Tag: WordPress Traffic Blueprint

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to grow your business online automatically using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part 1, we describe the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do to begin bringing more traffic is publish content regularly!)

In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase of the automation process. We explained the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your site has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we looked at the configuration phase. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three you learn how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various plugins that can bring visitors automatically to your website or blog.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website using various tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, generating targeted traffic consistently is the outcome of a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and great systems and process in place.

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to keep your web presence optimized for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes 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 new traffic for your business. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• How will you create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results of your campaigns?

During the setup and configuration phase, you would 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 you 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 site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is down or your pages take a very long time to load.

Your systems need to adequately handle areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, 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 will look after my website and keep 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 planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you should expect to face new problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you also implement good systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on are ways to develop and optimize a “traffic loop”.

Let’s walk through an example of implementing, optimizing, and further automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the illustration below …

(Implement and optimize your traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many members of your target audience as you can.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically syndicate your content to sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate some initial 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 attract more traffic using methods like Pinterest, solo ads, forum signatures, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

We’ve covered many excellent plugins, tools, and strategies in earlier sections of this tutorial series.

Also, ask us about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content published is a great first step, but to make this activity more effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and hence more traffic.

Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a training guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

We have created a detailed course on content creation that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, ask us about WordPress 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

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting a group.

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

Useful Tips

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

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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

• List-Building Tools (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls & Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your users are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Tips

• Create a free or paid e-learning program.
• Consider publishing an instructional e-book that you can sell or distribute online.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), look for WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• Membership Site plugins (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• Learning Management Systems (e.g. Courseware)
• Event Registrations (e.g. EventEspresso)

Analyze Data & Feedback

The final step of the process is the collection and analysis of data. By learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new ways to generate additional traffic.

You should have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do 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 solid 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 solutions 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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