WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

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

In Part 1, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is add web content on a regular basis to begin bringing traffic!)

In Part 2, we look at the setup phase of the blueprint. We help you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your site was built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discuss the configuration phase of the blueprint. We configured all the settings that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part Four, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can drive traffic automatically to your website or blog whenever you begin to post fresh content on a consistent basis.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website with a number of different tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic System – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the outcome of a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

(Generating regular traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and systems)

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

These include:

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

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

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

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 content marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you assign to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI of your online 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 to help you generate some initial 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 optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages are taking a very long time to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who will look after my webhosting?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should things go wrong?

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

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage the influx of new traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you also implement great systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(WordPress can help implement and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many potential users as you can.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to traffic-getting sources like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, 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 actionable 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 get visitors using methods like Facebook advertising, PPC advertising, updates, etc.

Tools And Strategies

We’ve already covered a number of excellent plugins, tools, and strategies in earlier sections of this article series.

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts on this site to 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,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content out there is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and viewed by more people and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a training guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We have created an entire course on content creation that you can plug into for free here:

Also, 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 And Engagement

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

With “Traffic On Demand,” all of your traffic comes from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with a single post or email.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Encourage users 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.
• Start or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Tools, Plugins, 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:

• List-Building Solutions (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, 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 & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your visitors 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 for generating new streams of traffic.

Tips

• Create an e-learning program.
• Consider publishing an instructional PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

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

• 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 learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new opportunities to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic System – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the process over and over again, 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 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 if required to help build authority 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, this post has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your website and build a more successful business online.

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