Boosting incoming site traffic by deploying integrated Search Engine Optimisation techniques is a necessary tactic. However the true test of a website’s success is its power to generate actual sales revenues. Hence website owners and marketing strategists need to focus on improving the conversion rate of prospects who visit your website.

A website is not just a creative online brochure but an active salesman that is working 24X7 trying to convince visitors to buy online. To achieve this goal, web-owners need to employ time tested website conversion initiatives to enhance the website visitors’ experience which generally persuades them to make a purchase decision quickly.
Communicating with visitors

A careful study of a website analytics report will tell you about consumer behaviour on your website. Which are the keywords that consumers type in, where did the searcher come from (which keyword phrases brought them to your website)? You also have to dig deeper into traffic analysis software to see which sections of your website searchers visit more often and what is the average time spent on particular webpages. This will help you to deploy hot (buying) buttons / links on the website itself. The key is to effectively balance information anc content with navigation and aesthetics. This not only attracts customers but also convinces them to make a purchase decision.
Engaging Customers

Like the offline sales person, your website too needs to engage the visitor in friendly dialogue and this is of great help in boosting the website conversion rate. Understanding frequently asked questions that a typical customer may ask can help your website engage visitors with persuasive content that also gives options and hyperlinks to detailed webpages on product features and service information. This should be presented to the visitor in such a way that he continues along the buying path, asking questions and getting clear answers. So if you are selling vacuum cleaners, some visitors may need hi-tech cleaners while some may need high capacity industrial vacuum cleaners. Instead of cramming the webpage with details of the two types of vacuum cleaners, one should write simple lead on line of the hi-tech vacuum cleaner, its image and a hyperlink saying ‘more….’ At the same time other types of vacuum cleaners are also briefly mentioned and again a hyperlink allows the visitor to read / decide to purchase industrial or simply a large vacuum cleaner. This way you can keep the site aesthetics clean while enabling an informed purchasing decision. As an experienced marketer, you should be able to figure out the usual sales related questions that customers may ask and succeed by giving them clear instructions so that they find answers on the website itself.
Building Customer Confidence

Successful marketers understand that the purchase decision is not the end of a sales process but the start of a customer confidence building relationship. Hence a website should help a customer with such questions as different payment options (installments, credit, preferred customer discounts etc), select the appropriate service option (extended warranty etc) and also the ability to define delivery day and place. Website owners thus need to use a judicious mix of science (customer behaviour), usability (links and interfaces) and marketing principles (price, product etc) to ensure higher conversion rates.