WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn a website into an automated web traffic generation machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One, we describe 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 blog, all you have to do to automatically attract more web traffic is publish web content consistently!)

In Part 2, we focus on the setup phase. 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 site is built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we discussed the configuration phase of the blueprint. We explained how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you will configure hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we explained how to set up various plugins that can get visitors automatically to your website or blog just by adding fresh content on a consistent basis.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize the traffic generation process with a number of different tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, generating traffic successfully on a consistent basis is the result of a clear business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

(Generating regular traffic is the product of a business vision, planning, and great systems)

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

These include:

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

(Systems help you grow and manage your web traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the cost-effectiveness of your marketing 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 to help you generate some initial 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 website if your site is down or your web pages take a long time to load.

Your systems need to handle areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing 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 issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect new problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

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

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

If you plan to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have implemented great systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Loops

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to do is focus on how to grow, optimize, and further automate your “traffic loop”.

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many traffic generation sites and channels as you can.

Traffic Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to drive more visitors using methods like Facebook ads, social media, joint ventures, etc.

Tools & Strategies

We’ve already covered a number of excellent tools, plugins, and methods in earlier sections of this article series.

Also, if you haven’t already, look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content out there is a great first step, but to make this more effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that will add value to potential visitors and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report or PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

We have created an entire email email-based training course aimed at helping you come up with limitless content for posting to your site:

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

• Legal Pages
• Testimonials
• Customer Support (e.g. Helpdesk, Live Chat, etc.)
• Ratings
• User Reviews
• Badges/Certificates Of Trust

Grow Influence & Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by building a list or starting a community.

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

Useful Tips

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

Tools & Methods

There are many solutions and plugins that are easy to implement and can help grow your online influence and improve 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 And Provide Solutions

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

Useful Tips

• Create a free or paid online training program.
• Publish special reports that you can sell or distribute online.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

• 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. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.

You should have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the cycle, 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 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 solutions if needed to help build authority 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 web site and build a better business online.

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