WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your website using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One of this article series, we 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 is add content on a consistent basis to automatically start generating new traffic!)

In Part Two, we discuss the setup phase of the traffic automation system. We help you understand 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 site was built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focus on important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate traffic generation with plugins.

(Publish once to WordPress and automate the distribution of your content 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 with a number of different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic System – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the result of having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Automated 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 new traffic.

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems and processes used to ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.

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

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• How will you apportion your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• Who will create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results of your marketing 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 generate some initial intelligence. 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 content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems keep your web presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages are taking a long time to load.

Your technical systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, website 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 looks after my webhosting?
• 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. when issues occur?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been done 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 and processes to help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then you will need excellent systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Loops

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

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

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

The first step of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as possible.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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 can help you generate some initial actionable data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get more web visitors using methods like paid advertising, solo ads, Reddit, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

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

• Share your comments and posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for likes/shares,
• Accept user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)

Build Authority & 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 better quality content improves your chances of getting it shared around and viewed by more people and hence more visitors.

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 or special reports that you can sell or distribute online.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

We have created a comprehensive course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and how to never run out of new content ideas that you can plug into for free here:

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress 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 do this by building a list or starting your own community.

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 new traffic with a single blog post or email broadcast.

Useful Tips

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Start or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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

• Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, 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 & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what users are searching for, you can develop new products and services, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Tips

• Consider creating an online training program.
• Consider publishing special guides that you can sell or distribute online.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

If you plan to provide 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 or blog:

• 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. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new ways to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

You should already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic System – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is rinse and repeat, 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 (consider adding 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 needed to 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your WordPress web site and build a better business online.

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