I try to always emphasize in any marketing conversation that search marketing is not predominantly about code, or about optimizing your site for search engines. Although there is value in optimizing a site for machines, it is only a baby step towards real internet marketing.

Once you’ve accomplished that first step, and search engines and other links are sending you relevant traffic, you need to understand what to do with that traffic. Without a strong conversion rate, all your efforts to create traffic is lost.
Dave Child recently published a great post outlining his 10 Ways to Improve Your Website Conversion Rate. These are incredibly valuable tips – simple, logical issues you must take into consideration when you want to convert traffic into customers.

You need to view your online resource exactly as you would a physical store. You wouldn’t barricade the door to your brick-and-mortar store; don’t do it to your website, either.