WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to create an automated web traffic generation machine using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part 1 of this article series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is publish fresh content on a consistent basis to bring more web traffic!)

In Part 2, we discuss the setup phase of the blueprint. We explain the best way to start 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 is built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discuss the configuration phase. We configured web hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate the traffic-generation process with WordPress plugins.

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

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize the traffic system using a number of tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

(Generating consistent traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, planning, and excellent systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• How will you apply your budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the cost-effectiveness 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) to help generate some actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your online presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your web pages are taking too long to load.

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

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

• Who is looking after my webhosting?
• 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. should anything go wrong?

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

Business Systems

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

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

If you intend to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have good systems in place for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

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

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows 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 online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to drive visitors using methods like Facebook ads, social media, updates, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

See previous sections of this tutorial series for many excellent plugins, tools, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

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

• Share your comments and posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for shares/likes,
• Display 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 out there is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.

Tools & Strategies

We have created a complete email email-based training course designed to help you come up with limitless content for your website:

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about WordPress plugins that allow you to 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

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting a group.

With “Traffic On Demand,” your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with every post you publish, forum post you add, or broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Encourage commenting and 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.

Tools & Strategies

There are many solutions and WordPress plugins that can help increase your online influence and improve engagement. For example:

• List-Building Tools (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, video galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what users want, you should have no problem developing new products, services, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new sources of traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create a free or paid e-learning program.
• Publish an educational guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your business.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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

• 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 the collection and analysis of data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.

You should already have installed an analytics tool like 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 cycle, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and improve your results.

In summary:

• Start with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by solid 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 methods as needed to build authority 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 WordPress web site and get better results online.

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