WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to automate traffic to your site using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

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

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

In Part Two, we focused on the setup phase. We explained 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 website has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discuss the configuration phase of this system. We configured all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate the traffic system using various WordPress plugins.

(Publish content once, automate the rest!)

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize your traffic using various tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, the key to generating quality traffic consistently is having a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems in place.

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to ensure that your web presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

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

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you assign your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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 actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your digital presence up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your web pages take too long to load.

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

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

• Who will look after my server?
• 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. when issues arise?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, there will always be problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes to help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you have excellent systems in place for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(Implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as possible.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on places 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 can help generate data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract traffic using methods like LinkedIn, podcasts, Reddit, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

We’ve covered a number of useful tools and strategies in previous sections of this tutorial series.

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 downloads or discounts for likes/shares,
• Accept user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Publish and distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting more people to share it with others and hence more traffic.

Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to potential visitors and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report that can be sold or distributed online.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

If you need help coming up with great topics for content that you can post on your site, we recommend subscribing to our FREE email training course on content marketing here:

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about 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 & Engagement

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

With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic will come from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with a single blog post or email.

Useful Tips And 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, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Start or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

• List-Building Software (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs And Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your users are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning course.
• Publish PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle book store.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Tools And Methods

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 website 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 the collection and analysis of data. By learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new ways to generate additional traffic.

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the cycle, 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 (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 if required 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, this article has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your WordPress web site and build a more successful business online.

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