Online business is all about conversion. Naturally, if your conversion rate is low, it makes no difference how high you’re ranked on Google. Ultimately, your success or failure will be determined by your conversion rate, which means you should focus as much energy on converting your traffic as you do on getting the traffic to your site in the first place.

Here are some simple techniques that can help you improve your conversion rate.

1. Build trust through quick response
You may have your email address and your phone number listed on your website, but how quickly do you respond to an inquiry from a potential customer? People desire a quick response from a real person. A simple prerecorded voice on the telephone is the surest way to put off a potential buyer. An auto generated email response may be quick, but it lacks the human touch. Try to follow-up in person as quickly as you can.

2. Make contact information easy to access
Sometimes your contact information is tucked away in a remote corner of your website. You should make it easy for visitors to see your contact information. Make the phone number and the email address standout on the first page itself. If possible, have a toll free number on your website. This may be expensive, but it will prove a worthwhile investment in the long-run.

3. People hate hidden charges
Don’t surprise people with add-on or hidden charges. If you have international shipping, then you should display clearly the charges a customer will have to pay for delivery. This helps to build trust and confidence which, in turn, helps improve conversion.

4. Make your pages easy to read
Make sure your information easy-to-read and error-free. Sloppy work does not inspire confidence. If you display that you are sloppy with your website, you cannot expect people to buy from your website.

5. Include an “about us” page

If you don’t have an “about us” page, then you are never going to improve your rate of conversion. You need to inform people all about who you are and what your company does. If possible, give a brief description and history about your online business since this helps to build trust.

6. Make your website visually appealing
If your website does not have a visual appeal, then your conversion rate is always going to be poor. The first page should always have a few images and, if possible, at least one video. Current data suggests that adding a short video introduction to your website can improve your conversion rate significantly.

7. Offer a freebie
Another great tool for raising the conversion rate is to offer a freebie on the website. If you can offer a free downloadable product such an eBook then you can raise your rate of conversion considerably. Some websites offer free utility software or other premiums. No matter what you offer, research indicates that freebies often pay for themselves by improving conversion rates.

8. Make your website accessible on mobile phones
Gartner predicts that by 2013 the number one way people will access the internet will be via a mobile device. Given that, it’s important that you’ve optimized your website to be mobile-ready. (For tips on how to do this, read “How to Build a Mobile Website” on the 60 Second Marketer blog.)

9. Make certain all links are live and working properly
When was the last time you checked the links on your site? It’s important to have live links that work well on your site. Links that are dead will kill your conversion rate. As time consuming as this may be, it’s worth having someone go through each page of your site to test all the links.

10. Drive your visitors to action
When a visitor lands on your page, he or she should feel compelled to take action. Make certain that you use words and phrases that call a visitor to read on and explore the website further. This will improve the rate of conversion as well. (For more on this topic, read “The 14 Most Powerful and Effective Words in Marketing” on the 60 Second Marketer blog.)

These are just some of the ways you can improve their rate of conversion and become successful on the web. Do you have any tips of your own? If so, share them in the comments section below.

Sam Mauzy is a marketer and blogger who has learned much of what he knows by trial and error while improving his own site’s average conversion rate and sharing his knowledge and tips in marketing forums.