Tag: WordPress Traffic Blueprint

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

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

In Part One of this article series, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated traffic …

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

In Part 2, we discussed the setup phase. We explained 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 existing site was built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discussed the configuration phase. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three you will configure all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we explained how to set up various plugins that can bring new traffic automatically to your website whenever you begin adding new content.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize the traffic system using a number of tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to keep your online presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.

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

Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you apply to these marketing channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI 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 (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 site, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems keep your web presence up and running 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 handle technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks 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. should things go wrong?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you can expect to face new problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage new traffic. These include:

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

If you intend to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you also implement excellent systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

Let’s go through an example of implementing, optimizing, and automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the processes illustrated below …

(Implement and optimize your traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your business.

Useful Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) can help generate some initial actionable data such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, 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 bring traffic using methods like LinkedIn ads, videos, cross promotions, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

See earlier sections of this article series for many excellent plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about 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 likes/shares,
• Accept user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in different media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, infographics, etc.)

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content published is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build 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 visitors.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that adds value to potential users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report or PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools And Methods

If you need endless content ideas for your site, we recommend subscribing to our FREE 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 site:

• Legal Pages
• Testimonials
• Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
• Ratings
• User Reviews
• Badges/Certificates Of Recognition

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 an online group.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic comes from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with every blog post you publish, forum post you add, or email broadcast you send out.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site.
• Start or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools & Methods

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

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

Identify Problems And Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what your visitors are searching for, you can develop new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create a free or paid online training course.
• Publish educational guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:

• 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 to collect and analyze data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you 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 Blueprint – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the process, 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 solid marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (consider adding 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 as needed to help build authority 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 post has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your WordPress web site and expand your business online.

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