Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your website using the WordPress CMS platform.
So far, here is what we have covered in this article series:
In Part 1, we provide an overview of the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your website …
(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do is add new content consistently to start generating more traffic!)
In Part Two, we discuss critical setup decisions. We explain the best way to get started if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your website is built with WordPress.
(In Part two we show you where to set up a WordPress site on your domain)
In Part Three, we focused on the configuration phase of the automation system. We configured all the settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …
(In Part 3 you learn how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part Four, you learned how to set up various plugins that can help drive new traffic automatically to your site.
(Publish content once and automate your content distribution to all other channels!)
In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic to your website using a number of tools and methods.
WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems
In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating consistent traffic of high quality is having a clearly-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and great systems in place.
(Consistent traffic is the product of a business vision, planning, and excellent systems)
Let’s review the systems that will help you grow and manage new traffic.
These include:
- Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your business.
- Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence up and running for receiving 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 methods used to drive traffic to your website. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:
- What channels do you plan to use to drive traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
- What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you assign to these channels?
- How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
- How will you track conversions and measure the results 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 you generate some initial actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is down or your web pages are taking too long to load.
Your technical systems need to be able to adequately handle technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing 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 server?
- Who is looking after my website and keeping my site maintained and up-to-date?
- Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should any issues occur?
Many potential issues can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you should expect new problems to arise. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.
Business Systems
Your business systems help you manage and respond to the influx of new traffic. This includes:
- Communication systems
- Resources management – human, financial
- Handling sales inquiries
- Order fulfillment
- Customer training/service
- 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.
WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization
With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on is growing, optimizing and 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 flowchart below …
(An effective traffic loop)
Increase Reach & Visibility
The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your business and website.
Useful Tips
- An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly share your content on 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 through your expertly configured WordPress site.
- As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising (e.g. Facebook ads) can help you generate some initial data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
- Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to increase more visitors using methods like Twitter ads, solo ads, joint ventures, etc.
Plugins, Tools, And Methods
See previous sections of this article series for many useful plugins, tools, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.
Also, 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:
- Share your posts online,
- Run contests, offer discounts/downloads for likes/shares,
- Accept user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, audio, etc.)
Build Authority And Credibility
Getting more content out there is great, but to make this more effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.
Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting more people to link to it and share it with others and hence more visitors.
Traffic Optimization Ideas
- Create and publish content that adds value to users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
- Consider publishing special reports that can be sold or distributed online.
Tools, Plugins, & Methods
If you need help coming up with topics for posting content on your website, then subscribe to our email training series on growing your business online with content marketing here:
Also, if you haven’t already, look for WordPress plugins that allow you to 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 Trust
Grow Influence & Engagement
At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can achieve this by building a list or starting an online community.
With “Traffic On Tap,” your traffic comes from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with a single blog post or email.
Traffic Ideas
- Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
- Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free or paid membership site, online forum, or social community.
- Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.
Plugins, Tools, And Strategies
Many solutions and plugins are available that can help increase your influence and improve user engagement. For example:
- Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, 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/Problems And Provide Solutions To These
By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what your visitors are looking for, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional traffic.
Useful Tips
- Consider creating a free or paid online training course.
- Consider publishing educational guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
- Consider adding an e-commerce store to your business.
Tools, Plugins, & Methods
If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to add to your site include:
- Membership Sites (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 traffic opportunities.
Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you can also understand the data.
WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – 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 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 initial traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
- Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other methods as necessary to build authority, trust, 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your website and build a more successful business online.
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"If you're new to WordPress, this can stand on its own as a training course and will stay with you as you progress from beginner to advanced and even guru status." - Bruce (Columbus, Ohio)
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