When you research selling online, one of the buzz phrases you will see a lot is the famous sales funnel. Whether you are all about selling services, products, or paid courses a simple funnel will only increase your success. The sales world always changing gradually, and we now know that having an old straightforward info-based website is not enough. You have to be willing to go witht he flow and make changes as needed.
So, the question that we need to answer is precisely what a sales funnel is and why we need it.
Most of the time, people confuse sales funnels with the software that people use to build them, for example, Click Funnels or Leadpages. Yes, these software options can help you make your funnel strategies and make them look pretty but, they are not he funnel itself.
Sales funnels are more pretty landing pages. They are paths that you strategically design and plan to take potential clients from being unaware of your existence and convert them to loyal customers. Like with an actual physical funnel, the top is wide and open and it gradually gets smaller and more defined. Your sales funnel will do the exact same thing. What are the strategies you can use in your funnels to increase your conversions?
This can be done through different phases and combinations of content you create – ads, emails, and landing pages. All designed to move people into your funnels and generate more conversions. Each phase of your funnel should have a specific goal and should bring people deeper into your “ecosystem”.
Convince and Convert – Four Sales Funnels Stages
Stage 1- Consideration
This is where you grab your potential customer’s attention. It might be a social media ad, organic content, or Google search that brings you to their attention. This user is now aware of your business. It is really important that you have made it clear that you have something to offer them; all you need to do is differentiate yourself from all of the other noise of the online world.
Stage 2- Preference
Now, the buyers are aware of your business, but they aren’t convinced that they need or even want what you offer. They research and compare your products with other available options and think over their final decision. At that point, offer them relevant marketing content and help them make up their minds. Prove to them that what you have is what they need. Don’t worry though, as long as you are being your authentic self and not adding any fluff to fill in for value (#ChatGPT content is a no no), you will naturally attract the right customers/clients.
Stage 3- Purchase
It is time to put your cards on the table because now the buyer has decided to spend money! Now is the perfect time to give them your best offer that includes some additional benefits, for example, a bonus product, free shipping, or a discount voucher. Make sure your offer is excellent and relevant enough so that the buyer wants to take advantage. Again, no fluff. Just juicy goodness to make you irresistible.
Stage 4- Loyalty
At this stage, they have purchased your product or service successfully, and if you want them to be your repeated customer. Reach out to them because your work is not over yet. It would be best to thank them for their purchase and ask for their feedback because it is all about customer satisfaction and your care for them. After a first-time purchase, we as humans tend to get a little nervous. As a provider, you need to prove that you won’t ghost them. Follow through on your promises and they will come back for sure.
Reasons You Need a Sales Funnel
To Understand Audience Behavior
Knowing your audience is key to success in any business. The better you know your targeted audience, the more sales you will generate through the funnel. You are not marketing for everybody. You only want to attract a specific audience relevant to what you can provide.
This can only work when you have a good grasp of your targeted audience’s behavior. You should know which platform the targeted audience likes to use and how they like to interact on it.
This information will help develop suitable strategies that will improve your marketing efforts further. No spam or weirdness, please! That means steer clear of the temptation to DM every mom on Instagram just because they are your target audience. That will only push them away.
To Create an Email Campaign
Grab your targeted audience’s interest further with an ongoing email campaign. First, make them aware of your brand but don’t just start selling to them right out of the gate. You will need to build their interests with a sequence of informational emails answering their biggest questions, and at the end of these sequences, introduce them to incredible offers that will benefit them further. The most important thing here is to let them know that they are supported and valued.
Easier Customer Journey
You are trying to create the best environment for your visitors, so help them choose what is best for them. Provide valuable solutions in a clear way. Don’t make it hard for them to give you money!
You will talk about the problems they have, the solution that you hold, and the support that comes along with it. When they see that value, your solution becomes the easy choice.
Wrapping up!
I hope that this was helpful!
Do you already have a funnel or 2 (or 3) in place within your business? Let me know below.
Share this article with your friends who are confused about funnels.
Let me know if you have any questions!