Tag: WordPress Traffic

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

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

In Part 1 of this series, we 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 to begin bringing web traffic is add great content regularly!)

In Part Two, we looked at critical setup decisions. We helped you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things 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 3, we looked at the configuration phase of the traffic automation process. We explained how to configure webhosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate traffic generation using WordPress plugins.

(Publish content one-time and automate your content distribution to all other marketing channels!)

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize your traffic using various tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the outcome of a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to keep your web presence up and running for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to new traffic.

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

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness of your online 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 you generate some data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems keep your web presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is down or your pages take too long to load.

Your systems include handling areas like webhosting, website 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 looks after my server?
• Who looks after my website and keeps 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 problems can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you can expect problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems to 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 your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you also implement great systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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 generate actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring more visitors using methods like LinkedIn, banner ads, forum ads, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

See previous sections of this article series for a number of useful tools, plugins, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:

• Share your posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for likes/shares,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, infographics, etc.)

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is a great first step, 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 it shared around and viewed by more people and hence more visitors.

Tips

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

Tools And Methods

If you need help coming up with unlimited ideas for posting content on your web site, we recommend subscribing to our email training series on growing your business with content marketing here:

Also, if you haven’t already, look for 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

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online forum, membership site, or even your own social network.

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 credibility can be used to generate traffic with a single blog post or email broadcast.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email 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.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

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

Identify Needs And Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you can develop new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new sources of traffic.

Tips

• Create a free or paid e-learning course.
• Publish a special report or PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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 add to your site include:

• Membership Sites (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 to collect and analyze data. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do 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 good 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 needed 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 website and build a better business online.

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