Tag: WordPress Traffic

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

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

In Part One, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to automatically begin bringing traffic is publish new content consistently!)

In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase. We helped you understand the best way to start 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 was built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we discussed important configuration decisions. We configured all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate traffic to your website using various WordPress plugins.

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, generating quality traffic on a consistent basis is the result of having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and good systems in place.

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

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

These include:

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

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

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels do you plan to use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you allocate your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the cost-effectiveness of your online 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 initial data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your online presence remains operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is down or your web pages take too long to load.

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

Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• Who is looking after my webhosting?
• 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. if you experience difficulties?

Many potential problems 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. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage the influx of new traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then you will need systems in place to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Tools & Methods

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

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

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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. pay-per-click ads) can help you generate some initial actionable data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase more web traffic using methods like LinkedIn advertising, PPC advertising, forum ads, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content published is a great first step, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create and publish content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

We have created an entire email course on content creation that you can plug into for free here:

Also, learn more about plugins that allow you to 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 Recognition

Grow Influence & Engagement

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

With “Traffic On Tap,” all of your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with a single post or broadcast.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

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

Tools & Strategies

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

• Autoresponders (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, video galleries, etc.

Identify Problems & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what users are searching for, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new services, products, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

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

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

• 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. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.

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

In summary:

• Start 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 methods as necessary to help build authority and credibility, and also to increase 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 automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your web site and get better results online.

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