Creating a sales funnel with specific stages is essential for sales success. However, it is the nuances of the strategies you employ that determine if conversions occur. Below, we take a look at some strategies that will help you get the most out of your sales funnel stages with the ultimate goal of converting interested prospects and retaining their business long-term.
Begin By Understanding Your Target Audience
The idiosyncratic components of your sales funnel strategy are primarily shaped by your audience. Begin by defining the target audience. Conduct research to get a sense of which demographics are most likely to buy your product or service.
Find out your target buyers’ preferences, needs and pain points. Once this information is in-hand, the stage is set to develop effective marketing messages and a sales funnel that converts.
Content Is Still The King
Your sales funnel will be that much more effective with informative and insightful content specifically designed for your target audience. Create relevant high-quality content and use it to heighten awareness of your value offering.
Take full advantage of the entirety of your online footprint. Spread out your content across social media, your website, blogs, webinars, and videos.
Move Traffic Toward The Funnel Top
Generating awareness through content, paid ads and other forms of outreach steer online traffic toward your sales funnel’s top. However, content alone will not move traffic toward the opening of the funnel.
The most effective strategy for sales success requires ongoing website optimization, the use of key words/key phrases for search engine optimization and more. Take full advantage of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media, SEO and even partnerships with online and offline influencers and you’ll gradually build momentum that moves prospects through the sales funnel.
Sales Funnels Require The Capturing Of Leads
The most effective sales funnels are shaped by leads. The challenge lies in capturing leads. You can overcome this hurdle by dangling incentives to your target audience in the form of no-cost:
- Informative email newsletters
- E-books
- White papers
- Educational landing pages
Continue to collect online visitor information through opt-in contact forms and it won’t take long to bring more leads into the fold.
Recognize The Power Of Email Marketing
Now that you’ve primed the lead pump, it is time to nurture those leads for eventual conversion. Email marketing is integral to nurturing leads and moving them down toward the bottom of the sales funnel.
Firing off a generic email to everyone on your list on a weekly basis is a surefire way to alienate the audience. Invest some time and effort into personalizing your email messages, serving up valuable information including important updates on your value offering along with exclusive offers.
Sweat The Small Stuff Of The Attempts To Convert
Converting occurs when targeted leads follow through with a purchase. However, it is the subtleties of the buying process that often determine whether interested parties become converts. You can convince those on the fence to pay for your value offering by streamlining the buying experience.
Optimize the user experience on the site, make the checkout process quick and easy, provide secure options for payment and don’t let those who expressed interest slip away. Spend for retargeting and you’ll successfully reconnect with those who surfed the web to your site or another part of your online presence, reminding them of your value offering and maximizing the chances of conversion.
Customers Respect Brand Consistency
Regardless of the specifics of the strategies your business uses to connect with target prospects, be consistent throughout your efforts. Inconsistency prevents the all-important rapport that leads to conversion.
Repeat the same themes in your marketing and communication, focus on building brand loyalty and you’ll be rewarded for your sincerity and consistency.
Make An Effort To Retain Your Customers
Do not rest on your laurels after conversion. The sales funnel is not complete at the point of purchase. Zero in on retaining your customers and transforming those initial buyers into loyal customers, some of whom will go to bat for your business, providing free online and word-of-mouth recommendations.
The most comprehensive sales funnels strategies include nurturing campaigns after the point of purchase highlighted by loyalty programs and even custom-tailored recommendations that keep existing customers in the fold.
Be proactive by communicating directly with your customer base after the sale. There is no harm in suggesting that your satisfied customers make their thoughts on your brand and value offering known in the form of positive reviews, comments, shares and referrals.
