WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

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

In Part 1, we described the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated web traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress site, all you have to do is post web content consistently to begin bringing new web traffic!)

In Part Two, we discuss the setup phase of the traffic automation 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 site has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discuss important configuration decisions. We configured webhosting settings, WordPress settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 you will configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your website’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we looked at ways to automate traffic to your website with different WordPress plugins.

(Publish once, automate the rest!)

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

WordPress Traffic System – Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating high-quality traffic on a consistent basis is having a clearly-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

(Automating traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, planning, and great 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 – The systems and processes used to keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to new traffic.

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

Let’s briefly review how important these systems are:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels do you plan to use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your marketing budget will you apply to these 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 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) to help you generate some 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 website, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.

Technical Systems

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

Your technical systems need to handle areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, and updating software (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 looks after my website and keeps my site, plugins, themes, etc. maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should any problems occur?

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 to face problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems and processes to help you manage and respond to new traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have implemented good systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

With clear business objectives and great systems in place, all you need to focus on are ways to implement a “traffic loop”.

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

(Implementing and optimizing a traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many potential users as your resources will allow.

Useful Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly share your content on social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. The easiest way to increase your reach and visibility online, therefore, is to simply publish more content.
• As mentioned earlier, investing in some paid advertising can help 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 the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to get web site traffic using methods like Twitter, banner ads, updates, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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

Also, ask us about WordPress 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,
• Accept 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 published is great, but for this activity to be really effective, your content also needs to be building authority and credibility with your audience.

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

Tips

• Focus on creating and publishing content that adds value to users and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report that you can sell or distribute online.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you need ideas for content that you can post on your website, we recommend subscribing to our email training series here:

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

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

Grow Influence & Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by growing a list or starting your own online community or social network.

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

Tips

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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

• List-Building Tools (e.g. Aweber, MailChimp, etc.)
• Contact Forms, Live Chat
• Forums and 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

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

Traffic Tips

• Consider creating an e-learning course.
• Consider publishing PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Tools, Plugins, And 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 consider adding to your website 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 to collect and analyze data. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the cycle, 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 methods as necessary to build authority 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 get better results online.

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