More and more people across the world are choosing to be their own boss, taking the plunge and setting up an online business. And with latest figures suggesting that around 46% of the world’s population now has connection to the internet, it’s easy to see the appeal.

Such a large number of web users might lead you to think that it’ll be easy enough to sell whatever you’re offering; but it’s important to understand that high volumes of traffic to your site won’t necessarily lead to profit for your business.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of measuring success by the number of visits to your website, but the truth is that this isn’t a reliable metric; it’s important to have a reporting system in place which shows monetary value or influence on the bottom line.

But if you’ve found yourself in the situation where your site is receiving large volumes of traffic but it isn’t making you money, then there are a number of steps you can take to ensure that your traffic converts to sales.

The best place to start is to be certain you’re attracting the right people. If you’re noticing high numbers of visitors to your site, but you’re not seeing this convert into sales, then it’s highly likely that you’re drawing in the wrong people.

Keywords are essential; if your business revolves around selling rabbit food and rabbit products, but your traffic is coming through based on keywords such as ‘cute pictures of rabbits’ then the reality is that you’re not likely to make much money.

Rabbits are great, but they don't make sales

Implementing an SEO strategy is also a proven way of ensuring that you drive the right people to your site; by focusing on what consumers are searching for, you are giving your online business potential to really take off.

While some people who do have rabbits might then go on to buy your products, it’s unlikely to happen consistently, and generate the profit you’re hoping for; using keywords such as ‘buy rabbit food’ will work much better! And when reaching out to your target audience, it’s important that you research and have a good understanding of your competitors.

If your target audience isn’t buying from you, where are they shopping? Making use of product review sites will come in handy here; you can have a look at what your competitors are offering. By making notes on what’s well-received and what isn’t, you can use this information to adjust your business’s offerings accordingly.

If you’ve already done this, and you’re still struggling to see a decent traffic to profit conversion, it might be time to take a look at the product itself. Could it be that you’re aiming your business at the wrong audience? And if you’re sure that you are targeting the right people, could it be that your prices are wrong, or that the market is already saturated?

Research should give you an idea of the general price that you can expect, and should give you the chance to make any changes. Similarly, if you’re offering something that is already out there, take a look at how you’re marketing it, and consider changing things up to ensure that you break through the noise.

The price tag is always important

In addition to providing a good product or service, a positive user experience is crucial. You should check out competitor sites and compare them with yours; is yours easy to navigate, and does it look clean and professional? Is it clear what each section of your site relates to, and is it easy for your customers to find what they’re looking for? A fussy, complicated site is likely to put potential customers off, resulting in high traffic yet low profit.

Similarly, it’s crucial that you take a good look at your purchasing process – is it straightforward? By making changes such as titles and page layouts, you may find that your site becomes clearer and easier to use, ultimately resulting in conversion optimisation and more sales.

Taking the time to go through the purchasing process as a customer can help you to see where any potential issues or confusion might arise. The last thing you want is to draw people in, only to lose them because it’s too complicated or lengthy to buy from you.

Setting up a business in today’s online world can be challenging, and with more people searching the internet than ever before, converting your traffic to profit can be difficult.

But it can be done, and by ensuring that your site and product are the best they can be, and by really taking the time to understand what’s already out there and what your target audience is looking for, you’ll be giving yourself the best possible chance for success.

While keeping an eye on the traffic to your site is important, this metric alone isn’t a reliable indicator of success or profit; closely monitoring your bottom line will be vital, and the best way of telling whether your traffic is converting to profit.

Lee Biggins is founding and managing director of CV-Library