WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Web Site Traffic Blueprint article series, where we show you how to turn your website into an automated traffic generating machine using the WordPress CMS.

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

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

(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do to bring more web traffic is post new content consistently!)

In Part 2, we focus on the setup phase of the traffic automation process. We explain the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything 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 where to set up a WordPress web site on your domain)

In Part 3, we discuss important configuration decisions. We explained how to configure web hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s traffic-getting ability …

(In Part Three we explain how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part Four, we discussed ways to automate the traffic-getting process using plugins.

(Publish content once and automate your content distribution to all other services!)

In this section of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint article series, we look at ways to optimize traffic to your website using different tools and strategies.

WordPress Traffic Blueprint – Systems

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

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

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

These systems include:

• Marketing Systems – The processes and strategies used to drive traffic to your business.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your web presence remains up and running for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – How you manage and respond to new traffic.

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

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

Marketing Systems

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

• What is your content marketing strategy?
• What resources and portion of your budget will you assign to these channels?
• Who will create your content, sales funnels, and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you track conversions and measure the cost-effectiveness 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 to help generate some initial data, such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes ensure that your online presence remains up and running for receiving new traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your website if your site is constantly experiencing problems or your web pages take too long to load.

Your technical systems need to handle technical areas like webhosting, website maintenance and support, installing and updating new applications (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. when issues occur?

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

Business Systems

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

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical maintenance, then make sure you also implement good systems to manage all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Tools & Strategies

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 your “traffic loop”.

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

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

Increase Reach And Visibility

Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as your resources allow.

Useful Tips

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources 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 some initial actionable data such as the keyword phrases people are searching online to find your website, which you can use to create web content better targeted to your audience.
• Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to increase traffic using methods like Pinterest, solo ads, Reddit, etc.

Tools, Plugins, & Strategies

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

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

Getting more of your content out there is great, but to make this activity more effective, your content needs to be building authority and credibility with visitors.

Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared around and viewed by more people and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips & Ideas

• Focus on content that will add value to potential visitors and showcase your expertise. This includes content that educates and informs readers, training content, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing instructional PDF guides that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

We have created a complete email training series designed to help you never run out of content for posting to your web site:

Also, if you haven’t already, ask us about 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 & Engagement

At some point, you may want to consider developing “traffic on demand.” You can do this by building a list or starting an online network.

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 traffic with every post you publish or broadcast you send out.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Encourage commenting and discussions on your site.
• Add an autoresponder newsletter and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a paid, free, or ‘freemium’ membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join an online group on LinkedIn.

Tools & Methods

There are many solutions and WordPress plugins that can help grow your online influence and improve user engagement. For example:

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

Identify Needs & Provide Solutions To These

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you can develop new products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of traffic.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Create a free or paid e-learning program.
• Consider publishing PDF guides or special reports that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

If you plan to provide solutions online (as opposed to just providing information), see other posts on this site to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your website:

• Membership Sites (e.g. Wishlist Member, S2 Member, etc.)
• Learning Management Systems (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 allows you to discover new opportunities to generate additional traffic.

Hopefully, by now you already have installed an analytics tool (e.g. Google Analytics) on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.

WordPress Web Traffic Automation Blueprint – Summary

All you have to do once you implement the above strategies is rinse and repeat, 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 if needed 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, now you have a blueprint that will help you drive more visitors automatically to your web site and grow your business online.

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