WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Part 5 (Optimization)

Welcome to Part 5 of our Website Traffic Blueprint article series, where we explain how to turn your site into an automated web traffic machine using WordPress.

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

In Part 1, we explained why using an expertly configured WordPress website is the key to automating traffic to your site …

(With an expertly configured WordPress blog, all you have to do is add content regularly to automatically start generating new web traffic!)

In Part 2, we focus on critical setup decisions. We explain the best way to get started if you don’t have a web presence yet, how to set things up if you already have a site, and what to do if your website is built using WordPress.

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

In Part 3, we discuss the configuration phase of the blueprint. We configured all the settings (hosting, WordPress and external) that can 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 4, we explained how to set up various WordPress plugins that can bring new traffic automatically to your website.

(Publish content one-time, automate the rest!)

In Part 5 of the WordPress web traffic automation blueprint series, we discuss ways to optimize your traffic using a number of tools and methods.

WordPress Traffic Automation Blueprint – Traffic Optimization Systems

In addition to getting your WordPress website expertly configured, generating consistent traffic of high quality is achieved by having a well-defined business vision, careful digital planning, and good systems in place.

(Automating traffic is the result of a business vision, sound planning, and systems)

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

These include:

• Marketing Systems – How you drive traffic to your website.
• Technical Systems – How you keep your digital presence optimized for receiving new traffic.
• Business Systems – The systems and processes used to manage and respond to traffic.

(Systems help you grow 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 drive new traffic to your website. You can test your marketing systems by asking questions such as:

• What is your content marketing/online marketing strategy?
• How will you apply your budget and resources to your marketing channels?
• Who will create and optimize your content, sales funnels, 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 generate some actionable data, such as the keyword phrases 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 keep your digital presence operating efficiently for receiving new traffic. There’s no point driving traffic to your website if your site is down or your pages are taking too long to load.

Your systems need to be able to adequately handle technical areas like webhosting, site maintenance and support, installing, configuring, 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 server?
• 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. if you experience difficulties?

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

Business Systems

Your business systems help you manage traffic. These include:

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

If you plan to outsource your digital marketing and technical services, then make sure you have excellent systems in place for managing all outsourcing.

WordPress Web Traffic Blueprint – Optimizing Traffic Generation

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

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

(Implementing an effective traffic loop)

Increase Reach & Visibility

The first step of the process is to expose your business to as many members of your target audience as possible.

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 online.
• 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’s needs.
• Repurpose your content to leverage the power, appeal, and reach of different media formats.
• Continue learning about ways to attract website traffic using methods like Pinterest ads, PPC advertising, joint ventures, etc.

Tools & Strategies

See previous sections of this article series for a number of useful plugins, tools, and strategies we’ve already covered to help you reach more members of your target audience.

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

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

Build Authority And Credibility

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

Publishing better quality 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 visitors.

Traffic Tips

• Create and publish content that adds value to your audience and that showcases your expertise. This includes content that informs and educates readers, training content, case studies, adding testimonials, etc.
• Consider publishing an instructional e-book that can be sold or distributed online.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

We have created a complete email course designed to help you come up with unlimited content for your site:

Also, if you haven’t already, see other posts and tutorials on this site to learn more 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 tap.” You can achieve this by growing a list or starting a membership site.

With “Traffic On Demand,” all of your traffic comes from customers or subscribers – people who already like you and trust you. Your influence and reputation can be used to generate traffic with a single blog post or email.

Useful Tips And Ideas

• Encourage visitors to leave comments and start 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/Facebook.

Tools, Plugins, And Strategies

Many solutions and plugins are available that are easy to implement and can help increase your influence and improve user 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 Problems & Provide Solutions

If you take advantage of incoming traffic to find out what users need, you should have no problem coming up with ideas for new solutions, all of which can provide you with new opportunities to generate new streams of web traffic.

Tips

• Create a free or paid online training program.
• Publish a PDF guide that can be sold or distributed online.
• Consider adding e-commerce to your business.

Tools, Plugins, & Methods

If you plan to provide services and products online (as opposed to just providing information), then some of the more useful plugins you may want to consider adding to your website include:

• Membership Sites (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 the collection and analysis of data. By interpreting data gathered from existing traffic, you can discover new ways to generate content that can bring you additional traffic.

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

WordPress Web 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 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 (consider adding 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 needed to build authority, trust, 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, this information has given you a blueprint that will help you automate and optimize the process of driving traffic to your website and build a more successful business online.

***

***