WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our WordPress Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to automate traffic to your site using WordPress.

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

In Part 1 of this series, we provided an overview of the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do to bring more web traffic is publish web content regularly!)

In Part Two, we discuss the setup phase. 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 website, and what to do if your existing website was built using WordPress.

(In Part 2 we show you how to set up a WordPress web site on your domain)

In Part 3, we discussed configuring the system. We configured all the settings that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate your traffic with different WordPress plugins.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize the traffic system with different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems

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

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create traffic for 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 traffic.

(Use systems to grow, automate, optimize, and manage your 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 website. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• How will you apply your budget and resources to these channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the results 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 initial 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.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your digital presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is down or your web pages are taking too long to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who will look after my server?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. if you experience difficulties?

Many potential problems can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. As with all technology, however, you can expect new problems to arise. Your technical systems need to be able to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage the influx of new traffic. This includes:

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you also implement excellent systems for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

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

(Implementing, optimizing and automating a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

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

Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on places like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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 can help generate actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get more visitors using methods like Facebook ads, solo ads, StumbleUpon, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

See previous sections of this article series for a number of excellent plugins, tools, and methods we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content out there is good, but to make this activity more effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

Publishing higher quality content improves your chances of getting more shares and views and hence more visitors.

Traffic Ideas

• Create and publish content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

We have created a detailed email course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, content creation tools, and how to never run out of content ideas that you can plug into for free 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 & Engagement

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

With “Traffic On Demand,” most 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 post you publish, forum post you add, or email you send out.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools And Methods

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

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums & Discussion Groups (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 find out what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you can develop new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of web traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Consider creating a free or paid online training program.
• Publish special guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your site.

Tools & Strategies

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to add to your website or blog 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 gives you the opportunity to discover new opportunities to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

You should have already installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the same process, 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 traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions as necessary to build authority, trust, 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, 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 more successful business online.

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