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 traffic automatically to your website using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part 1 of this series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your website …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is post new content on a consistent basis to automatically drive web traffic!)

In Part Two, we looked at critical setup decisions. We explained the best way to get started 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 website has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focus on the configuration phase. We configured web hosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate the traffic-generation process using a number of plugins.

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

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize traffic generation using different tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress site expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality comes from a clearly-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and great systems and process in place.

(Optimizing traffic is the result of a business vision, planning, and systems)

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to create traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

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

Let’s review the importance of the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels do you plan to use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you apply your budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the results of your 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 to help generate some initial 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 website, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems keep your web presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your web pages are taking a long time to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks 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. when issues occur?

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 to face new problems. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems to help you manage 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 services, then you will need to put excellent systems in place to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Tools & Methods

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to do is focus on how to grow and optimize a “traffic loop”.

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

(Implement, automate, and optimize your traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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 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 bring web visitors using methods like Twitter, videos, joint ventures, etc.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

See previous sections of this article series for many useful plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.

Also, ask us about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with users.

Publishing higher quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more people to share it around and hence more traffic.

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Focus on creating content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a training guide that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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

Also, ask us about 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 And Engagement

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

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

Tips

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter 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 LinkedIn.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

There are many solutions and plugins that can help increase your influence and improve user engagement. For example:

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

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your users are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional web traffic.

Traffic Ideas

• Create an online training program.
• Consider publishing a training guide that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

If you plan to provide products and services 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 website or blog:

• 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.

You should already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Web Traffic 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 improve your results.

In summary:

• Start with an expertly configured WordPress site backed by good marketing, technical and business systems,
• Implement a content marketing strategy (consider also investing in 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 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 better business online.

***

***