Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn a site into an automated web traffic generation machine using WordPress.
So far, we have covered the following in this series:
In Part One, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated traffic …
(With an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, all you have to do to automatically start generating new traffic is post fresh content consistently!)
In Part Two, we discussed critical setup decisions. We helped you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your website has been built with WordPress.
(In Part 2 we show you how to set up a WordPress website or blog on your domain)
In Part Three, we look at the configuration phase. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …
(In Part Three we show you how to configure all the settings that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)
In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various WordPress plugins that can get visitors automatically to your website.
(Publish once to WordPress and automate the distribution of your content to all other services!)
In this article, we discuss ways to optimize traffic generation using various tools and strategies.
WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems
In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis is the result of having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.
(Optimized traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and systems)
Let’s review the systems that will help you grow and manage your traffic.
These include:
- Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to create traffic for your website.
- Technical Systems – How you ensure that your web presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.
(Systems help you grow and manage your traffic)
Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are for optimizing traffic:
Marketing Systems
Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to drive new traffic to your website. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What is your content marketing strategy?
- How will you allocate your budget and resources to these channels?
- Who will create your content and run your marketing campaigns?
- How will you test and measure the ROI of your online 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) to help you generate 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 ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is experiencing problems or your web pages take a long time to load.
Your systems need to adequately handle areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating software (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.
Your technical systems can be tested by asking 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 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, new problems will always arise. 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 new traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Resources management – human, financial
- Handling sales inquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer service/training
- etc.
If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need to put systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization
If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus on are ways to grow and optimize your “traffic loop”.
Let’s walk through an example of implementing, optimizing, and automating a traffic loop. Take a look at the illustration below …
(Implement, automate, and optimize a traffic loop)
Increase Reach And Visibility Online
The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many traffic generation sites and channels as your time and resources will allow.
Tips
- Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow 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 on your site.
- As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Facebook ads) can help generate data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
- Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to bring web visitors using methods like Facebook advertising, solo ads, cross promotions, etc.
Tools And Strategies
We’ve already covered many useful plugins, tools, and strategies in earlier sections of this article series.
Also, look for plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:
- Share your comments and posts online with others,
- Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for likes/shares,
- 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 out there is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.
Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more people to link to it and share it with others and hence more traffic.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- 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 special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
Tools And Methods
We have created an entire email course designed to help you never run out of great content for your web site:
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 Recognition
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 forum or network.
With “Traffic On Demand,” all of your traffic will come from 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.
Traffic Optimization Ideas
- Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
- Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.
Tools, Plugins, & Strategies
There are many solutions and WordPress plugins that are easy to implement and can help increase your online influence and improve user engagement. For example:
- Autoresponders (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 And 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 coming up with ideas for new services, products, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Create an online training program.
- Publish instructional PDF guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
- Add e-commerce to your business.
Plugins, Tools, And Strategies
If you plan to provide 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 to collect and analyze data. By learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.
Hopefully, by now you 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 Automation System – Summary
All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is rinse and repeat, 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 good marketing, technical and business systems,
- Implement a content marketing strategy (with 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 if needed to help 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 drive more traffic automatically to your website and build a more successful business online.
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"These tutorials have so much information and are easy to understand. If you use WordPress or plan to in the future these will help you with everything you need to know." - Valisa (Mesa, Arizona)
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