With the right marketing content and tools in place, people will certainly hear of your business. A sales funnel is concerned with the journey of these people from when they first heard of your business to when they become your customers -if they get to that stage. And, of course, it is part of your job is to make sure they get to that stage.
Building a sales funnel is not a matter of convenience. The mistake many Startups make today is that they are quick to dismiss essential business practices as textbook advice with no real-world impact. While it is true that the world is changing and these textbooks are starting to appear obsolete, we must understand that the basics remain the same for every business. The textbooks advice made it to the Textbooks because they work.
That said, every business has a sales funnel. Every business has a process the leads generated follows to the point of purchase. So the question is not if you have a sales funnel or not. It is if you built that sales funnel, or you just left it to chance?
Building a Sales funnel allows you to control what your customers do next from when they come in contact with your business. You are not just aware of the process, but you determine it. With this, you can lead people that otherwise would have left your page within the first few minutes to make a purchase and eventually become loyal customers.
Here are five steps to consider in building a sales funnel. Keep in mind that every business is unique and therefore has a unique sale funnel. These steps are more of a guide than a do or die rule.
Build a landing page
People can hear about your business anywhere and from anyone, but where they understand it is the landing page. Also known as the Home page, the landing page must make a good impression on everyone that visits, and it must be engaging enough to keep them.
It is good that you try and get at least their email address on the Landing page so that even if they do not explore further, you have a way to reach them already.
Offer value
Offer something to encourage your prospects to share their email address. Hardly will anyone drop their email address just because you asked. But a reward in view will do the magic.
Follow up
People have a lot on their minds, and you will not always occupy the top spot on that list. Unless, of course, it is an emergency. Nurture your prospects by following them up. Send them emails educating them on your products and services, new releases, and items on sales. You should also send holiday messages. Greetings from you will continuously remind them of your business.
Make a good offer
Don’t just drop greetings, make an offer that will encourage them to make a purchase. When someone wants to get something, chances are you are not the only option they are considering. Your job is to make sure you are their choice. Make a competitive offer which could be a discount, a free sample, or a warranty.
Keep the process going
This is the part where I tell you your job is not done. Your job is never going to finish. After your prospects have completed the cycle and transitioned to customers, you still have to continue building rapport with them, educating them on your products and services, and making them good offers. Because the goal is customer loyalty, it is not a one-off thing. They have to keep coming back to buy from you. The main task of this stage is ensuring they have a continued excellent customer experience and support.
Review your funnel
You should periodically review your funnel and optimize it for effectiveness. Check your numbers and find out the area where you are losing customers. You will need to evaluate each stage of your funnel for its shortcomings. Then you can come up with strategies to correct this and prevent customer churn.
The sales funnel helps you to remember that every number counts. Everyone that comes in contact with your business counts. And every one of them should have an equally great experience. Enough to send them coming back. Now, you already know that is not a day’s job.
