Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to drive new traffic automatically to your website 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 generating automated traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to automatically drive traffic is add new content consistently!)
In Part Two, we discussed critical setup decisions. 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 website, and what to do if your existing website was built using WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)
In Part Three, we look at configuring WordPress. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(In Part Three we show you how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)
In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate traffic generation using WordPress plugins.
(Publish once, automate the rest!)
In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize your traffic using various tools and methods.
WordPress Web Traffic System – Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, generating high-quality traffic consistently is achieved by having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and great systems and process in place.
(Optimizing traffic is the result of a business vision, planning, and great systems)
Let’s review the systems that will help you grow and manage your traffic.
These include:
- Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your business.
- Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to ensure that your digital presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
- Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.
(Systems help you grow and manage your traffic)
Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to create new traffic for your website. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What channels will you use to drive traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
- How will you apply your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
- Who will create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
- How will you test and measure the ROI 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. Facebook ads) to help you generate some actionable 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’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems and processes keep your online presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your web pages are taking a very long time to load.
Your systems need to adequately handle areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating software (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.
You can test your technical systems by questions such as:
- Who looks after my server?
- 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 anything go wrong?
Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you will always run into 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 new traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Resources management – human, financial
- Handling leads and sales enquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer service/training
- etc.
If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need good systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization
With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is focus on how to grow, optimize, and automate a “traffic loop”.
Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the diagram below …
(Implement, optimize, and automate your traffic loop)
Increase Reach & Visibility Online
The first step of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as your resources will allow.
Useful Tips & Ideas
- An 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 can help you generate some initial actionable and intelligent 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.
- Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to increase more web site traffic using methods like Facebook ads, social media, email ads, etc.
Plugins, Tools, And Methods
See previous sections of this article series for a number of useful tools and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.
Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:
- Share your posts online,
- Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for shares/likes,
- Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, infographics, etc.)
Build Authority And Credibility
Getting more of your content published is a great first step, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.
Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more people to link to it and share it around and hence more visitors.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Focus on creating and publishing content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
Tools, Plugins, And Strategies
We have created an entire email email-based training course designed to help you never run out of great content ideas for your web site:
Also, ask us 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 & 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 forum, membership site, or even your own social site.
With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate traffic with a single post or email.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a paid or free membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.
Plugins, Tools, And Methods
Many solutions and plugins are available that are easy to implement and 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 & Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, image galleries, etc.
Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what users need, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional traffic.
Useful Tips
- Create a free or paid e-learning course.
- Publish instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online.
- Add e-commerce to your business.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
If you plan to provide solutions 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.)
- 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. By learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new opportunities to generate additional traffic.
Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.
WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary
Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the same process, 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 solid 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 methods as necessary to build authority, trust, 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your website and get better results online.
***
"This is an awesome training series. I have a pretty good understanding of WordPress already, but this is helping me to move somewhere from intermediate to advanced user!" - Kim Lednum
***