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 turn your website into an automated web traffic machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One of this article series, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do to automatically bring web traffic is post content regularly!)

In Part Two, we discuss the setup phase. We explain the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a website, and what to do if your existing site has been built using WordPress.

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

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

(In Part Three you learn how to configure all the settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate the traffic-getting process using a number of plugins.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website using various tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic System – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis is achieved by having a clearly-defined business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

(Consistent traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your online presence optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)

Let’s briefly review the above systems:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you assign your budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results 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 results. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages take a very long time to load.

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

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

• Who is looking after my server?
• 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. if you experience difficulties?

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

Business Systems

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

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

If you intend to outsource areas of your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need good systems in place to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(Implement, optimize, and automate your traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many members of your target audience as your time and resources will allow.

Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly notify and publicize your content to 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 on your site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate some initial actionable data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring visitors using methods like Pinterest advertising, social media, updates, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

See previous sections of this tutorial series for many excellent plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

Also, learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

• Share your comments and posts online,
• 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 & Credibility

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

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

Traffic Ideas

• Focus on creating and publishing content that adds value to potential users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an instructional e-book that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools & Methods

We have created an entire email course aimed at helping you come up with unlimited content for posting to your site:

Also, ask us about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:

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

Grow Influence And 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 Tap,” all of your traffic will come 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 every blog post you publish or email you send out.

Useful Tips

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

Tools & Methods

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

• List-Building Software (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

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what your visitors are looking for, you can develop new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Traffic Ideas

• Create an e-learning program.
• Publish expert guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress 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 interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Traffic 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 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 (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 solutions if necessary to help build authority 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, this article has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your web site and build a better business online.

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