WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

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

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

In Part One of this series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do is publish great content on a regular basis to automatically start driving traffic!)

In Part 2, we focus on the setup phase. We help you understand the best way to start if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing website has been built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we focused on the configuration phase of the automation system. We configured all the settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three you will configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)

In Part 4, we explained how to set up various plugins that can drive new traffic automatically to your website whenever you begin publishing content.

(Publish content once, automate the rest!)

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we discuss ways to optimize the traffic system with different tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, generating consistent traffic of high quality comes from a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems in place.

(Generating consistent traffic is the product of a business vision, planning, and systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your website.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence up and running for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.

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

Let’s briefly review how important the above systems are for traffic:

Marketing Systems

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

• What channels will you use to drive new traffic (e.g. blogging, facebook advertising, video marketing, etc)?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you allocate to your marketing channels?
• How will you create your content, sales funnels, and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the ROI of your online 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. Facebook ads) to help you generate some initial data, such as the keywords people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content targeted specifically to your audience.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages are taking too long to load.

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

You can test your technical systems by questions such as:

• Who looks after my webhosting?
• Who will look after my website and keep 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 planning and setup and configuration phases have been completed correctly. As with all technology, however, you will always run into many new problems. You will need the right technical systems in place to handle these.

Business Systems

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

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

If you intend to outsource your digital marketing and technical support, then make sure you have good systems in place for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Traffic Optimization Strategies

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

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to increase visibility for your website or blog.

Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to automatically publish your content on sites 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 (e.g. pay-per-click ads) can help generate some initial 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 bring visitors using methods like Facebook advertising, podcasts, email, etc.

Plugins, Tools, & Strategies

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

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

Getting more content out there is a great first step, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting it shared around and viewed by more people and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Create and publish content that will add value to potential visitors 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 you can sell or distribute online.

Tools, Plugins, And Methods

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

Also, look for WordPress 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 Trust

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 community or even your own social network.

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

Tips

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

Plugins, Tools, And Methods

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

• Autoresponders (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, 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 Problems And Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what your visitors need, you can develop new products, services, and solutions, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new streams of web traffic.

Tips

• Consider creating a free or paid online training course.
• Consider publishing a special report or even an e-book that you can sell or distribute online.
• Add e-commerce to your business.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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 add to your site 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. Gathering and interpreting data from existing traffic gives you the opportunity to discover new traffic opportunities.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you can also understand the data.

WordPress Traffic System – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the process, 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 (with 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 if necessary to build authority and credibility, and also to increase 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 post has given you a blueprint that will help you drive more traffic automatically to your WordPress web site and build a better business online.

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