WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to create an automated traffic machine using the WordPress CMS platform.

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

In Part One, we described the traffic automation process, and explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to automating traffic to your website …

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

In Part 2, we discuss critical setup decisions. We help 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 site, and what to do if your existing site is built using WordPress.

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

In Part Three, we focus on the configuration phase of the traffic automation system. We explained how to configure webhosting 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 (hosting, internal and external) that affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can help drive web traffic automatically to your website as you begin posting new content.

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

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize traffic generation with a number of different tools and strategies.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, the key to generating high-quality traffic consistently is having a clearly-defined business vision, sound digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

(Generating regular traffic is the result of a business vision, planning, and great systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you create new traffic for your business.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

(Use systems to grow 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 methods used to drive new traffic to your website. Your online marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• What channels do you plan to use to drive traffic (e.g. blogging, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you allocate to these channels?
• Who will create your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI 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 you generate 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’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly down or your pages take a long time to load.

Your systems need to handle technical areas like webhosting, site 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 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. should anything go wrong?

Many potential issues can be minimized if your website planning and setup and configuration phases have been done correctly. Like all technology, however, you should expect new problems to arise. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

You need good business systems in place 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 support, then make sure you have excellent systems in place to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Traffic System – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to increase visibility for your website.

Useful Tips

• An expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to 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 you generate some initial data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to drive more traffic using methods like Facebook, YouTube, cross promotions, etc.

Tools & Strategies

We’ve covered many useful tools, plugins, and methods in previous sections of this tutorial series.

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

• Share your comments and posts online with others,
• Run contests, offer downloads or discounts for shares/likes,
• Accept 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 great, but to make this more effective, your content also needs to build authority and credibility with users.

Publishing better quality content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more visitors.

Tips

• Focus on creating content that will add value to your audience and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

We have created a detailed 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 new ideas for content that you can plug into for free here:

Also, contact us to learn more about plugins that let you easily add the following to your WordPress website:

• 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 tap.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online membership site.

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic will come from an audience of 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.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join an online group on Facebook.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

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

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

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what users need, you can develop new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities to generate new streams of traffic.

Traffic Tips

• Create a free or paid e-learning course.
• Consider publishing PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on on the Amazon Kindle store.
• Consider adding an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you plan to provide products, services, and solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to add to your website include:

• Membership Site plugins (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• e-Learning Courses (e.g. Courseware)
• Event Registrations (e.g. EventEspresso)

Analyze Data & Feedback

The final step of the process is to collect and analyze data. Learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic lets you discover new traffic opportunities.

You should have already installed an analytics tool like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is rinse and repeat, 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 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 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your web site and grow your business online.

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