WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part Five of our Web Site 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 article series:

In Part 1 of this article series, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress site is the key to generating automated web traffic …

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

In Part 2, we looked at critical setup decisions. We helped you understand the best way to get started if you don’t have a website yet, how to set everything up if you already have a site, and what to do if your existing site has been built with WordPress.

(In Part two we show you where to set up WordPress on your domain)

In Part 3, we discussed configuring WordPress. We explained how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically …

(In Part 3 we show you how to configure all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can affect your site’s ability to generate traffic automatically)

In Part 4, we showed you how to set up various plugins that can help drive new traffic automatically to your site just by adding content.

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

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

WordPress Web Traffic Automation System – Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website or blog expertly configured, the key to generating high-quality traffic on a consistent basis is having a clear business vision, careful digital planning, and excellent systems in place.

(Generating consistent traffic is the product of having a clear business vision, planning, and 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 business.
• Technical Systems – How you ensure that your web presence remains optimized for receiving traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow, automate, optimize, and manage your web traffic)

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

Marketing Systems

Your marketing systems consist of the processes and methods used to create new traffic for your website. Your 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 apportion to these marketing channels?
• How will you create and optimize your content and run your marketing campaigns?
• How will you test and measure the cost-effectiveness 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 intelligence. 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 content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.

Technical Systems

Your technical systems and processes keep your web presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your site if your site is experiencing problems or your pages take a very long time to load.

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

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

• Who looks after my webhosting?
• Who looks after my website and keeps my site maintained and up-to-date?
• Who will fix errors, troubleshoot problems, provide technical support and advice, etc. should problems arise?

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

Business Systems

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

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

If you plan to outsource key aspects of your digital marketing and technical services, then you will need good systems in place for managing all outsourcing processes.

WordPress Traffic System – Traffic Optimization

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

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

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

Increase Reach & Visibility Online

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many potential users as possible.

Traffic Ideas

• Your expertly configured WordPress site allows you to automatically publish your content on places 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 you generate some initial data, which you can use to create content targeted specifically to your audience’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract more web visitors using methods like paid advertising, banner ads, forum signatures, etc.

Tools & Methods

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

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

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

Build Authority & Credibility

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

Publishing authoritative content improves your chances of getting more views from social sharing and hence more traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• 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, user reviews, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing expert guides that can be sold or distributed online (e.g. sell on Amazon.

Tools & Strategies

If you need endless content ideas for your site, then subscribe to our FREE email training series on growing your business with content marketing here:

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

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

Grow Influence And Engagement

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

With “Traffic On Tap,” most of your traffic will come from customers or subscribers – people who already know you and trust you. Your influence and credibility can be used to generate new traffic with a single post or email broadcast.

Traffic Optimization Ideas

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start discussions on your site.
• Add an email training course and encourage people to subscribe.
• Add a free, paid, or ‘freemium’ membership site, online forum, or social community.
• Create or join a Facebook/LinkedIn Group.

Tools And Strategies

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

• List-Building Tools (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, image galleries, etc.

Identify Needs/Problems & Provide Solutions

By taking advantage of incoming traffic to discover what users are searching for, you can develop new products, services, and solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities for generating new sources of traffic.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Consider creating a free or paid online training course.
• Publish a special report that you can sell or distribute online (e.g. sell on Clickbank.
• Add e-commerce to your site.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful WordPress plugins you may want to consider adding 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. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new opportunities to create content that can generate you additional traffic.

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

WordPress Traffic Automation System – Summary

Once you implement the above strategies, all you have to do is repeat the process over and over again, 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 good 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 build authority and credibility, and also to increase 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 traffic automatically to your WordPress website and build a better business online.

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