WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to create an automated traffic generating machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

So far, we have covered the following in this series:

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do is add new content regularly to drive more traffic!)

In Part 2, we focus on the setup phase of the traffic automation system. We help you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing site is built with WordPress.

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

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

(In Part Three you learn how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we explained how to set up various plugins that can help bring new visitors automatically to your website or blog.

(Publish once to WordPress 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 the traffic system with a number of different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, the key to generating quality traffic on a consistent basis is having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems and process in place.

(Automating 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 your traffic.

These include:

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

(Use systems to grow and manage your web traffic)

Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are for traffic:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels do you plan to use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you allocate your budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the ROI 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 generate some intelligence. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keywords 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 ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages take too long to load.

Your technical systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

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

• Who looks after my server?
• 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. if you experience difficulties?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you should expect new problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

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

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

If you intend to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical support, then you will need to put good systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus on is developing, optimizing and further automating a “traffic loop”.

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

(Implement and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

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

Useful Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically distribute your content to sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate some initial actionable 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 visitors using methods like SEO, solo ads, updates, etc.

Tools And Methods

See previous sections of this tutorial series for a number of excellent tools, plugins, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content published is a great first step, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Create and publish content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools & Strategies

We have created an entire email training series designed to help you never run out of content ideas for posting to your website or blog:

Also, learn more about 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 Recognition

Grow Influence & Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting a community.

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

Useful Tips & Ideas

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

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

There are many solutions and WordPress plugins that can help increase your online 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, video galleries, etc.

Identify Problems And Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what users want, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for new solutions, all of which provide new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create an e-learning program.
• Publish PDF guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), look for plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website or blog:

• Membership Site plugins (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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool 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 repeat the process over and over again, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and get better 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 traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions as required to build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to improve 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 traffic to your web site and build a better business online.

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