WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to create an automated web traffic machine using WordPress.

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

In Part 1 of this article series, we explain why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do to begin bringing web traffic is add fresh content on a consistent basis!)

In Part Two, we focus on the setup phase of the automation blueprint. We explain the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything 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 WordPress on your domain)

In Part Three, we look at the configuration phase of the traffic automation blueprint. We configured all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) 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 new visitors automatically to your website or blog simply by adding web content consistently.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic system using various tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Systems

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

(Optimizing traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, planning, and excellent systems)

Let’s briefly review the systems that will help you grow and manage this traffic.

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your website.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your online presence up and running for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, 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 traffic to 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, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apply your budget and resources to these marketing channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results 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. Google AdWords) to help generate some results. 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 site, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your web presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your pages take too long to load.

Your technical systems need to adequately handle technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating software (e.g. plugins), customization, integration, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who will look after my server?
• Who will look after my website and keep my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if you experience difficulties?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you will always run into problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage and respond to the influx of traffic. This includes:

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

If you plan to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you also implement good systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Strategies

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on is implementing, optimizing and further automating 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 illustration below …

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many potential users as your resources will allow.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly notify and publicize your content to social media accounts 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 some initial data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring web site visitors using methods like Pinterest advertising, banner ads, forum ads, etc.

Tools & Strategies

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

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content out there is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and viewed by more people and hence more visitors.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Create and publish content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report or PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

Also, look for plugins that allow you to 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 demand.” You can do this by building a list or starting your own community.

With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with a single blog post or email broadcast.

Useful Tips And Ideas

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

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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

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

Identify Needs And Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your users are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new sources of traffic.

Useful Tips

• Consider creating an e-learning course.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to add to your website include:

• Membership Site plugins (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 tool like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the same process, 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 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 if 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 drive more traffic automatically to your WordPress web site and get better results online.

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