The Secrets to a Supercharged Sales Funnel

Figure out your email sales funnel with these top tips

Is your sales funnel working as hard as it could? Are you getting mixed results on your potential customers’ journey towards deciding to buy? Or maybe you’re getting this close to closing a purchase and missing out at the last minute? Could be your funnel needs a rethink.

​Read on for some tried and tested ways to tweak your sales funnel for reliable conversions time after time.

What is a sales funnel, anyway?

It’s a critical component in any marketing strategy, but at the most basic level, the sales funnel is simply a visual representation of the customer journey from awareness to purchase. It consists of different stages, each representing a step in the buying process. You’ve probably seen these referred to as AWARENESS, INTEREST, DECISION, ACTION, but for the sake of simplicity we’ll talk about them here as top, middle, and bottom of the funnel. 

At the top of the funnel, you have a wide pool of potential customers who are just becoming aware of your product or service. In the middle of the funnel, you have prospects who are actively considering what you’re offering. And at the bottom of the funnel, you have qualified leads who are ready to make a purchase.

The great news is that the more you understand your funnel, the easier it is to identify areas for improvement and optimise your sales process.
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The importance of sales funnel optimisation

Sales funnel optimisation is the process of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of your sales funnel. It involves identifying and addressing bottlenecks, optimising conversion rates, and maximising customer lifetime value. By optimising your sales funnel, you can increase your revenue, improve customer satisfaction, and streamline your sales process.

By identifying and addressing bottlenecks in your funnel, you’re removing obstacles that prevent potential customers from moving forward in the buying process. This generally leads to a higher percentage of leads converting into paying customers.
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Also consider the importance of building rapport and trust with your potential customers. People prefer to do business with people, and the online space can remove that hands-on touch that reassures possible buyers that yours is a brand they can get on board with. A huge part of optimising your sales funnel is making sure you’re creating a personalised and engaging customer experience. And because you’re making sure that your funnel is optimised to connect with the people most likely to buy, you’re increasing your customer loyalty, which in turn increases the likelihood they’ll become a repeat purchaser, ultimately increasing the lifetime value of each customer.

Key metrics for measuring sales funnel performance

To effectively optimise your sales funnel, it's important to track and measure key metrics at each stage of the funnel. By analysing these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to optimise your sales process.

One of the key metrics to track is the conversion rate at each stage of the funnel. This will give you an indication of how effectively you’re moving leads from one stage to the next. By analysing the conversion rate, you can identify areas where leads are dropping off and take steps to address any issues.

Another important metric to track is the average deal size. This will give you insight into the value of each customer and the revenue potential of your sales funnel. By optimising your sales process to increase the average deal size, you can maximise your revenue and improve your bottom line.
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Finally, it's important to track the length of your sales cycle. This will give you an indication of how long it takes for a lead to move through the funnel and make a purchase. By analysing the sales cycle length, you can identify areas where the process is slow or inefficient and take steps to streamline your sales process.

Secrets to optimising the top of the funnel

The top of the sales funnel is where potential customers become aware of your product or service. It's the first step in the customer journey and a crucial stage for capturing leads. What can you do to make it work harder for you? How about this:

• Create compelling content: To attract potential customers, you need to create content that educates, entertains, and engages. This can include blog posts, videos, social media content, and more. By creating compelling content, you can capture the attention of your target audience and drive them to your website or landing page.
• Optimise your website for search engines: Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for driving organic traffic to your website. By optimising your website for relevant keywords and improving your search engine rankings, you can increase your visibility and attract more potential customers to the top of your funnel.
• Use lead magnets: A lead magnet is a valuable piece of content that you offer in exchange for a visitor's contact information. This can be an ebook, whitepaper, checklist, or any other resource that is relevant to your target audience. By offering a lead magnet, you can capture leads and start nurturing them through the sales funnel.

Secrets to optimising the middle of the funnel

The middle of the sales funnel is where prospects are actively considering your offering. They have moved past the awareness phase and are now evaluating different options. Some of the ways you can make sure you’re placing your option at the top of their list include:

• ​Segmenting your leads: Not all leads are at the same stage of the buying process. By segmenting your leads based on their behaviour, interests, and demographics, you can deliver more personalised and targeted messaging. This can help you nurture leads more effectively and increase the chances of conversion.
• Providing case studies and testimonials: Social proof is a powerful tool for building trust and credibility. By providing case studies and testimonials from satisfied customers, you can alleviate any doubts or concerns that prospects may have. This can help move them closer to making a purchase decision.
• Offering product demonstrations or free trials: Sometimes, prospects need to experience your product or service first hand before making a decision. By offering product demonstrations or free trials, you can give prospects a taste of what you have to offer. This can help build trust and increase the likelihood of conversion.

Secrets to optimising the bottom of the funnel

The bottom of the sales funnel is where qualified leads are ready to make a purchase. They’ve moved through the awareness and consideration stages and are now in the final decision-making phase. You really don’t want to lose them here, so why not try:

• Streamlining the checkout process: The checkout process should be simple, intuitive, and frictionless. By removing any unnecessary steps or barriers, you can make it easier for leads to complete their purchase. This can help reduce shopping cart abandonment and increase your conversion rate.
• Providing incentives and discounts: Sometimes, all it takes is a little extra push to convert a lead into a paying customer. By offering incentives or discounts, such as free shipping or a limited-time offer, you create a sense of urgency and encourage leads to take action.
• Implementing remarketing campaigns: Not all leads will convert on their first visit. By implementing remarketing campaigns, you can target leads who have shown interest but haven't made a purchase. This can help keep your brand top of mind and increase the chances of conversion.

Tools and software for sales funnel optimisation

If you’re thinking all this sounds complicated, it really doesn’t have to be. You’ve got a massive choice of tools and software to help you optimise your sales funnel. Some of the most popular options include:

• Customer relationship management (CRM) software: CRM software helps you track and manage your leads and customers. It allows you to capture and store customer data, track interactions, and automate follow-ups. Popular CRM software options are Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zoho CRM.
• Analytics tools: Analytics tools help you track and measure key metrics at each stage of the sales funnel. They provide insights into customer behaviour, conversion rates, and revenue. Popular analytics tools include Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, and Kissmetrics.
• A/B testing tools: A/B testing tools make it easy to create and run experiments to optimise your sales funnel. They provide statistical analysis and reporting to help you make data-driven decisions. Popular A/B testing tools include Optimizely, VWO, and Google Optimize.

And the great news is that a professional copywriter can jump in and help you at just about every step of the way. Need an SEO-friendly home page that attracts visitors to your site? Check. No time to create regular, engaging content that ranks on search engines? We can absolutely take that off your plate. Stuck on deciding between a sales page and a landing page, and no idea what to put on either? We’ve got you covered. Want to keep qualified leads warm until they’re ready to take the plunge? No problem.

So, if you’re ready to supercharge your sales funnel and implement some of these secrets, give me a shout. Together, we’ll make your sales soar.

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