For the uninitiated, we will run you through the basics first. Before understanding why sales funnel is important, you need to understand what a sales funnel is.
A sales funnel, in the simplest of meanings, is a model structure that traces the path of the customer from the moment she/he was aware of the product till the time the customer finally purchased it. It is a step-by-step guide to aid the conversion of your website visitors to customers. It gives a better insight as to what strategies can be used at what step so that you can bring about the above-mentioned conversion to reality.
It is also called the Purchase Funnel and is based on a model that goes by the name AIDA given by St Elmo Lewis in 1898. AIDA is actually an acronym that stands for Awareness Interest Desire Action.
To further understand the importance of the sales funnel, you as a digital marketing enthusiast must acknowledge that this model was made to suit modern marketing strategies. A purchase funnel or sales funnel is the ultimate channel through which you a prospective buyer turn into a customer.
The Sales funnel has 4 stages and this will clarify to you why a sales funnel is important in the digital marketing frontier.
One of the most important stages of the funnel, awareness is when the customer has come across your product or service via advertisements, organic web search results, or even blog posts. The chances of the customer knowing about the product or service you offer are a clear 50-50 at this stage.
This is also the most crucial stage because here is when the customer has a need and it is you who has the solution. It is your task here on to cater to their needs. This is your window to make convert this passerby into a customer.
In order to achieve more and more such customers stumbling across your website, you need to widen the web your case. Paid advertisement, blogs, online campaigns, and webinars are some of the mediums through which you can get more people coming by your site.
Now that you have their interest by laying down your solution to their need, you’ve pocketed in a potential customer. This is when your customer starts to pay attention to what you have to say so this carves in a niche for you to present to them why you are the best at what you do and why they should buy from you and not anyone else.
The customer will run everything you say through thorough scrutiny. You have to ensure that you pass all the apprehensions the customer has. Show them valid information that what they see is legitimate and then let them make the most important decision in the transaction.
This is where you understand the real importance of the sales funnel. At this stage, you can bring about the correct means that make your customer ponder and make the choice in your favor.
The customer made it to your site due to the desire to own something or avail of a service you provide. They have surely browsed through all the services you provide, and now is when they make the decision.
Having a sales funnel would advise you that your page must lead the customer to a lead page where you guide your customer to complete the desired action that is buying the product or availing the service.
Here’s where the deal approaches completion. This also marks the end of the sales funnel. The final step is the most important step as you would want to make the customer keep coming back to you.
If done correctly, then you would have a loyal customer who would keep coming back to buy your products or avail of your services. If the customer has left behind a contact detail like an email ID or contact number, you have to ensure that you follow up with the customer and contact them when you have better deals on products or offers on services to offer.
You also have to ensure that the customer faces no delay to receive the service or product. Positive word of mouth is a classic but still a super-efficient method of advertising and is free too.
As a digital marketing venture, understanding the importance of the sales funnel is pivotal in making your business venture soar the way you had envisioned it to.
Incorporate these steps and watch your strategy reap the most lucrative yields for you.