Even if you have never heard the term “marketing funnel,” you more than likely know exactly what it is. Think of how an actual funnel is used: For example, you may use a funnel to put oil or gasoline in your car. You do this because you want to make sure the oil or gasoline goes exactly where you want it, in the quickest and most direct way possible. The same basic principle applies to your marketing funnel. You want your customers to go exactly where you want them to, whether it is to make a purchase or pick up the phone to call. Your funnel helps attract and retain interested customers and take them through to that final action, known as a conversion.
How can you create a marketing funnel to capture your customers? Depending on your industry, your products and services, and your desired end goal, your funnel may look different from another business. However, every funnel should have commonalities built around the basic buying process:
- A problem or need is identified. When a prospective customer is considering the purchase of a product or service, it is usually because a specific problem or need has been identified.
- A search for information begins. Before the customer takes any action, he or she will gather as much information as possible. This may be in the form of reading online reviews, asking for recommendations from friends or users on a social network, or conducting a Google search.
- Options are weighed. Some people buy on impulse, but by far the majority of your prospective customers will spend time evaluating and weighing their options. They will likely do some price comparisons and consider their budget.
- A decision is made. The customer will decide which product or service they want to buy.
Knowing the four basic steps of the buying process, you can create a marketing funnel that encompasses each step. Your marketing funnel should include the following:
Awareness:
At this stage in the marketing funnel, you are creating awareness about your company and your product or service. As prospective customers identify a problem or need, you want your company to be part of their information search. To create awareness, you may do any of the following:
- Invest in a new website, or refresh your existing website design. Your website is often the first impression a prospective customer will have of your business. You want it to convey professionalism, trust, and security, as well as be an engaging and attractive representation of your products or services.
- Establish a presence on key social media channels. First, you must determine which social media channels make the most sense for your business to reach your target audience. If no one interested in your service is likely on Twitter, you may want to focus instead on a channel like LinkedIn. Once you determine which channels to focus on, create optimized profiles with current information and pictures.
- Add general resource content to your website. Do you have relevant, compelling content on your website that details those problems and needs that your target customer may experience? Make sure your products and services are clearly defined—and easily found by a user—on your website. Content marketing will be a key piece of your marketing funnel. You may also consider developing marketing personas of target customers to use to inform your writing.
- Install and utilize lead capture software. Who is visiting your website? It is very important to know the answer to this question, and to capture potential leads so you can communicate with them directly.
Evaluation:
During this stage, your prospective customers are evaluating your business and your products and services against a host of competitors. They are also continuing their information search. During this stage in the marketing funnel, you may take some of the following actions:
- Optimize your website for search. An SEO, or search engine optimization, strategy can help you ensure your site performs well in organic search. This may involve incorporating target keywords and search terms throughout your site, building a depth of content around key topics relevant to your products and services, and ensuring the technical aspects of your website are contributing to a strong search presence. When a user is searching for your product or service online, you ideally want to appear at the top of the first page of search results. However, this usually does not happen by chance; ranking well in Google requires a strong SEO strategy.
- Set up a paid search marketing campaign. Paid search, or a pay-per-click marketing campaign, may be a good investment for your business. As users are searching for specific keywords relevant to your products and services, you can pay Google to show an ad for your business. If a user clicks, you pay for the click.
Decision:
The final stage of the marketing funnel is what happens immediately before and after a prospective customer makes their decision. This is key because not only do you want a customer to choose your product or service, but you ideally would like them to become a repeat customer. During this stage of the funnel, you will:
- Be a resource to a customer, providing information that they need to have a positive experience before and after a potential purchase. For example, if you sell computer software, a customer will want to be assured that you provide clear and helpful onboarding. Or, if you sell kitchen appliances, a customer will want to know about warranty options and the customer service available should they have any issues after delivery.
Creating and executing a marketing funnel for your organization involves time, energy, and a great deal of strategic planning. Keep in mind that your funnel should never “end,” rather you should always be bringing in new leads.
Questions about how to build a marketing and sales funnel that will bring new business to your company? Contact the team at Company 119 today.
