WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to turn your website into an automated traffic generation machine using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part One, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do to begin bringing new traffic is post great content consistently!)

In Part Two, we discussed critical setup decisions. We explained the best way to get started 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 was built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focused on important configuration decisions. We configured all the settings (hosting, internal 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 ability to generate traffic automatically)

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

(Publish content one-time, automate the rest!)

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

WordPress Web Traffic System – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating quality traffic consistently is having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your online presence optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Use systems to grow, automate, and manage your traffic)

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you allocate to these marketing channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the results of your online 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. Google AdWords) to help generate some initial 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’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your online presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages are taking a very long time to load.

Your technical systems need to be able 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 looks after my webhosting?
• Who will look after my website and keep my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should problems arise?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you will run into many new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems to help you manage and respond to the influx of traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need to put good systems in place for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Tools And Methods

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

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

(Implement, automate, and optimize your traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your business.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content on your site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. pay-per-click ads) can help generate some initial data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more traffic using methods like Pinterest, videos, updates, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

See previous sections of this article series for many useful tools and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

Also, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website or blog:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content published is good, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with users.

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Focus on creating and publishing content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an instructional PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We have created an entire email course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and how to never run out of new web content ideas that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your 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 do this by building a list or starting your own online community or social network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” 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 new traffic with a single post or email.

Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

There are many solutions and plugins that can help increase your 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 & Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs And Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what your visitors want, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products and services, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Useful Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning course.
• Consider publishing an instructional PDF guide that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools And Methods

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to add to your website include:

• 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 to collect and analyze data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can 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 Web Traffic Automation System – 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 traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions as needed to build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to increase 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your web site and build a more successful business online.

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