I've been selling online for about six years and I've seen a lot of websites in all that time on the net. It seems that many ecommerce store owners are not doing all they can to entice visitors and convert them to customers. Just because a website is pretty doesn't mean people are going to buy, there are many things a store owner can do to increase their store's conversion rate. Here are five easy things that should be implemented right away to raise your site's conversion, some are free and some have a cost but they are all very worthwhile if done correctly. The examples are from my interior wall decor and tapestry hangings site, The Tapestry Standard.

People don't like to read unless they have found something specific they are interested in. When a customer lands on your homepage you need to show them what you have, don't make them read about your products. Nice, big pictures that showcase your products will engage a visitor much more quickly and will get more people to click further into your store. Keep the text to link text and short descriptive paragraphs - it's even better if you use bullet points, people like lists better than long passages.

Don't list your categories in alphabetical order, group them into related sections. And use section headings to help visitors navigate. People take in groups more quickly than they do lists. When you break up your navigation bar you're making it much easier for a visitor to find what they are looking for. Anything you can do to make your website easier to use will generally increase your conversion immediately.

This won't be free but it is a huge help in the trust department. Join the BBB Online and you will get a logo for your site that people can click on and see your site listed on the BBB. With the knowledge that they have recourse, people will more readily trust you.

Get a HackerSafe logo. Put this somewhere near the top of your site to let visitors know your site is 100% secure and they are protected. This goes a long way in making the customer feel safe. A lot of people are still very edgy about giving out personal information online, let them know right away that they are safe when they buy from you.

This can be free but it will be more beneficial to you if you use a paid service. Putting a Live Chat logo on your site let's a customer know that at any point they can simply click a link and talk to someone at your company. Most people never use them but when I added one to my sites conversion went up the next day. A phone number is a great thing to have on your site too but if you're a small business you may not have the manpower to answer phones. Live chat is also a great alternative for those store owners as it allows customers instant access to service.

All store owners need to send out newsletters. They generate sales and keep your website fresh in people's minds. To do this you need an email capture mechanism on your site. If your store platform doesn't have one built in try using Constant Contact or Got, they are both fairly inexpensive and allow unlimited customization (you need to know a bit of HTML).

The best way to build a big list is to offer a discount coupon to those that sign up. I offer a store-wide 5% discount on any size order in exchange for a visitors email address and the right to send them newsletters. The tapestry store has a list of over 8000 people, all of whom see an email from me at least once a week. Repeat customers are the easiest to get because they already trust you.

These conversion tips are not hard to integrate. It might take you some time to make the graphics for your site or to get the newsletter sign up box just right, but all of the things outlined above have increased my conversion. I do these things on all my stores, it's all part of the initial design. It works well for me and for other online store owners I know, try them I believe they'll work for you too.