The sales funnel (also known as the shopping funnel) is a powerful tool used by businesses to guide potential customers through the buying process. It helps to qualify and influence buyers at every stage, allowing companies to create granular audiences and target them with personalized messages. The goal is to convert customers with tactics such as dynamic remarketing. The first step in the sales funnel is the knowledge stage.
Here, the objective is to generate and create awareness of your brand and products for your target audience. To do this, you can use proximity segmentation, target potential customers who are actively looking for a solution, or look for specific actions on your site that demonstrate an intention to buy. Additionally, you should provide potential customers with all the information they need to make an informed decision about their purchase. The second step is the consideration stage.
At this point, potential customers usually conduct their own research and consider viable alternatives before making a final decision. Reaching them with personalized search or multimedia campaigns is key to taking them to your website, where they can find more detailed marketing and customer service materials from your team. The third step is the conversion stage. This involves monetary conversions in the form of transactions and revenues, which can be configured using Floodlight activities in the GMP or e-commerce transactions in Google Analytics 360 (GA360).
Additionally, you should optimize your shopping processes by optimizing the conversion rate and setting up cart abandonment or delivery campaigns. The fourth step is the loyalty stage. Here, you should build a positive relationship with potential customers by providing them with helpful content and customer service materials. You can also set up Floodlight conversions to track the status of your leads.
The fifth step is the advocacy stage. This involves encouraging customers to share their experiences with your brand and products with others. You can do this by providing incentives such as discounts or rewards for referrals. The sixth step is the optimization stage.
This involves analyzing your sales funnel from the perspective of your organization to improve its effectiveness. You should also implement an automated system that gives you a visual overview of what's happening at each stage of your sales funnel, as well as sending you reminders of key actions to advance the offer for each individual potential customer. Finally, the seventh step is the maintenance stage. This involves ensuring that your sales funnel is working properly and that you spend your time wisely. You should also check for any leaks in your sales funnel and take steps to fix them.
