Think about a time that you’ve gone online to purchase something. You may have been looking to purchase a new pair of shoes or to find a hotel to stay in during a vacation. In your search, you likely saw an ad for a product or service related to what you were interested in buying. If you click on one of the ads, it takes you to the company’s landing page. You browse the page, looking at the benefits and testimonials for the product or services they offer. Eventually, you decide to buy something and make the purchase.
You make not have been aware, but in this case, you’ve just gone through a simple digital marketing funnel. This article will dive deeper into digital marketing funnels, how they help your business, and how you can build one.
What Are Digital Marketing Funnels?
A digital marketing funnel is companies’ process to turn potential customers into actual paying customers. It’s called a funnel because it’s designed to bring in many people at the ‘top’ and then guide them through the purchase process until they buy something at the ‘bottom’ of the funnel. It is also set up this way because all of the initial traffic will not convert into a sale, which can be visualized through the cone-shaped funnel diagram. They provide a step-by-step process that takes potential customers from awareness of a company’s product or service to becoming a customer.
According to a survey by the Social Media Examiner, 70% of respondents said they used digital marketing funnels in their business. So as you can see, many businesses have incorporated digital marketing funnels into their overall marketing strategy, mainly because they provide a way to track and measure the performance of digital marketing campaigns and growth.
Why Do Businesses Use Funnels?
Nowadays, the customer journey is no longer linear. People are bombarded with marketing messaging from many sources, and consumers often research a product or service online before they consider opening their wallets. It’s crucial to understand your target customer and how to approach them.
Because of this, it’s become more critical than ever for businesses to have a digital marketing funnel in place alongside a targeted marketing strategy. A digital marketing funnel allows businesses to track and measure the performance of their campaigns and make necessary adjustments to ensure that they are working.
How Do Digital Marketing Funnels Work?
Digital marketing funnels guide potential customers through a series of steps, from awareness to purchase. The exact steps will vary depending on the product or service you sell, but the general idea is that each step in the funnel will get potential customers one step closer to making a purchase. Here’s an overview of the typical steps in a digital marketing funnel:
Awareness
In this stage, potential customers become aware of your product or service. This can happen through various digital marketing channels, such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, or content marketing. Consumers may come across your product or service while searching for something similar online or through an ad of yours that catches their attention.
Interest
At this point, potential customers start to show interest in your product or service. They are starting to think that your product or service might be able to solve their problem or improve their life in some way. By this point, they want to dig deeper to see if you are the right fit for them. They could visit your website, read your blog posts, or watch your videos.
To nurture them in this stage, you should offer them additional information about your product or service, such as an e-book, a white paper, or a case study. Invest in creating high-quality content that will help to educate potential customers and answer any questions they may have.
Decision
Your potential customers will likely compare your product or service to your competitors once they have expressed interest. They want to know what sets you apart from the rest and see if you are the best option.
These potential customers want to ensure they are making the right decision for themselves, so give them the information they need to make an informed decision. Product demonstrations, free trials, and customer testimonials are all useful.
Action
In this final stage, potential customers become paying customers. They have decided to purchase your product or service and are taking action. Ensure you make this stage smooth and hassle-free for them, as obstacles during checkout can cause them to abandon their purchase.
Audit the checkout process on your website to ensure it is user-friendly, loads fast, and that you offer various payment options. Additionally, you should provide excellent customer service to ensure your customers can have their concerns addressed and questions answered quickly.
Building a Digital Marketing Funnel
Now that you know what a digital marketing funnel is and why your business needs one, it’s time to start building your own. Let’s discuss a few steps you must take beforehand.
I. Create Quality Content & Ads
With your buyers’ persona in mind, create content and ads that will speak to them at every stage of the funnel. This is where content marketing comes in. Creating content that is relevant to the needs of your target audience and addresses their pain points will set you up for success.
II. Optimize Your Website
Site issues can be the root problem of many sales drops. To avoid this, ensure your website is always optimized for lead generation. You should also include calls-to-action (CTAs) on every page and make sure your inquiry forms are easy to fill.
III. Drive Quality Traffic
You can use several digital marketing channels to drive paid and organic traffic to your websites, such as SEO, PPC advertising, social media marketing, and content marketing. Experiment with different channels to see which combination works best for your business.
IV. Nurture Your Leads
Use email marketing, retargeting, and social media campaigns to turn your leads into paying customers. You must get email opt-ins or run targeted online ads to do so. You can also use this medium for opinion polls, upselling, and cross-selling.
V. Measure Your Results
Use analytics to track your digital marketing funnel metrics, such as website traffic, conversion rates, and customer acquisition cost. Analytics like this will help you to see what’s working and what’s not, so you can make necessary changes to improve your digital marketing funnel.
Conclusion
It is essential that all online businesses set up digital marketing funnels; now you can see why. If you are a business owner, it’s time to build a digital marketing funnel to complement your greater marketing strategy. Consider the needs and desires of your target audience, and use this as a basis for developing the funnel map you will use. If you are unsure of your buyer’s persona or how to build a target audience, see our further articles on this subject.