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 turn a website into an automated traffic generation machine using WordPress.

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

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do to automatically attract more web traffic is post great content regularly!)

In Part Two, we look at the setup phase of this process. We help you understand 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 existing website is built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focused on configuring WordPress. We configured webhosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three you learn how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, you learned how to set up various plugins that can drive new visitors automatically to your website or blog simply by adding fresh content.

(Publish once to WordPress and automate the distribution of your content to all other channels!)

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

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website or blog, the key to generating consistent traffic of high quality is having a well-defined business vision, great digital planning, and great systems and process in place.

(Automated traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and great systems)

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

These include:

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

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

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to generate traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you allocate to these channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the ROI of your online 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 data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your site, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems ensure that your web presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages take a long time to load.

Your systems include handling technical areas like webhosting, website 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 looks after my webhosting?
• Who will look after my website and keep my site 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 done correctly. As with all technology, however, you should expect new problems to arise. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes to help you manage traffic. These include:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need good systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus on are ways to develop, optimize, and further automate a “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 …

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

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

Traffic Optimization Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly notify and publicize your content to social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help you generate some initial actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract web traffic using methods like paid advertising, YouTube, forum signatures, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with users.

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 traffic.

Useful Tips

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

Tools And Strategies

We have created an entire course on content creation that you can plug into for free here:

Also, see other posts on this site 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 And Engagement

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

With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic comes 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 blog post or broadcast.

Traffic Tips

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

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

Many solutions and plugins are available that can help increase your online influence and improve 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 & Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you should have no problem developing new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Create an e-learning course.
• Publish instructional PDF guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your business.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

If you plan to provide services, products, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to consider adding to your website or blog include:

• Membership Site plugins (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 interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Traffic 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:

• Start 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 if necessary to help 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 article has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your web site and build a more successful business online.

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