WordPress is an ultimate platform and they’ve incorporated every element into their system. It’s very easy for you to customize your website to your preference. I think it’s very important you have a solid platform if you want to succeed in blogging because I think it’s a waste to devote your time to factors that you shouldn’t be paying close attention to. For example, we worry about coding and customization when WordPress will take care of all of it with a simple click of a button. However, you still need to be pushed in the right direction and there are many resources that have dedicated themselves to providing you with the information you need to optimize your brand. I’ve done some research and gathered some interesting tips you can apply to your blogging when using WordPress. Keep in the mind the following:
Success online comes down to the following:
The ability to:
- Generate Traffic
- Generate Leads
- Create Conversions
Let’s look at some cool tips to help you get started…
The Right Hosting
For you to setup your WordPress site without any problems, it’s a good idea to choose the right hosting provider. Keep in mind, your website is only as good as the uptime and if you have enormous downtime, this will hurt your traffic flow. Because you’ll be installing the WordPress application on a hosting provider, it’s important you choose one with a proven track record. For example, stick to a provider that has a reputation for providing the best service and one that is continually upgrading their servers. Many of these hosting providers will also provide you with a quick and easy way to install the application on your server. Here are the two I recommend, which are cost effective and reputable…
I’ve had a great experience with both and once you’re in the backend, you can easily install the WordPress application with a click of a mouse through the automatic install function.
Install the Right Plugins
Here’s where things will get a bit tricky because WordPress offers thousands of plug-ins so you have to do some research to make sure you install the best ones. They have hundreds of different SEO plugins, which can get confusing, but a simple search in Google will provide you with the best ones. Once you get them installed, you can start to configure them accordingly to your preferences. Many of them will work out of the box so you have no configurations to make afterwards, but it’s always a good idea to know the fundamentals. Installing the right plug-ins will make it easier for you to customize your website, but here’s a quick list to help you get started…
- All-In-One SEO plugin
- WP Cache
- Google XML Sitemaps
- Limited Logins
- Link Juice Keeper
- Contact Form 7
- Simple Image Widget
Again, the additional ones you choose will depend on your requirement so do some research before getting started.
Know Your Audience
If you want to succeed online then you need to know your audience. By having a good idea of your audience, you can create content, pages, and forms to meet their preference. This will increase traffic and engagement, leading to higher conversions down the line. Many of you think it’s hard to find your audience, but I’m here to tell you there are ways to streamline the entire process. First, it’s important to know the following:
- Geographical location
- Preferred content
- Timing and days
- Niche
- Category specific
Some information is much easier to find out than others, however, over time, through testing, you’ll be able to find out more. Obviously, you’re going to have competition in your niche so use it to your advantage. For example, some of your competitors have been around longer than you and their audience will be perfect for your new blog. If you skim through some of your competitors, you can find out a lot about your audience. Look for the following:
Social shares –
By looking through the content they share, you’ll be able to find out what type they prefer. Simply skim through the competitor’s blog looking for a high shared pattern on specific content.
Comment –
Skim through the content looking for the comments and feedback visitors are leaving. This is a great way to find questions people are asking, giving you a good idea of the content you should be writing. Once you find questions, write content that answers them and link back to it by leaving a comment.
Alexa.com –
This is a great FREE tool to find out about the competitors’ profile. When you search a URL, you will get a breakdown into their:
- Geographic location
- Age group
- Keywords
- Device
- Traffic pattern
- Gender
You can use this information to create a blog or content that caters to that audience profile.
Your main objective is to find out as much as you can about your audience before starting your blog. This will give you a head start and going forward, through testing, you’ll be able to find out much more. Then tweak your content and customize your blog to fit your audience.
In Part 2, we’ll be exploring other elements in building traffic and leads in WordPress once you know the right audience.