Sales funnel: the definitive guide for 2021

The process of converting a lead into a customer does not happen in a blink. There are some strategies at play. However, due to constant demand and an increase in competition, people have many options and you can’t afford to miss a customer. Therefore, you do everything possible to make a sale. 

Sales funnel: the definitive guide for 2021

What is a sales funnel?

A sales funnel is a marketing strategy designed to turn leads into long-term customers. The customers go through the four stages of sales and end up with permanent paying customers. The top of the funnel represents potential leads and the bottom represents customers. These four stages of the sales funnel are,

1. Awareness
2. Interest 
3. Decision 
4. Action 

Stages of the sales funnel

Now we will discuss all the four sales funnel stages one by one. 

Awareness

The first stage is awareness. In this stage, you have a chance to generate leads and work on them. People will become aware of your products and services. Most commonly, they can hear it from your campaigns, advertisements, or another person. It could be the first time your people see your posts, blogs, and social media posts. Mostly, the people in this stage are greater in number. They mostly decrease in number while going down the funnel. 

Interest 

Once your potential customers learn about your brand, they will analyze if they need it. They will think if your products and services provide the best solution to their problems. You can gain customers here if you can educate them about your services. Many leads perform research about your products and you have to educate them. You can do this through blogs, infographics designs, emails, and newsletters.

Decision 

After doing research and gathering all the information, it is time to make a decision. Your prospect will explore your payment and shipping options. Many will also look into your reviews at this stage.

Action

This is where you know all your efforts are worth it or in vain. It depends on whether your customer made a purchase or not. You can qualify at this stage if you give out discounts and offers.

Why is the sales funnel important?

Understanding the sales funnel will give you insights into your sales. When you are familiar with every stage, you will know the psychology of your customer beforehand. For example, during stage two, you can gain your prospect’s interest by showing the advantages of your products. 

Align your strategies with your sales funnel

You should work on your content marketing strategies according to the stages of the sales funnel. Here are a few strategies you can use,

Lead generation

Lead generation software can help you throughout your sales funnel. They can help you generate awareness among your customers. Sales funnel lead generation is a widely used concept. This is an efficient way to confirm your sales.

Blogs

Blogs are a great idea for building interest and decisions. You can explain about your products and explain how they can facilitate the customers. You can use blog SEO to optimize the blog’s content. This will help them reach the relevant audience. 

Podcasts

Podcasts are great for creating interest and awareness. Moreover, these are amazing for content marketing and people love listening to them. These may also influence the decision and action stage. When people talk about their experiences. It makes other people rely more on your products.

Videos/social media content

Video content on social media platforms can help you in almost all these stages. Everyone uses Facebook and Instagram. This is why people do business from these platforms. Your content and people’s response will help other people buy your products. 

Sales funnel management 

We see a huge loss of potential customers if we compare the top and bottom of the sales funnel. Therefore, we need to do something about this downfall. To prevent these losses, we can use sales funnel software. There are many sales funnel software like GetResponse, Kartra, and ClickFunnels. Such software can directly affect your performance. It can help you,

• Get more sales
• Close deals faster
• Track your progress
• Remind you of all the hot deals

You can invest in a sales funnel software. The benefits are overwhelming. A complete understanding of the sales funnel will help you in your business. I hope this guide was useful to you.