WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

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

In Part 1 of this series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do to attract traffic is publish great content on a consistent basis!)

In Part 2, we focused on the setup phase. 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 website, and what to do if your existing site has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focused on configuring WordPress. We explained how to configure all the settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

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

(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 different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating targeted traffic consistently is having a clear business vision, great digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

(Generating automated traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Systems help you 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 strategies used to drive new traffic to your business. You can test your online marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• How will you allocate your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI of your online 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 (e.g. Facebook ads) to help you generate some results. 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 targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your online presence optimized for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is down or your pages are taking a very long time to load.

Your technical systems need to adequately handle areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (e.g. plugins), integration, customization, troubleshooting, etc.

You can test your technical systems by 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. if problems arise?

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

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes in place to help you manage the influx of new traffic. These include:

• Communication systems
• Managing human and financial resources
• Handling sales inquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer training/service
• etc.

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

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Tools & Strategies

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 your “traffic loop”.

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

(WordPress can help you implement, automate, and optimize a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to expose your business to as many members of your target audience as possible.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) can help generate data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to bring web traffic using methods like Facebook, solo ads, joint ventures, etc.

Tools And Strategies

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

Also, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more content published is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build 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 around and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an instructional PDF guide that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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

Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about WordPress plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:

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

Grow Influence And Engagement

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

With “Traffic On Demand,” most of your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate new traffic with a single post or email broadcast.

Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site.
• Start or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

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

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

Identify Needs And Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what your visitors are searching for, you should have no problem developing new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating new streams of traffic.

Useful Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid online training program.
• Publish educational guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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

• 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 the collection and analysis of data. Learning to gather and interpret data from existing traffic allows you to discover new traffic opportunities.

You should already have installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. 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 rinse and repeat, fine-tuning and refining your methods as you go to grow your traffic and get better 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 solutions as needed to help build authority, trust, and credibility, and also to improve 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 article has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your website and build a more successful business online.

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