Many online businesses struggle with understanding how they can create a logical flow of web site visitors to right part of their web site at the right time. I must admit, this does not come like second nature to anybody, it simply must be learned. The good news is that we all start at the same place, the beginning. So that being said, keep reading and learn more about how you can create a successful sales funnel on your existing website and start targeting consumers in the right stage of the buying cycle to boost your own conversions.

Customer Buying Cycle – How To Focus Your Sales Funnel

There are 3 different stages in the purchasing process and we have all been through this cycle more times than we can count, even if we were not aware of it while it happened. Understanding this buyer mindset, is essential if you want to create a successful sales campaign, funnel or even advertisement. You may have different landing pages, content to share, email lists and offerings for each, so make sure you understand what keywords and content you are targeting and match it to these different phases to assure that you are getting the most out of your digital sales funnel or advertising dollar.

You will find the same information broken down many different, yet similar ways. If you have seen a research, decision and purchase then you already know where I am going and in fact, many people break down the discovery phase itself into 3 smaller sub-categories. For simplicity’s sake, I have chosen a direct and easy to understand 3 piece breakdown.

Discovery (Awareness)

Hey, a few years ago, nobody has ever heard of an iPhone, but you know what? As people discovered it, they started comparing it to other old style phones and its popularity went through the roof in no time at all. This is where all buying phases start. This is where “branding” or advertising just to let people know that you and your product or service exist is important. Many smaller companies struggle here unfortunately. This is because the return on investment is not as easy to track and in most every case is very delayed.

Understanding your market and being able to position yourself as the leader in a niche is important, but for new marketers and inexperienced online entrepreneurs, it may be worth skipping spending much time and effort here until you have become profitable in the next two phases.

Note: This is where you focus on letting people know about your product or service and why they may need such a product or service.

Comparison

In fact, many websites are nothing but comparison shopping portals. Add three similar items, compare specs side by site, user reviews and most important to many, price. The same thing happens on search engines every day. People search for “best widget”, “cheapest widget” or “model number widget” to compare what they are looking for and find the one with the best features, price or user reviews. This can be a goldmine for companies and online businesses that offer something that is superior in any of the previously mentioned categories or others.

This is where you can really win over customers that are on the fence about your product or purchasing at all. This is where most people focus and in many cases is about the only area that some marketers are aware of. Strangely enough, there are many other factors that lead to a sale and there are times before and after this phase that can really attribute to the final purchase. If you have special features a dominant price, low for some consumers, but higher may draw people looking for the best quality; you can very well rule in this space.

Note: This is where you focus on what makes your product or service better or at least different from the others on the market today.

Purchase

The final purchase can actually depend on a lot of factors, even if the buyer has already chosen the exact product or service they know they are going to buy. Do you have good reviews on certain sites, but negative reviews on others? This could be one reason to push your amazon listing over eBay for example. If the buyer does not feel confident purchasing from the page they are displayed, this can be another issue. Some online shoppers only buy from big name websites, if you only sell from your own WordPress site, this could be an issue. If you don’t make coupons available, this can be another stumbling stone, share them often and to all you can, many people are simply bargain hunters and you want them to buy while they are excited about buying.

When a buyer is ready to buy, you can get fast sales if you are marketing at this stage correctly. Do not forget that you need to make the purchasing process easy and continue to add to the confidence that the buyer has made the right decision at this stage. Re-assure any positive benefits and take away any final hesitations and you will sell!

Note: This is where you focus on the right price (including incentives like coupons) and the right marketplace to display your items or services.

And What Do I Do Next?

Well, if you have the time and resources to start piecing the puzzle together. It is really time that you sit down and figure out your customer avatar. This is a slow process, where you think about what your buyer eats, drinks, plays and where they live. Every detail you can add the better. Once you have done this, you can start building a mind map and content, digital downloads and products around each of the different purchasing stages above to create a sales funnel that will really kick ass.

On the other hand, if you need some assistance, hit the contact button at the top right of this page and see how we can help you create the sales funnel that is right for your business.

I am not greedy and you know what, I really am here to help my clients so I wanted to share a couple of resources that will help you further your knowledge on this topic. Check out the short list below to get more in depth info on how these phases can work for your company or online endeavor. So here we go with the link love.

Resource Links:

1. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/the-consumer-decision-journey#
2. http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/315877/file-334932996-pdf/ebooks/How_to_Understand_Your_Buyers_Mindset_Through_Keywords.pdf
3. http://gettingdealsdone.net/understanding-how-buyers-think-insights-that-can-help-you-sell-for-best-possible-terms/
4. https://trackmaven.com/blog/marketing-funnel-2/
5. https://labs.pinterest.com/user/themes/pin_labs/assets/paper/understanding-purchasing-at-pinterests.pdf

Please leave any comments and questions you may have about what we have discussed here below. I love to hear from my readers and help elaborate on any points that I have not made clear.