Do You Need A Sales Funnel?
Generating regular revenue in business isn’t good luck and sheer will, it comes down to a step by step process that you too can follow. It all comes down to the customer journey. Understanding what the path of engagement is and where your brand can increase the purchasing power of your products or services.
What is a sales funnel
A sales funnel helps to navigate the customers journey from when they first find you, right up until the point of sale.
How it works
Awareness – This is the moment your customer first finds you, whether it’s through google, an instagram post or maybe a recommendation.
Interest – At this stage, your prospective customer wants to know more about you. They are shopping around, checking out price comparisons with competitors and generally just mulling things over. The best thing you can do is provide helpful information but not push a sale.
Decision – You’re almost there! This is the crucial point at which the customer is tossing up whether you’re really their best option. It’s time to pull out all stops – free shipping, a 10% discount, a small freebie or an all inclusive trip to the Maldives. Do what it takes to get them over the line.
Action – Finally it’s business time, and ka-ching! The sale has been finalised. But the effort doesn’t stop there – customer retention is vital. Thank them for their purchase or add them to your mailing list so you can fill them in on hot offers.
Putting your sales funnel into practise
In order for your sales funnel to work, you need to put in the dedicated time and research. But what does this entail?
Consumer Behaviour
Monitor how your consumers interact with your site. How long do they stay on a certain page, when do they abandon their shopping cart or where are they clicking the most?
Get Their Attention
Get your product or service in front of as many eyes as possible, but in the right places. Make sure you are targeting your chosen demographic. In order to get possible sale, it all starts with that first step.
Build Relationships
Once people are aware of your offering, you need to develop authority and trust. A good way to do this is to encourage people to leave reviews or testimonials.
Final Thoughts
If you want to sell products and services, you should be identifying the customer journey. Focus on who your customers are, what their problems are and how your brand can solve those problems. Then look at which channels to use and how you can best reach your audience at the different stages of the sales funnel: Awareness, Interest, Decision, Action and Loyalty.