WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to drive new visitors automatically to your site using WordPress.

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

In Part One of this series, we described the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do is add web content regularly to automatically bring traffic!)

In Part 2, we focused on critical setup decisions. 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 two we show you how to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part Three, we focused on the configuration phase. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure all the settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can drive traffic automatically to your site just by publishing new content.

(Publish content once, automate the rest!)

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

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating targeted traffic on a consistent basis is the result of having a well-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems in place.

(Consistent traffic is the result of having a clear business vision, planning, and systems)

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

These systems include:

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

(Use systems to grow, automate, and manage your traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• How will you assign your budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content, sales funnels, 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. Google AdWords) to help generate some initial data, such as the keywords 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 keep your digital presence optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your web pages are taking a very long time to load.

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

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

• Who will look after my webhosting?
• 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 issues occur?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. Like all technology, however, you can expect new problems to arise. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage and respond to the influx of 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 maintenance, then make sure you have good systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Methods

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is to implement, optimize, and automate your “traffic loop”.

Let’s walk through an example of how to implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the flowchart below …

(WordPress can help implement, optimize, and automate a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

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

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly notify and publicize your content to traffic-getting sources 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 some initial actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to drive more traffic using methods like Pinterest advertising, podcasts, StumbleUpon, etc.

Tools And Strategies

We’ve covered a number of useful plugins, tools, and strategies in previous sections of this article series.

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content out there is good, but to make this activity more 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 views from social sharing and hence more visitors.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Focus on 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 educational guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We have created a detailed course on content creation that you can plug into at no cost here:

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about WordPress 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 Recognition

Grow Influence And 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,” your traffic will come from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate traffic with a single post or email broadcast.

Tips

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

Tools & Strategies

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

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

Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your users are trying to solve, you can develop new products and services, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of traffic.

Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid online training program.
• Publish an instructional e-book that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

If you plan to provide products, services, 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 Sites (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 the collection and analysis of data. Learning to gather and interpret data from existing traffic allows you to discover new ways to create content that can generate you additional traffic.

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 Web 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:

• 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 as necessary to 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, this information has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your web site and get better results online.

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