WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

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

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do to automatically begin attracting new web traffic is post great content consistently!)

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 website has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discussed important configuration decisions. We configured all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three you will configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can get new visitors automatically to your website or blog.

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating successfully on a consistent basis is having a clearly-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems 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 – The processes and methods used to create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to keep your online presence optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Use systems to grow and manage your traffic)

Let’s briefly review the above systems:

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and strategies used to drive new traffic to your website. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What is your content marketing/online marketing strategy?
• How will you assign your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the results 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 to help generate 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 ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages are taking too long to load.

Your systems include handling areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking after my webhosting?
• Who is looking after my website and keeping my site 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 process and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect to face problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems and processes help you manage traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have good systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

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

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

(Implement and optimize your traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as your time and resources will allow.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on sites 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) can help you generate actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to drive web site visitors using methods like paid advertising, banner ads, email ads, etc.

Tools And Strategies

We’ve covered many excellent plugins, tools, and methods in earlier sections of this tutorial series.

Also, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

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

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and hence more visitors.

Traffic Tips

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

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

If you need great topics for posting content on your web site, we recommend subscribing to our email training course on growing your business with content marketing here:

Also, if you haven’t already, look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

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

Grow Influence And Engagement

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

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

Tips

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

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

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

Identify Needs & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you should have no problem developing new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Consider creating an e-learning program.
• Publish a PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools, Plugins, & 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 consider adding to your site include:

• Membership Site plugins (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 to collect and analyze data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new opportunities to create additional traffic.

You should have already installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic System – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the process, 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 solid marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (with 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 as necessary 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 information has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your web site and get better results online.

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