WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

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

In Part One, we provided an overview of the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do to begin bringing traffic is publish content regularly!)

In Part 2, we looked at critical setup decisions. We explained the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence 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 how to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part 3, we look at important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure all the settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part Three we explain how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate the traffic-getting process with different plugins.

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

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article 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 getting your WordPress website expertly configured, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive 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 new traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)

Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your website. Your 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 your marketing channels?
• Who will create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you 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 data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

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

Your technical systems include handling areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing and updating new 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 can expect new problems to arise. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems to help you manage the influx of new traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Loops

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

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

(WordPress can help you implement, automate, and optimize your traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

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

Useful Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically distribute your content to sites like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) can help you generate some initial data, 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 traffic using methods like Twitter advertising, podcasts, email ads, etc.

Tools And Methods

See earlier sections of this tutorial series for a number of useful tools and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:

• Share your posts online,
• Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for shares/likes,
• Add user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Publish and distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content published is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more visitors.

Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools & Strategies

We have created an entire email email-based training course designed to help you never run out of content for posting to your website or blog:

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress site:

• 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 tap.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online forum, community, or even your own social site.

With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic will come from an audience of existing 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 broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email 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 & Methods

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

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

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions To These

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, products, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create a free or paid e-learning program.
• Publish special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

If you plan to provide services, products, and 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 Site plugins (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 the collection and analysis of data. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Web 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:

• 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 if needed 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 drive more traffic automatically to your web site and improve your business online.

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