 website was built using WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you where to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)
In Part Three, we discussed important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure webhosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(In Part 3 we explain how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)
In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate the traffic-getting process using plugins.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate your content distribution to all other channels!)
In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize the traffic-getting process with a number of different tools and strategies.
WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, the key to generating high-quality traffic on a consistent basis is having a clearly-defined business vision, great digital planning, and good systems in place.
(Optimizing traffic is the product of a business vision, planning, and great systems)
Let’s review the systems that will help you grow and manage new traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your website.
- Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your online presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
- Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to new traffic.
(Systems help you grow, automate, and manage your web traffic)
Let’s briefly review the above systems:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to create traffic for your business. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What channels do you plan to use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
- How will you assign your budget and resources to these channels?
- How will you create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
- How will you measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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 to help generate some intelligence. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases 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 and processes keep your web presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your web pages are taking a very 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), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.
Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- Who looks 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. should anything go wrong?
Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, there will always be problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.
Business Systems
You need good operational systems and processes to help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:
- Communication systems
- Resources management – human, financial
- Handling leads and sales enquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer service/training
- etc.
If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement great systems for managing all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Methods
With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus your efforts on is developing a “traffic loop”.
Let’s go through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …
(Implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop)
Increase Reach And Visibility Online
Step 1 of the process is to expose your business to as many potential users as possible.
Traffic Ideas
- An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically syndicate your content to places like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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 can help you generate data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
- Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to drive visitors using methods like LinkedIn advertising, solo ads, cross promotions, etc.
Tools And Methods
See previous sections of this article series for a number of excellent plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.
Also, if you haven’t already, look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:
- Share your posts online,
- Run contests, offer discounts or downloads for shares/likes,
- Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)
Build Authority & Credibility
Getting more content published is great, but to make this more effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with users.
Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and hence more traffic.
Traffic Optimization Tips
- Create and publish content that adds value to users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing educational guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
Tools And Strategies
If you need endless content ideas for your website, we recommend subscribing to our FREE email training series here:
Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress website or blog:
- 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 achieve this by growing a list or starting your own community.
With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic will come from an audience of existing 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, forum post you add, or email you send out.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free or paid membership site.
- Start or join an online group on LinkedIn.
Tools, Plugins, & Strategies
Many solutions and plugins are available that are easy to implement and can help grow your influence and improve engagement. For example:
- Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls & Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, video galleries, etc.
Identify Needs & Provide Solutions To These
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of web traffic.
Tips
- Create a free or paid online training program.
- Consider publishing instructional PDF guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
- Add e-commerce to your business.
Tools & Methods
If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to consider adding to your website 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. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.
You should have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret 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 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 if required 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, this article has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your WordPress web site and get better results online.
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"I am beyond impressed with what you have put together. I can tell that you put a ton of hard work into building what you have. You have the absolute best content on WordPress I have ever seen!" - Robert T. Jillie
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