Your website conversion rate should concern you. This simply refers to how many visitors to your website it takes before you make a sale. It is called conversion because you are 'converting' a casual visitor into a buyer. Website conversion should concern you because when you can increase the rate at which your website visitors convert into buyers, you make more money without increase your costs. Let me explain.

If you get one sale for every one hundred visitors to your sales page on your website, you effectively have a conversion rate of one percent. It may be possible for you to make simple changes to your website that can result in an increased number of sales conversions.

So if you can get two people to convert to a sale per hundred instead of only one, you've effectively doubled your sales without increasing your costs, your traffic or your effort. It's for this reason that your website conversion rate should be something you know and are working to improve.

So how can I improve my conversion rate?

Improve your conversions by making changes to the headline of your website. The very first text that appears on a web page will most often determine if someone keeps reading or clicks away. The headline you use should speak to the visitor and make them want to keep reading to find out what you have to say.

Avoid being cute or witty just to get a laugh. Your objective is to get them to read more. Do this well and your job is more than half done. Do it poorly though, and nothing else will help much.

Write with the 'skimmer' in mind

Studies of people using the internet have found that the vast majority of surfers skim through a document before they decide to read it. This is a big reason why the headline is important. You should also write your sales page with sub headings that are focused on benefits your target visitor will get by using your product or service.

As your visitor skims your sales page, they will stop to read what grabs their attention. If enough of the content interests them, then and only then will they go back to the top of your web page and start reading from the beginning. People are in a hurry. They want to know what's in it for them right away. Make sure your page answers that question clearly and quickly.

Above all, make sure you test everything you do. Don't simply rely on gut feeling. Too many marketers make that mistake and it end up costing them a lot of money and lost sales.

Joe Duchesne is the co-founder of Yowling. They offer a web site builder that allows anyone to create their own website in no time at all with little computer skills. Visit http://www.yowlingbuilder.com for more details. Reprint this article freely as long as you keep the links in this resource box live and clickable.