Okay, you’ve all done the Step 1. You’ve built an attractive website.  And many of you have completed Step 2. You’ve optimized your website to improve search engine results. And the results are you are getting more traffic.

So what is Step 3? It is improving your conversion rate. If your website is like most, you want the visitor to do something… either order your product, contact you, donate money, join your mailing list, whatever. Getting your visitor to do something you want is called conversion. You have converted a passive visitor into someone who performs an action you desire.

The question is how do you achieve that conversion? Well, there are many things you can do. You can offer a game or something else for free. You can provide special information in exchange for an email signup. You can offer an online-only discount. All good.

But there is one thing you should do above all others. And that is write your content so it is focused on the site visitor. This is doubly true for your home page.

Think about the bricks-and-mortar counterpart. If a client walked into your office, would you just start rambling on about your company? Or would you tailor your conversation to the person you were facing, finding out what they needed and how you could help?

Take a look at your home page. How many instances of “we” and “our” and “I” do you see? And how many times is “you” or “your” used? You need to focus on “you,” not “I.”

I have seen countless websites that completely ignore the site visitor. Not a single “you” or “your” on the entire page. Every last sentence revolves around “us,” “we” and “our.” Can you imagine what type of telephone or face-to-face conversation that would be? For some reason, placing information online instead of communicating verbally gives license to be completely self-centered.

The copy should focus on how you can help your site visitors and what results they will see after using your products or services. Let me show you the difference.

Here’s a snippet of copy from a business that provides services to protect daycare centers from parents who are bad payment risks. Here’s the company-focused copy:

Our Best-Ever Parent-Check Software Is Now Available
Over the past ten years, we have developed innovative software designed to check parents’ histories and ensure they have no outstanding daycare payments or judgments. Now, our most advanced version is available. At Provider Watch, we guaranteed that version 2.0 has the most up-to-date database available. We keep a guarded watch over all our providers to prevent financial problems before they start. Contact us today for a free demonstration.

And the customer-focused copy:

Find Out If Parents Are Bad Payment Risks BEFORE You Accept Them as Customers
It’s a sad fact. Providers often face the hassles and stress of parents who are bad daycare payment risks. In many cases, these parents are just making the rounds…hopping from provider to provider. They may have a long history of non-payment or even childcare collection proceedings. If you had only known that to begin with, you would never have accepted them as your customers.

Provider Watch delivers the vital information you need to make confident and accurate decisions based on past daycare payment history.

See the difference? The first is all about the company. The second is all about the daycare center, its needs, and how Provider Watch can help.

It’s Not Just About the Copy

Everything about your website should focus on the site visitor. Yes, this includes copy that addresses and speaks to customers in their language and about their needs. It also includes the key phrases you choose, the colors you use, the layout of the pages, the navigation, the flow of information, the checkout process (if it’s an e-commerce site), etc.

With every decision you make about your copy, search optimization, design and usability, ask yourself this, “Does this focus on our site visitors? Specifically, how will this benefit our site visitors?” Because they are the ones with the money, doesn’t it make sense to create an environment that is engaging and comfortable for them?

It’s definitely a tough skill to grasp and it takes a different mindset to do it correctly. And yet it’s one of the simplest things you can do with your website to increase its conversions in a big way.

Actually, virtually all search engines offer local search, not just Google. I’ll list others at the end of this article, but for illustration purposes, I’ll focus on Google.

Here’s an example of a local search. Go to www.local.Google.com and type in the word “supermarkets” followed by your zip code or your town. A map will appear showing the supermarkets in your neighborhood. Most likely you’ll see phone numbers for each and links to their websites. Or, as another example, type in the words “web design 10033” and you’ll see Nexxite pop up. Pretty cool.

Now imagine that someone types into Google what you do along with the zip code or town in which you are located. Wouldn’t it be nice if your business appeared in a comparable list for your type of business? Well, you can appear easily and it is free.

Here’s what you do. (This should take you less than 15 minutes.) Go to http://www.google.com/local/add?hl=en&gl=us. On the right side of the screen, you will see the words “Sign up now.” If you already have a Google account, sign in. Otherwise, click on the “Sign up now” link. You will be asked to create a Google account (again, it is free). Once you do, you should be in the Google Local Business Center. Select “Add a new Business.” You will be asked to complete a form with your name, phone number, business description, website address, etc. Submit the form. That’s it.

Google may take a few weeks to list your business in its local search results, but in my experience, you will get there. And in the ultra-competitive world of the Internet, every little edge helps.

Here are some other search engines and directories offering local search:

YAHOO LOCAL

http://local.yahoo.com/

ADD YOUR BUSINESS

http://listings.local.yahoo.com/csubmit/index.php

MSN LOCAL

http://local.live.com/

ADD YOUR BUSINESS

http://webapp.localeze.com/bizreg/add.aspx

OTHER LOCAL SEARCH MARKETING OPTIONS

http://www.smallbusinesssem.com/local-search-marketing-guide/other-options/