WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to grow your business online automatically using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One of this article series, we explain 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 is publish content regularly to bring web traffic!)

In Part 2, we looked at the setup phase of the automation process. We helped you understand the best way to start 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 site was built with WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we look at important configuration decisions. We configured webhosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part 4, we looked at ways to automate traffic to your website using various plugins.

(Publish once, automate the rest!)

In this article, we look at ways to optimize the traffic-getting process using a number of tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems

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

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

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

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

Let’s briefly review the above systems:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• How will you allocate your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• Who will create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the results of your marketing 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. Google AdWords) to help you 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 site, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes 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 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.

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks after my webhosting?
• 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 issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, new problems will arise. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

Your business systems and processes help you manage and respond to traffic. This includes:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you have implemented excellent systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Loops

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

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

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

Tips

• Your 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 online.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help generate some initial data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract website traffic using methods like Facebook ads, social media, cross promotions, etc.

Tools & Methods

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

Also, learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your site:

• 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 various media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, infographics, etc.)

Build Authority & Credibility

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

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

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to potential visitors and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing educational guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

We have created an entire email series designed to help you never run out of content ideas for your web site:

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your website:

• 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 tap.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting an online group.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic comes from an audience of customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with every blog post you publish or broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

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

• List-Building Solutions (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums and Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
• Polls and Surveys
• Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
• Comment sharing
• Add media, image galleries, etc.

Identify Problems And Provide Solutions

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

Traffic Optimization Tips

• Consider creating an e-learning course.
• Consider publishing expert guides that you can sell or distribute online.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your site.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), ask us about plugins that let you easily add the following to your 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 to collect and analyze data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. 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 solid 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 if necessary to help build authority 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 drive more traffic automatically to your web site and build a more successful business online.

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