Does your marketing model have what it takes to build and retain a specified client base? Can you visualize your client’s journey? Do you understand what re-engagement pathways entail?
Setting aside the jargon, let us think for a bit about how to produce jam. You will need fruits and sugar – lots of it. First, you cook the fruit with the sugar, and then allow it to cool for a while. Turn the hot compote through the funnel into jars.
“Why are we learning about jam?” The funnel has the answer to all your sales questions. If you do not have answers to the questions above, then understanding how to build an eCommerce sales funnel might be best for you.
We might consider your business as the Ball jar, and your clients as the jam. A marketing funnel is necessary for bringing them in. But how do you do such? In this piece, we will guide you through how to get started as a marketing maven.
What Is A Sales Funnel?
In simple terms, a visual or graphical representation of a business’s customer journey is called a sales funnel. The funnel is in several stages based on the strategy in use. Consumers come from the top and move slowly downwards until they become customers.
For some consumers, the conversion process might not take much time. They become fans and brand advocates in no time. However, some others might take months or even years to get them to the end of your funnel.
We still go after both kinds of consumers even after taking note of the slow decision-makers. Once your marketing strategy is carefully and well crafted, it will act as a potent channel. You can click on https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-ways-deal-customers-procrastination-gareth-smith to know more about how to deal with procrastinating customers.
The Four Stages of a Successful Sales Funnel
The Awareness Stage
It is the first stage, and it collects new consumers. The consumers may have discovered your business on social media or search engines or heard through an influencer. All these are medium for gathering customers. At this stage, they know little or nothing about your firm.
First impressions matter; you ought to make one and fast. At this stage, you ought to feed them details about your brand. If you were a gardener, you are in your phase of seed-planting. You can try out the following tactics in this stage:
Utilize the Social Media
Who is on social media? No, the question should be who is not? Social Media platforms might not be ideal for driving efficient eCommerce sales. However, they are best for finding new leads.
Because almost everyone is on social media, it is a better place to source leads. There are several platforms you can utilize for this purpose.
Some popular platforms include Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. These platforms allow you to promote your business using the paid ads feature.
Create Optimized Blog Contents
Ever wondered why most companies have blogs. The answer is organic marketing. You can go ahead and start a blog.
You may not need a significant budget to deliver quality content. It is necessary to build a brand voice as consumers often subscribe to an interesting blog. You will drive enough leads to your site if your contents are impactful. You can watch this video to see more about building a blog from scratch.
The Consideration Stage
The second stage of the process is the consideration stage. At this point, the consumers have a solid knowledge of what your business does. They have taken note of a need and are beginning to consider purchasing your product or services.
How do you know consumers are at this point? At the consideration phase, these folks pay attention to any update or upgrade on your site. They follow your social media handles and participate in your online activities. The stage follows increased interest in your company.
Do not be too quick to settle for these little interests, instead put in more efforts to drive them to the next stage. You can utilize the following strategies:
Use Social Proof
One way to get consumers moving is by appealing to their emotions. You need to continuously put up client feedback and testimonials on your product or services online. Your consumers need enough conviction and doing this will move them an inch further.
Utilize Your Product Page
A product page is necessary for conversion. In addition to your SEO, ensure that your product descriptions are well written. Your sentences should always begin with some action words. This is what is commonly referred to as “call to action” texts.
The Purchase Stage
Here, consumers have identified a need, and they are ready to purchase but, here comes the problem. They are not convinced about buying from you – at least, not yet.
What you should focus on doing at this point is to help them with making their decision. But how do I do that? The answer is proving that you are better than your competition – in offering better services or products, better prices, and good customer care.
Ensure that the checkout process is frictionless. Avoid hidden checkout fees. You can offer free shipping, time-limited proposals, or a discount. Also, ensure that the checkout is easy to access and has several payment options.
The Retention Stage
Some people think that the funnel ends with a purchase. However, this is incorrect. It is easy to retain clients than to source for new ones. Even as you continue to source new clients, you need plans to keep the ones you have.
You can consider starting a loyalty scheme or providing special offers to subscribers. Also, you can use a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform.
Conclusion
To create a high converting sales funnel, you need to understand what a buyer’s journey entails. An efficient marketing pipeline will aid you in getting leads, building awareness for your brand, and retaining your existing customers. Adopting a sales funnel may be the best thing for your company.