Sales funnels are an essential part of eCommerce marketing. By understanding how they work, you can use them to increase online sales and conversions. A sales funnel is a process that helps you to move customers through your sales process, from awareness of your product or service to interest in what you have to offer, to make a purchase.
The key to using a sales funnel approach is to think about the various stages that customers go through on their journey from being unaware of your product or service to becoming a paying customers. Each stage of the sales funnel requires different marketing strategies and tactics. For example, at the top of the funnel (TOFU), you may use content marketing and SEO to attract visitors to your website.
At the middle of the funnel (MOFU), you may use retargeting or email marketing to convert those visitors into leads. And at the bottom of the funnel (BOFU), you may use special offers or discounts to encourage those leads to make a purchase.
By utilizing a sales funnel, you can effectively guide potential customers through the buying process, from initial interest all the way to purchase.
Not sure how to get started? Here are 10 ways you can use a sales funnel approach for your online business:
- Define your target audience.
The first step is to identify who your target audience is. This will help you determine what kind of content and messaging to include in your sales funnel.
- Create compelling content.
Once you know who your target audience is, it’s time to create some compelling content that will pique their interest and encourage them to learn more about your product or service.
- Use social media to promote your content.
Once you have some great content created, it’s time to start promoting it through social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
- Use email marketing to nurture leads.
In addition to promoting your content through social media, you can also use email marketing as a way to nurture leads and keep them moving through your sales funnel.
- Use retargeting ads to stay top of mind.
If someone visits your website but doesn’t take any action, you can use retargeting ads to keep your business top of mind and encourage them to come back and take a closer look.
- Offer a freebie in exchange for an email address.
One way to encourage people to sign up for your email list is to offer them a freebie, like an e-book or white paper. This will help you build a database of potential customers to market to in the future.
- Create a landing page for conversion.
Once you have someone’s email address, you can direct them to a landing page on your website where you can attempt to convert them into a paying customer.
- Use an automated email sequence.
After someone opts in to receive your freebie, you can use an automated email sequence to deliver it to them and continue nurturing them as a lead.
- Offer a discount or coupon code.
As people move closer to making a purchase, you can offer them a discount or coupon code to sweeten the deal and encourage them to buy now.
- Use thank-you pages and post-purchase emails.
Once someone has made a purchase, be sure to follow up with a thank-you page or email. This helps create a good customer experience and could encourage them to buy from you again in the future.
By following these 10 steps, you can effectively use a sales funnel approach to increase online sales for your business. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!