We’re interested in is converting Web site visitors to leads that may mean a true increase in business. People have invested money in the pursuit of increased traffic to their Web sites but sometimes don’t go one step further and generate leads. This is the major step you need to take to have an effective Web site and to measure site effectiveness.

So many creative people step into the online world expecting great things from their Web site, their product or their service. But there is really only one way to measure success in this field and that’s through conversion. If you can move a solid percentage of your visitors into leads (then into customers) you are on the right track. Keys to this process are quality content, good design and the right call to action. Then it’s time to test and measure user data with such tools as heat maps.

The first thing to do is sign up for Google Checkout. This is what you’ll use to process orders at your online store. Google Checkout (according to Google, anyway) can help attract leads, have higher conversion rates and protect yourself against fraudulent transactions. The first screen shot shows an example of some of the data you’ll enter to set up your Google Checkout account.

Next, list your products in a spreadsheet in Google Docs. This is where you manage your inventory. They have a template spreadsheet to use: just replace the example inventory with your own real inventory. Setting up the spreadsheet is covered in a step-by-step guide that takes you through all the steps.

Once you’ve done this, you will have a store gadget that you can embed anywhere you want: your blog, Google Sites, or your regular website. This process, too, has a step-by-step guide to help you. The second screen shot shows an example of what the embedded store gadget looks like.