WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to automate traffic to your site using the WordPress CMS.

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

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

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

In Part Two, we focused on the setup phase. We helped you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing website has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we looked at the configuration phase of the blueprint. We explained how to configure all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 we explain how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we showed you how to set up various WordPress plugins that can bring web traffic automatically to your website.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website using different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Automating traffic is the result of a business vision, planning, and systems)

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your web presence remains up and running for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Use systems to grow, automate, and manage your 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 business. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you apply to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the ROI of your online marketing 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 generate some actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your web presence optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your web pages are taking a long time to load.

Your technical systems include handling areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.

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

• Who looks after my webhosting?
• Who is looking after my website and keeping my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if issues occur?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you should expect to face new problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems in place to help you manage and respond to traffic. These include:

• Communication systems
• Managing human and financial resources
• Handling sales enquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer training/service
• etc.

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Tools & Methods

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

Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and further automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the processes illustrated below …

(WordPress can help implement, automate, and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

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

Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content through your expertly configured WordPress site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate 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 attract web traffic using methods like Facebook, podcasts, StumbleUpon, etc.

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 potential users.

Also, if you haven’t already, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content out there is good, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create and publish content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, 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 Strategies

If you need endless content ideas for your web site, then subscribe to our FREE email training course on growing your business with content marketing here:

Also, look for WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:

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

Grow Influence & Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting your own online community or social network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” all 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 post or email broadcast.

Useful Tips

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

Tools And Methods

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

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

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what your visitors want, you can develop new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Useful Tips

• Consider creating an online training course.
• Publish a special report or PDF guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your business.

Tools & Strategies

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

• Membership Sites (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-Courses (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 ways to generate additional traffic.

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

WordPress Traffic System – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies 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 initial traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions as required to 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 get better results online.

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