WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to automate traffic to your website using WordPress.

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

In Part 1, 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 to automatically attract traffic is publish fresh content regularly!)

In Part Two, we look at critical setup decisions. We explain the best way to start if you don’t have a website yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing site has been built using WordPress.

(In Part 2 we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part 3, we discussed 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 show you how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we discussed ways to automate the traffic system using various plugins.

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

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

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, generating targeted traffic consistently is the result of having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and great systems and process in place.

(Optimizing 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 traffic.

These systems include:

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

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

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apportion your budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness 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 generate some intelligence. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, 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 web presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your web 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 software (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.

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

• Who looks after my server?
• 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 problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you will always run into new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

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

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus your efforts on is implementing and optimizing your “traffic loop”.

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

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your website.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow 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 online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help generate actionable data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web 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 drive more traffic using methods like LinkedIn ads, banner ads, email, etc.

Tools & Strategies

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

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is good, but to make this more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with users.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Focus on creating content that will add value to potential users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report that you can sell or distribute online.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

If you need endless content ideas for your site, we recommend subscribing to our FREE email training series here:

Also, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about 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 Trust

Grow Influence & Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting a group.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with every post you publish or email you send out.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Start or join an online group on Facebook.

Tools & Methods

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

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

Identify Needs And Provide Solutions To These

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 products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid e-learning course.
• Consider publishing a PDF guide that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools And Methods

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• Membership Sites (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• Learning Management Systems (e.g. Courseware)
• Event Registrations (e.g. EventEspresso)

Analyze Data & Feedback

The final step of the process is to collect and analyze data. By learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – 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:

• 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 methods if required 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 post has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your web site and build a better business online.

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