Welcome to Part 5 of our WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to create an automated web traffic generating machine using the WordPress CMS platform.
So far, here is what we have covered in this series:
In Part 1 of this article series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to automating traffic to your website …
(With an expertly configured WordPress website, all you have to do to automatically begin bringing web traffic is publish fresh content regularly!)
In Part Two, we discuss the setup phase. We help you understand the best way to start 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 is built using WordPress.
(In Part two we show you how to set up a WordPress web site on your domain)
In Part 3, we discuss the configuration phase of this system. We configured hosting settings, internal settings, and external settings that can affect your website’s ability to generate traffic automatically …
(In Part Three you learn how to configure all the settings that can affect your site’s traffic-getting ability)
In Part 4, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can help drive new visitors automatically to your website or blog just by publishing fresh content consistently.
(Publish content one-time, automate the rest!)
In Part Five of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we look at ways to optimize traffic generation with different tools and methods.
WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization Systems
In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is the outcome of a clear business vision, sound digital planning, and good systems in place.
(Generating consistent traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and great systems)
Let’s briefly review the systems that will help you grow and manage your new traffic.
These systems include:
- Marketing Systems – How you drive new traffic to your website.
- Technical Systems – How you ensure that your digital presence remains optimized for receiving new traffic.
- Business Systems – How you manage and respond to traffic.
(Use systems to grow 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 business. Your marketing systems can be tested by asking questions such as:
- What channels do you plan to use to generate new traffic (e.g. blogging, PPC advertising, video marketing, etc)?
- What resources and portion of your budget will you apportion to your marketing channels?
- Who will create and optimize your content and marketing campaigns?
- How will you track conversions and measure the cost-effectiveness of your 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 site, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
Technical Systems
Your technical systems and processes ensure that your digital presence remains up and running for receiving traffic. There’s no point sending traffic to your site if your site is constantly down or your web pages take a very long time to load.
Your technical systems include handling technical 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 is looking after my server?
- Who is looking after my website and keeping my site, plugins, themes, etc. 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 can expect to face problems. Your technical systems need to be robust enough to handle these.
Business Systems
You need good operational systems and processes in place 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 maintenance, then make sure you have excellent systems in place to manage all outsourcing processes.
WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Strategies
If your business objectives are clear and your systems and processes are in place, all you need to focus on are ways 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 diagram below …
(An effective traffic loop)
Increase Reach And Visibility Online
Step 1 of the process is to get your business exposed to as many members of your target audience as you can.
Useful Tips
- Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to instantly share your content on traffic-getting sources 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 actionable and intelligent data, which you can use to create content better targeted to your audience.
- Repurpose your content to leverage different media formats.
- Continue learning about ways to get website traffic using methods like paid ads, banner ads, forum signatures, etc.
Tools, Plugins, & Methods
See previous sections of this tutorial series for a number of useful plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more potential users.
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:
- Share your posts online,
- Run contests, offer discounts or downloads for shares/likes,
- Display user generated content, feeds, etc.
- Distribute content online in other media formats (e.g. videos, PDF guides, slides, etc.)
Build Authority & Credibility
Getting more content published is good, but for this activity to be really effective, your content needs to build authority and credibility with users.
Publishing authoritative content not only helps to establish your credibility, it also improves your chances of getting it shared around and hence more visitors.
Useful Tips
- Focus on creating and publishing 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 a training guide that you can sell or distribute online.
Tools, Plugins, And Methods
If you need great content ideas for your website, we recommend subscribing to our email training series on content marketing here:
Also, if you haven’t already, contact us to learn more about plugins that allow you to easily add the following to your site:
- 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 achieve this by building a list or starting your own online community or social network.
With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic will come from an audience of existing customers or subscribers – people who already like 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 email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
- Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site.
- Start or join an online group on Facebook/LinkedIn.
Plugins, Tools, & Methods
There are many solutions and plugins that can help grow your influence and improve user engagement. For example:
- Autoresponders/Email Newsletters (e.g. Aweber, GetResponse, etc.)
- Contact Forms, Live Chat
- Forums and Social Communities (e.g. bbPress, BuddyPress)
- Polls & Surveys
- Webinars (e.g. Webinar JEO)
- Comment sharing
- Add media, image galleries, etc.
Identify Needs/Problems And Provide Solutions
If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what problems your visitors are trying to solve, you can have an endless funnel of ideas for developing new services and products, all of which provide new opportunities for generating additional web traffic.
Useful Tips And Ideas
- Consider creating an online training course.
- Consider publishing instructional PDF guides or special reports that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
- Add an e-commerce store to your business.
Tools, Plugins, And Strategies
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 include:
- Membership Site plugins (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 learning to interpret data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new ways to create additional traffic.
Hopefully, by now you have already installed an analytics program like Google Analytics on your site. Make sure you also learn how to interpret the data.
WordPress Traffic System – Summary
Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the same process, 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 (with 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 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 information has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving visitors to your website and build a better business online.
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"This is an awesome training series. I have a pretty good understanding of WordPress already, but this is helping me to move somewhere from intermediate to advanced user!" - Kim Lednum
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