{"id":1887,"date":"2023-07-25T10:40:18","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T10:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kartra.com\/?p=1887"},"modified":"2024-09-11T19:40:23","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T19:40:23","slug":"what-is-a-sales-funnel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kartra.com\/blog\/what-is-a-sales-funnel\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginner’s Guide to Sales Funnel Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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While it may sound complex, a sales funnel is actually a simple idea. In short, a sales funnel is an intentional series of interactions brands use to engage potential customers and lead them toward a buying decision. Funnels are a key element of business growth. They nurture the customer relationship from the early stages of the sales process to deliver a great customer experience and increase customer retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve been counting on word-of-mouth or direct Google searches to find new clients,  a strategic funnel may be the next step for you to begin nurturing prospects more intentionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the concept is simple, sales funnels themselves can be complex systems that intentionally nurture prospects toward a purchase. Today, most sales funnels are digital. They combine marketing tactics like email marketing, social media advertising, and search engine optimization to create the customer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you become familiar with how a sales funnel works you\u2019ll be ready to take the next step and use our step-by-step guide to building your own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stages of the Sales Funnel<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In every sales funnel, the customer travels along a sales pipeline through three main stages, each with its own unique objectives and strategies. The goal of the sales funnel is to move prospective customers from one stage to the next\u2014they begin as unaware prospects and, with nurturing, become paying customers. At each stage, the customer becomes more and more likely to make a purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top of the Funnel: Awareness Stage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Marketing<\/strong> Objective in this stage<\/strong>: <\/strong>Increase brand awareness with a cold audience and acquire a high number of prospects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this first stage the goal is to make a new audience aware of your brand and its product or service. Reaching a top-of-funnel audience is done in various ways, but the most common methods are content marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and social media. Awareness is critical because an audience will never become customers unless they know you exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Middle of the Funnel: Interest Stage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Marketing<\/strong> Objective in this stage: <\/strong>Narrow down prospects to potential customers who are a fit for your product or service, and warm them up to your offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the interest stage, the sales funnel targets a segment of your audience who is directly seeking a product to match their needs. They might be aware of your brand but they\u2019re still researching the different options. Education is key to capturing this audience\u2019s attention, so downloadable case studies, webinars, whitepapers, and free trials or other special offers are used to move them down the sales funnel. This phase is sometimes called the consideration phase.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the interest stage, you already have a customer\u2019s attention and probably their contact information, so advertising strategies like retargeting website visitors and email marketing campaigns play a major role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom of the Funnel: Decision Stage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Objective: <\/strong>Reach the audience who has done their research and is now actively ready to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The final stage of the sales funnel is called the decision stage or action stage. The audience here is smaller than in other stages, but far more valuable. To help the customer commit to a purchase make sure information about pricing, terms, shipping times, and availability is easy to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Basic Components of a Sales Funnel Strategy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that you understand the three stages of the sales funnel, let\u2019s take a closer look at how an effective funnel strategy is crafted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly Defined Object<\/strong>ives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before thinking about a strategy, define a set of highly specific goals for your sales funnel. Ultimately, the goal for any business is to gain paying customers, but not every sales funnel has that immediate objective. In order to measure the funnel\u2019s effectiveness, it\u2019s important to be clear about which key performance indicators (KPIs) you want to measure. What does success look like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n