WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to automate traffic to your site using the WordPress CMS.

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

In Part 1 of this series, we describe the traffic automation process, and explain why using an expertly configured WordPress website or blog is the key to generating automated traffic …

(With an expertly configured WordPress web site, all you have to do is publish new content on a regular basis to begin attracting more web traffic!)

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

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

In Part Three, we focused on configuring WordPress. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, internal and external) that affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

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

In Part Four, we explained how to set up various plugins that can drive new traffic automatically to your site.

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

In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize your traffic using various tools and methods.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to having an expertly configured WordPress website, the key to generating quality traffic consistently is having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

(Consistent traffic is the product of a business vision, planning, and excellent systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and methods used to drive new traffic to your website.
• Technical Systems – The systems used to ensure that your online presence remains operating efficiently for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to new traffic.

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

Let’s review the above systems briefly:

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• How will you apply your marketing budget and resources to these channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
• How will you measure the results 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. pay-per-click ads) to help you generate some 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 ensure that your digital presence remains operating efficiently for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your pages take too long to load.

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

Your technical systems can be tested by asking questions such as:

• Who will look after my webhosting?
• 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 issues arise?

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

Business Systems

You need good operational systems and processes to help you manage and respond to the influx of new traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need to put excellent systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Traffic Loops

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

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

(Traffic loop)

Increase Reach And Visibility Online

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

Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site will allow you to instantly notify and publicize your content to social media accounts 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’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more web site traffic using methods like Pinterest advertising, YouTube, StumbleUpon, etc.

Plugins, Tools, And Strategies

We’ve covered a number of useful tools, plugins, and strategies in earlier sections of this article series.

Also, ask us about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your WordPress website:

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

Build Authority & Credibility

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

Publishing better quality content improves your chances of getting more people to link to it and share it around and hence more visitors.

Useful Tips

• Focus on 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 PDF 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 course on how to develop a content marketing strategy, how to promote your business with content, and how to never run out of content ideas that you can plug into at no cost here:

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

• 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 demand.” You can do this by building a list or starting a forum or network.

With “Traffic On Demand,” all of your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with every blog post you publish or broadcast you send out.

Tips

• Encourage users to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid or free membership site.
• Start or join an online group on LinkedIn/Facebook.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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

• Autoresponders (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, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to listen to what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new products and services, all of which provide new opportunities for generating new sources of web traffic.

Traffic Tips

• Create a free or paid e-learning course.
• Consider publishing expert guides that can be sold or distributed online.
• Add an e-commerce store to your business.

Tools And Strategies

If you plan to provide products and services online (as opposed to just providing information), contact us to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:

• 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 opportunities to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics program (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you understand the metrics and can interpret the data.

WordPress Traffic Automation System – 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 adding 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 as 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 visitors automatically to your website and build a more successful business online.

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