Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to turn a site into an automated web traffic generating machine using WordPress.
So far, we have covered the following in this series:
In Part One of this series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your site …
(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do to automatically begin bringing new web traffic is publish new content consistently!)
In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase of the blueprint. We helped 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 existing website was built with WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you how to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)
In Part 3, we focused on important configuration decisions. We configured web hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(In Part Three we explain how to configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate your traffic with different WordPress plugins.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate the distribution of your content to all other marketing channels!)
In this article, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic generation process with different tools and methods.
WordPress Traffic System – Systems
In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the result of having a clearly-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems and process in place.
(Optimizing traffic is the product of a business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)
Let’s review the systems that will help you grow and manage this traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to create new traffic for your website.
- Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your digital presence remains operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to traffic.
(Use systems to grow, automate, and manage your traffic)
Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are for traffic:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to drive new traffic to your business. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:
- What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
- What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you assign to these channels?
- How will you create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
- How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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 actionable data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems keep your web presence operating efficiently 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 long time to load.
Your systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new software (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.
Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- Who will look after my webhosting?
- Who is looking after my website and keeping 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 issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, new problems will arise. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.
Business Systems
You need good business systems and processes to help you manage traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Managing human and financial resources
- Handling sales enquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer training/service
- etc.
If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then you will need to put systems in place for managing all outsourcing.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization
With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus your efforts on is developing your “traffic loop”.
Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and further automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …
(Traffic loop)
Increase Reach And Visibility
Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.
Useful Tips
- An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly share your content on social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content.
- As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
- Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to drive more visitors using methods like LinkedIn, PPC advertising, joint ventures, etc.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
See previous sections of this article series for a number of excellent tools, plugins, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.
Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about WordPress plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:
- Share your posts online with others,
- Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for shares/likes,
- Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Publish and distribute content online in various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)
Build Authority & Credibility
Getting more content out there is a great first step, but to make this activity more effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with your audience.
Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting more people to share it with others and hence more visitors.
Useful Tips & Ideas
- Focus on creating content that adds value to potential users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing a special report or even an e-book that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
Tools & Methods
We have created a comprehensive course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, content creation tools, and ways to never run out of new web content ideas that you can plug into for free here:
Also, if you haven’t already, look for 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 Recognition
Grow Influence And Engagement
At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by building a list or starting your own online community or social network.
With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic will come from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate traffic with every blog post you publish or email you send out.
Traffic Tips
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
- Create or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
Many solutions and plugins are available that are easy to implement and can help grow your influence and improve engagement. For example:
- Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums and 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 To These
By taking advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your users are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional traffic.
Useful Tips
- Create a free or paid e-learning program.
- Publish an e-book that you can sell or distribute online.
- Consider adding e-commerce to your site.
Tools, Plugins, & Methods
If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress site:
- 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 the collection and analysis of data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.
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 Web Traffic Blueprint – Summary
All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the process over and over again, 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 (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 methods as 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 visitors automatically to your WordPress website and build a more successful business online.
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"This is an awesome training series. I have a pretty good understanding of WordPress already, but this is helping me to move somewhere from intermediate to advanced user!" - Kim Lednum
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