A Guide To The Sales Funnel

Having a sales funnel is important for a successful eCommerce business. The sales funnel helps you meet customers where they are in their buyer’s journey, and can help you retain customers and increase sales. The sales funnel model is made up of 4 main stages, which are all connected and important for success.

Awareness:

The first stage of the sales funnel is awareness. The goal of this stage is to provide enough information to attract your audience to your store. Provide information about your brand so that they can make a decision regarding if you product or service could be worthwhile to them. Some of the most common ways to raise awareness are social media ads, running contests, or partnering with influencers. There are no rules about what you have to do to raise awareness, so get creative and show off your brand!

Interest:

The second stage is interest. In this stage, you have grabbed the customer’s attention enough that they are looking into your product. Now is your chance to continue to peak their interest, and encourage them to stay with you. There is a fine balance between providing the potential customer with enough information, and too much information. The interest stage is where you should introduce your value proposition- what sets your brand apart, and how the customer can benefit from using your product. Displaying reviews from previous customers or experts who have used your product helps give them more information from an unbiased source, which is more likely to persuade them to give your product a try.

Decision:

The decision stage is where the customer decides if they want to move forward with your product, or not. If they decide not to use your product, it could be for a variety of reasons. They will be weighing all of the pros and cons of purchasing your product, so give them incentives! Free shipping, a small discount, or easy returns can all help encourage them to make the purchase. Again, reviews can also help them make their final decision, so make sure that you have some that are easy to find!

Action:

In the final stage of the sales funnel, the customer completes their purchase. Make this as easy as possible for them! Have a clear checkout page that loads quickly and smoothly. Let them know what stage of the checkout they are in, make it clear how much their tax’s and shipping costs are, and give them the opportunity to review their cart. Display any security badges you have and how you are keeping their personal information safe and secure. Be sure to send them a follow up conformation including their order information once they are done.

The sales funnel is a basic, but very important, part of successful eCommerce sales. Make sure that you understand each part of the funnel, and respect where your potential customer is in their process. What are you favorite tricks for encouraging customers through the sales funnel?