When customers come to your website, there is no guarantee they will proceed to the last stage — purchase. That is why you have to consider how to guide your potential client so that the final result will be buying your service or product. For that purpose, there is a customer acquisition funnel, a marketing model that allows planning a customer journey in the most successful way.
A well-planned funnel will help you get more people through all the phases. So in this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on a customer acquisition funnel.
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What Does “Customer Acquisition Funnel” Mean?
The term customer acquisition funnel refers to a strategy that designs a customer journey in such a way that it ends with a purchase. It literally means creating favorable conditions for every visitor to your website so that they could easily make a decision and buy your products.
What Are the Perks of Building a Customer Acquisition Funnel?
Incorporating marketing funnels into your strategy will come with many benefits. Here they are:
- More sales. If your customers can easily buy from you, it is obvious you will have more sales. Since they have bought the first time, there are more chances your clients will return to you. And that is very valuable as getting a new customer is 5 times more expensive than cooperating with the existing ones.
- Important data. By building a customer acquisition funnel, you will be able to track the steps users took to make a purchase or points that led a client to stop and abandon your website. By analyzing that data, you will see what your audience needs to do shopping with you with pleasure.
- Increased interest in your company. A well-built customer acquisition map includes not only “hooks” that will trigger a user to make a purchase. A funnel also promotes your products so they become popular and attract new audiences.
What Are the Stages of a Sales Funnel?
Marketers divide this route into 6 stages: awareness, interest, consideration, intent, evaluation, and purchase. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Awareness
The first stage is the moment when a user becomes aware of your business. They can spot your ad on the Internet, read your post, find your website in search engines, or through other marketing channels.
At this point, the circle of customers is wide. They have explored your existence but that doesn’t mean they are looking for something from you. And then on the further steps of the funnel, you will show that your services or products are what they need.
To cover bigger audiences at the awareness stage, make sure you:
- Use multiple marketing channels: traditional advertisements, paid advertisements, social media platforms, search engine optimization (SEO), direct sales calls, or any other forms of reaching out to people.
- Run ads based on users’ data. Before you get to the marketing channels, learn who your ideal customers are and where they are located. This will help you set up targeted advertising.
- Create a clear and concise message. The studies show that users read only 20-28% of the content. That means you have to build a message that will catch people at first glance. Otherwise, they will not get a clear vision of how you can help them.
Interest
As the funnel develops, fewer customers stay with you. And on the interest stage, you have to convince your potential clients that the product you provide is the best solution for them. To arouse interest, use the following techniques:
- Create useful content. Show what you offer and what problems your product can solve. Write on the theme of your business and include how-to guides so the users see the practical side of your product.
- Offer free trials. Nothing can work better than offering something for free so people could use it and decide whether to purchase the service or not.
- Show your distinctive nature on the market. At the interest stage, it is also crucial to make customers believe you are the best in that field. Inbound marketing can help you in this matter.
Consideration
Once the customers become interested in your brand, they will probably compare it with the competitors. That is the battle you have to win. To prove you are a top-notch business, show users the value of your services. Post testimonials and feedback from your previous customers. Someone’s real experience speaks louder than any pushy message.
Another thing to remember during the consideration stage is that people will have many questions. That is why providing speedy and responsive customer support is part of a successful sales funnel.
The most attractive for every user is a bonus they can get even before purchasing a product. So give it to them in the form of an e-book, link to the podcast, free downloads, workbooks, planners, checklists, templates, or other helpful instruments.
Intent
This stage is not very different from the consideration one. However, on the intent step, users are more likely to stay with you and they will show their desire to buy from you. That is why you have to provide them with first-rate assistance.
Create video tutorials, and articles about your product, post images of how it looks, and add as much useful info as possible. Positive testimonials will also play a role here, so include them for sure.
Evaluation
Yes, even the desire to buy doesn’t mean users have come to the final decision about the purchase. They will weigh all the pluses and minuses of your offerings. So they make the right choice, provide them with the demo version of your product, preview, or free trial.
At this stage, customer support is also important. If users get customized replies and feel appreciated in your community, you can be sure, good fortune and luck are on your side.
Purchase
The narrowest by the size of the users yet the most pleasant stage of the customer acquisition journey is the final positive decision of the customer: their decision to make a purchase. But your interaction with buyers doesn’t end here. What about the retaining stage?
After the products or services have been successfully delivered, you should stay in contact with the people who chose you. Send them emails, ask for feedback, and provide offers.
Last Words
The customer acquisition funnel is a set of 6 stages created to lead a user successfully and seamlessly to the purchase. This journey includes much work to do and data to analyze. But once you build a well-planned funnel, it will bring you prosperity and profitability.
