WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to grow your business online automatically using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part 1, we describe the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is publish web content regularly to automatically generate more traffic!)

In Part Two, we discussed the setup phase. We explained 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 website has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focus on important configuration decisions. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

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

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various WordPress plugins that can bring traffic automatically to your website or blog when you begin to post new content on a consistent basis.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize the traffic system with a number of different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, the key to generating quality traffic on a consistent basis is having a clearly-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

(Generating automated traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and systems)

Let’s briefly 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 – How you keep your web presence optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow and manage your traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you apportion to these channels?
• How will you create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the ROI of your 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) to help generate some data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages take a long time to load.

Your systems include handling areas like webhosting, website 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 will look 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 any issues occur?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning process and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, you should expect new problems to arise. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage and respond to traffic. These include:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is to grow a “traffic loop”.

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

(Implement, automate, and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on 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 on your site.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help generate actionable data such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, 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 visitors using methods like Pinterest advertising, social media, updates, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about 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,
• Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
• Publish and distribute content online in different media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, infographics, etc.)

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

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

Tips

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

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

We have created an entire email course aimed at helping you come up with endless content for posting to your website or blog:

Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website or blog:

• 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 demand.” You can do this by growing a list or starting your own online community or social network.

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Start or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

There are many solutions and WordPress plugins 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 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

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what users need, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create a free or paid e-learning course.
• Consider publishing educational guides that can be sold or distributed online.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your business.

Tools & Methods

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to add to your website or blog 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 the collection and analysis of data. By learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new opportunities to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

You should already have installed an analytics tool like 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 (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 solutions as necessary to build authority, trust, 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your website and get better results online.

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