There are many reasons people can get a lot of traffic to their site without making a single sale. In this article I will discuss the most common mistakes people make and how to correct them.

1. You're not really getting "a lot of traffic".

Before I get started on the different reasons people don't make sales but get a lot of traffic let's talk about what exactly is "a lot of traffic". The web is a fickle place. In general it's harder for a person to trust a website than walking into a store and looking at someone in the eye. This is just one of the many reasons very few people who visit your website will convert into customers. If you're getting better than 1% of your traffic to convert to a customer you're doing great. And that means only one in a hundred people who come to your site make a purchase. For this reason I'd say a lot of traffic is somewhere around a thousand unique visitors per day. If you're not getting a thoushand unique vistors per day, there's a good chance sales will seem non-existent.

2. You're not capturing contact informaton.

If you're not converting your visitors into customers it's most likely because you're not capturing their contact data and follow up. The chances of someone buying from you the first time they visit your website is slim to none. If you're not providing your visitors a sense of urgency, like a limited time offer, I'd say the chances are really none. If someone comes to an online store, and there's no sense of urgency to buy at that moment - Why would they make a purchase?

The best thing you can do for your business is capture contact information from the people who are visiting your site. By capturing an email address, phone number, or some way to contact them you're giving yourself a fighting chance. 

People aren't just going to hand over their email address and phone number. You're going to have to give them some motivation. That motivation can come in many forms. Some of the things I've found to be successful over the years are...

> Coupon codes for good sized discounts.
> A free sample.
> A free trial.
> A free gift.

Regardless of the method you use to entice people to give you some contact information it's going to be about giving something away of high perceived value. The higher the person perceives the value to be of what they're going to get in exchange for their contact information the more likely and more inforamtion they're likely to give you.

3. You're not following up.

Once you've gathered a persons email address or phone number you'll need to follow up. The eaisest way to do this is with emails. The WebSarts Business Plan comes with a built-in email marketing software that will let you right emails and schedule them to be delivered at regular intervals over time. That's a perfect way to remind the people who visited your website to come back. If you're capturing a phone number you might want to sent them a text. There are a number of services that will send marketing texts now, but truthfully it could be done from Google Voice or your mobile phone.

Following up is key to converting traffic into sales. When people come to your site, they're likely not even to remember the name or web address. It's up to you to capture that lead and remind them of who you are, what you do, and why they should be from you. In fact, there's a study that shows it takes seven follow ups with a person before they will buy from you.

4. You're not providing a sense of urgency.

Earlier I wrote a little bit about how people aren't going to buy from you the first time they visit your website unless you give them a sense of urgency. A sense of urgency can be something as simple as a discount, but only if they buy right now.  Maybe it's a bonus gift you'll throw onto their order, but only if they buy from you now.

Whatever the case, a sense of urgency is communicated by putting a time or quantity limit on the thing you're selling. So if you're not offering something for a "limited time" you need to be offering something in a "limited quantity". Fear of loss is something that brings people to a decision. Do your customers a favor by bringing them to a decison by introducting a sense of urgency.

5. There's no call to action.

If you're getting traffic, capturing leads, following up, and creating a sense of urgency there's a good chance you're getting sales. If you're still not seeing the orders roll in it's probably because you're not providing a clear call to action. A call to action answers the questions "What do I do next?" If you're not making it clear to your audience how to make a purchase, call your phone number, fill out that lead form, then you're leaving money on the table.

By ensuring you have these five things on your website you're significantly increasing the chances of having someone buy from you. Remember however the process of selling products online can be long and grueling. You have to be constantly trying and testing new things, keeping track of what's working and what's not. There are no shortcuts or easy roads. If you're looking for a good place to start, sign up for a free website at WebStarts.com.