WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

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

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do to start generating more web traffic is add web content consistently!)

In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase of the blueprint. We helped 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 website, and what to do if your website has been built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focused on the configuration phase of the blueprint. We configured hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part 3 you learn how to configure all the settings that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part Four, we looked at ways to automate traffic to your website using plugins.

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

In this article, we look at ways to optimize the traffic-getting process using different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress site, generating consistent traffic of high quality is achieved by having a clearly-defined business vision, great digital planning, and good systems in place.

(Generating regular traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, sound planning, and excellent systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your online presence optimized for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow, automate, and manage your traffic)

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy/online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you apportion to your marketing channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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 actionable data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

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

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

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

• Who is looking 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. if you experience difficulties?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you should expect new problems to arise. Your technical systems need to be able 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 leads and sales inquiries
• Order fulfillment
• Customer training/service
• etc.

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you have implemented great systems for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Strategies

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on is growing your “traffic loop”.

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

(An effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

Step 1 of the process is to expose your business to as many potential users as your time and resources will allow.

Traffic Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically distribute your content to places like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) can help you generate actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to drive traffic using methods like Pinterest ads, PPC advertising, email, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

We’ve covered many useful tools and methods in earlier sections of this article series.

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website or blog:

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with your audience.

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting it shared on other sites and viewed by more people and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

We have created an entire email course on content creation that you can plug into at no cost here:

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

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

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 an online community or even your own social site.

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

Useful Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course 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 Facebook/LinkedIn.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

There are many solutions and WordPress plugins that can help grow your online influence and improve engagement. For example:

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

Identify Needs And 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 developing new services and products, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new sources of traffic.

Tips

• Create a free or paid e-learning program.
• Publish instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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 site include:

• 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. By learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your website. Make sure you understand the metrics and features and can interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is repeat the cycle, 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 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 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 post has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your web site and get better results online.

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