WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your website using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part 1, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do to automatically bring more web traffic is add great content on a regular basis!)

In Part 2, we looked at critical setup decisions. We explained 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 was built with WordPress.

(In Part 2 we show you where to set up a WordPress website on your domain)

In Part Three, we looked at configuring the system. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can 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 traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we looked at ways to automate the traffic system with plugins.

(Publish content one-time and automate your content distribution to all other marketing channels!)

In this article, we discuss ways to optimize traffic generation using different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating consistent traffic of high quality is having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems and process in place.

(Optimized 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 new traffic.

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to create new traffic for your website.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your web presence operating efficiently for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.

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

Let’s briefly review the importance of the above systems:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your online marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you allocate to these marketing channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the ROI of your 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. pay-per-click ads) to help you generate some initial results. If you’re tracking your marketing campaigns correctly, this should yield some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases 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 ensure that your web presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is down or your web pages take a very long time to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who is looking after my server?
• Who is looking after my website and keeping my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should things go wrong?

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

Business Systems

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

• Communication systems
• Resources management – human, financial
• Handling 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 good systems to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Tools And Strategies

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

Let’s go through an example of how to implement, optimize, and further automate a traffic loop. Take a look at the chart below …

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

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many traffic generation sites and channels as your resources allow.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• An expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, GooglePlus, 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 (e.g. Google AdWords) can help generate some initial actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create web 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 web site traffic using methods like LinkedIn advertising, podcasts, Reddit, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more of your content published is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with users.

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

Traffic Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to users and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing a special report that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

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

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 or blog:

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

Grow Influence & Engagement

As your business grows, you may want to consider developing “traffic on tap.” You can do this by growing a list or starting an online community or even your own social network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” most of 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 traffic with a single blog post or email broadcast.

Useful Tips

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free or paid membership site.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

Many solutions and WordPress plugins are available that can help increase your influence and improve 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 Problems & Provide Solutions To These

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your users are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Consider creating an e-learning course.
• Consider publishing a “how-to” e-book that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Amazon.
• Add an e-commerce store to your business.

Plugins, Tools, & Methods

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 or blog 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 the collection and analysis of data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new ways to generate additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your website. 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 improve your results.

In summary:

• Begin 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 initial traffic and generate useful data) to increase your reach and visibility online,
• Add plugins, list-building strategies, and other solutions 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 drive more traffic automatically to your web site and build a more successful business online.

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