As an entrepreneur, you understand the importance of marketing: Without marketing, your business would eventually fail due to a lack of new customers. Therefore, if you have not yet devoted time and effort to this mission, it is time to begin; and one easy way to get started is to use a sales funnel.
- What is a sales channel? This strategy was named because in chart form, this particular marketing strategy looks exactly like its name.
- The top category represents the largest and most people – potential customers. The lower category means the least – committed customers – and therefore smaller. Here are the five steps you need to follow to put together your own simple online sales funnel.
- Create a great landing page: The landing page of your website is the first impression that potential customers will immediately get about your business. So, take the time to make certain it looks good. A good landing page also encourages visitors to sign up for a list or subscribe
to the website. This provides the most important contact information that becomes the first line of communication. - Offer an opportunity for customers who have just purchased a product or service, or are about to purchase, to expand or upgrade that service. For example, make an offer that will bring even more benefits to the customer if you upgrade. This strategy is called upsell.
Consider this steak dinner an appetizer of the usual offer. It offers more content to its customers if they choose to upgrade. Of course, this also means making more money because sales usually mean a larger or more expensive item or service. - Recommend a downsizing option: Just as you encouraged customers to upgrade your service, this element of the channel prompts you to offer downgrading to certain customers. No, the downgrade option is not a failure and should not be seen as a loss of a sale. Instead, consider this way to ensure that customers are unable to buy from you due to budget constraints. Keep in mind that these limits may vary. Be careful and offer cheaper options to these individuals to keep them as potential customers.
- The last step in the sales channel is to maintain momentum. Keep track of all the new customers you gain and make sure they’re happy with your product or service. A great way to do this is to offer membership-based rewards
This allows you to stay in touch with customers and is the perfect tool for informing you about new deals and services.
- The steps listed here are for an online business. Of course, this may not describe your business. However, any business can benefit from the sales funnel model.
Just remember: Your potential customer category, which represents the largest number of people, is at the top of the funnel; and in the smallest category, proven customers go to the bottom. The categories between them can be modified according to your business needs and sales goals.
