When I talk to other entrepreneurs about their biggest challenge in digital marketing, I usually get two different answers:
- “I wonder how I can attract more customers via the internet. There are so many strategies, and I don’t know which one is right for me.”
- “How am I supposed to have time for Facebook and a blog?”
I can understand that.
What about you?
In this article, I’d like to show you a proven strategy for saving a lot of time and attracting more ideal customers to your business by automating your processes.
With a funnel.
Your website is one of your employees and must fulfill a specific task.
I’m pretty sure that every business owner needs at least one sales funnel.
What is a funnel?
A funnel has a narrow opening at one end and a wider opening at the other. I’m sure you know one you can use in the kitchen.
A funnel has a large entrance and a much smaller exit.
When used in online marketing, the word funnel can be confusing because not everything that goes into the funnel at the top comes out the bottom. You can think of your funnel more as a filter.
We use this funnel to get from many visitors (large entrance) to fewer people interested in our product or customer (small exit).
What types of funnels are there?
When you listen to people talking about funnels, they usually talk about three different categories:
- sales funnels
- marketing funnels
- conversion funnel
However, all these funnels are the same.
Marketing usually occurs before sales so you can divide them into two different funnels. However, the goal of both funnels is a conversion.
A conversion can be filling out a form or making a sale.
Conversion: A conversion is the transformation of a status. For example, a lead is converted into a customer.
In this context, the conversion rate is essential. The conversion rate describes the number of people who have performed a specific action as a percentage. If 100 visitors to our website convert into five customers, we have a 5% conversion rate.
Example funnel for coaches and consultants
Let’s look at a funnel and how it can help us attract new customers. The following drawing is an example of a funnel for coaches and consultants:
Let’s take a look at the elements
- The funnel starts with an ad that people click on. The ad can be on Facebook or Google, for example.
- The person who clicks on the ad comes to our landing page, where they can enter their email address to receive something for free (e.g., a PDF report, free training, etc.).
- After entering their email address, visitors arrive at our thank you page, containing a video and a button. In the video, you solve a problem for your visitor, who can sign up for a free strategy coaching session by clicking the button.
- If they click the button (Yes), they will be taken to a questionnaire where they must answer important questions about the strategy session.
- After answering the questions, they will be taken to a calendar where they can select a meeting time.
- The strategy meeting takes place, and hopefully…
- you get a sale of your coaching/consulting product (Sale)
If visitors to the thank you page do not click on the button (No), they will receive an automated email sequence in which you provide valuable content and build trust.
The goal of the email sequence is to get them to fill out the questionnaire and talk to you on the phone.
This example shows an ad that links directly to our landing page. Instead of an ad, we can also choose other starting points, such as:
- an email list
- a blog article
- a post on social media
- YouTube video
Why do I need a funnel?
Summarized in two points:
- Processes can be automated. Instead of sending emails manually, you can automate the entire process with just one tool.
- With a funnel, you can build trust and show people why you are an expert in your field (higher conversions).
Before you create your first funnel, you need to ask yourself a few questions:
The four questions for a funnel
- WHO: Who is your ideal customer?
- WHERE: Where is your ideal customer?
- LURE: What will attract your customer?
- RESULT: What solution do you offer them?
WHO?
Before you start building a funnel, you need to know your ideal customer.
What are your ideal customer’s interests? How old are they? What job do they do?
The better you know your ideal customer, the better you can speak their language and lure them into your funnel.
Where?
Where does your ideal customer spend their time online? Are they on Facebook? Instagram? Are they in online forums? What blogs, magazines, or newspapers do they read?
Bait?
What problem can you solve with your bait? Your bait can consist of resources, a case study, or a checklist.
Result?
How can you solve your ideal customer’s problem?
It’s not about what product you can sell them but about the result they will achieve with your product.
If you have a solution to their problem, price is no longer as important.
What tools and elements do I need for a funnel?
Depending on your industry and goal, your funnel may look different.
However, you will (almost) always need the following elements:
- Email marketing software – Your email marketing software should be able to create automations based on your visitor’s behavior (did they click on the button or not)
- Landing page software – A tool that helps you create high-converting landing pages.
- Lead magnet – You need some kind of gift for your visitor to exchange their email address.
An element that can also be very effective:
- Webinars – Option to conduct webinars (automated or manual)
Which tool should you use?
There are many tools for each element in your funnel. However, I recommend using one tool for all elements.
I can recommend ClickFunnels, a tool for creating sales funnels. ClickFunnels offers an easy-to-use landing page creator, powerful email marketing automation, and everything you need for your funnel (webinars, sales pages, an affiliate program, etc.).
The best part about ClickFunnels? You can try ClickFunnels for free for 14 days. Click here to start your free trial!
I’ve been using ClickFunnels for over three years and have never been more excited about a single online marketing tool!
Start your 14-day free trial.
Conclusion
As you can see, a funnel is a perfect way to have a system that brings you new customers fully automatically. Your sales funnel works around the clock and never needs a break or vacation.
However, building a converting funnel is a long-term strategy.
You need to test and optimize the different elements of your funnel to get the best possible results.
Maybe you didn’t have the perfect lead magnet at the beginning, or your follow-up sequence didn’t work as well as you thought. That’s part of your work.
That’s why you should always examine your ideal customer and ask yourself the four questions (Who, Where, Bait, Result).
If you continue to improve your funnel step by step, you will achieve the desired results.
