Have you ever sat in traffic and thought to yourself, dang, I wish I could get that kind of traffic to my site? If you’re stuck at stagnant growth levels or if you’re looking for ways to bring more traffic into your ecosystem, you’re not alone!
There are many things you can do to bring more traffic into your world, but more importantly, once you get the traffic, you need to convert it to increase your bottom line profits!
Today, I will discuss what conversion funnels are and how they affect your customer journey. Next, you’ll learn how to optimize your funnel to increase the number of people entering your funnel and get them to convert at some point before you hit the bottom. Let’s jump into it!
Content overview:
What is a conversion funnel?
A conversion funnel describes the different stages your ICA (ideal customer persona) will go through and the desired actions (hello, conversion!) you want them to take. Basically, it’s a way to get people into your ecosystem (usually with some kind of free content they can access just by leaving their email address) and then nurture those leads with a nurturing sequence (emails that give them a chance to get to know, like and trust you more) over time that they warm up to, and eventually become a paying customer.
All leads will enter your funnel at the top. As they learn more about you, your business and your product or service (warming up), they move down the funnel and get closer and closer to making a purchase.
Understanding how leads enter and flow through your funnel is essential because it helps you engage with them, answer questions, build a knowledgeable, loving, and trustworthy audience, and ultimately lead them to a conversion.
What is the customer journey?
Let’s say you sell a dog training program. A great entry point into your funnel would be a free lead magnet on your website. Your lead magnet may be a simple list of items you need to start training your dog.
The idea is to offer your audience something of value for free in exchange for their email address. It should be valuable and actionable, something someone can download and run today. Something that will give them a quick win gets them excited and into your funnel. Then you’ll start nurturing them through your nurture sequence (a series of emails that will expand on the value of your free offer, give them quick wins along the way and make them think – wow! If they’re giving away this great content for free, what must it be like to work with them for pay?
The stages of the conversion funnel
The model we use is the top-middle-bottom funnel that focuses on generating interest, providing value, and ultimately convincing your ICA to make a purchase and become a loyal customer.
Top of Funnel (TOFU)
This is the awareness stage. When you enter the TOFU stage, they are just learning about your brand. Typically, they will find you through your website, social media post, email, or ad.
Middle of Funnel (MOFU)
This is the consideration stage. Now the ICA knows your brand, they’ve contacted you, and they’re eager to learn more. This is when your ICA will sign up for other free offers (ie your newsletter or following you on social media).
bottom of the funnel (BOFU)
This is the conversion stage. This is where your ICA is right before they make a purchase. At this point, you have nurtured them, given them the time they need to warm up and get to know, love and trust you. Now, it’s time to convert them into paying customers. Once you have your conversion funnel in place, it’s time to start driving traffic to it!
resource: ICA template – Are you having trouble knowing your ICA inside and out? Do you have a clear vision of who your ICA is? This template will help you dig into the important details you need! Remember, you need to know your ICA before you can start marketing to them. Because if you market to everyone, you market to no one!
Leveraging the power of social media through platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn can be a great way to target potential customers and drive traffic to your conversion funnel. When you create campaigns that specifically target your potential customers on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, you can reach a huge number of people in an incredibly cost-effective way. A strategic social media manager can help formulate an effective plan for promoting your products or services through these platforms, helping to ensure that your message reaches the right people and that the desired action is taken. Paid promotions can be set up to bring in more potential customers. Social media marketing is one of the best strategies available today for entrepreneurs and small business owners looking to increase their funnel traffic and get more conversions.
#2: Invest in website promotion
Optimizing your website for SEO is an important step in driving traffic to your conversion funnel and gaining visibility. SEO optimization improves organic visibility, which increases the chance of potential customers discovering your product or service and consequently converting them into loyal customers. Furthermore, investing in SEO has lasting benefits for business growth and profitability.
So how do you optimize for SEO? Hiring an experienced SEO team is key; They have special knowledge in developing your website so that it is more intuitive and visible in search engine results. They can create backlinks and other optimizations that will improve your rankings and provide you with a steady stream of high quality leads. Be sure to research your potential partners thoroughly before committing: Look for a team with a diverse package of services that match your budget and goals. Investing in quality web promotion can pay dividends in the long run – but only if you’re ready to commit!
#3: Create compelling content
Creating compelling content is an essential part of driving traffic to your conversion funnel. It is important to create informative and engaging content for viewers, taking into account their age, interests and reasonable needs. The best way to make sure you’re creating the right content is to use a skill set that may require outsourcing a dedicated content creation team. This team will be able to put together a comprehensive content board with sections that appeal to different types of audiences. With engaging social media topics, blog posts, videos, podcast episodes and more – you’ll have no problem getting viewers into the funnel. Start by spending time brainstorming topics, then create a content calendar plan and stick to it. Don’t miss this opportunity to create compelling content that gets real results!
#4: Use email marketing
Email marketing is an often overlooked but essential component of driving traffic to your conversion funnel. When utilized properly, it has the potential to be a powerful source of leads. With personalized emails tailored to specific segments, you can reach out directly to customers more consistently and more frequently. Consider hiring an email marketing team if you lack expertise in this area. They’ll help you build campaigns that attract attention, nurture relationships, maximize lead generation opportunities, and boost open rates. To make sure all your bases are covered, pay attention to the technical elements like targeting options, subject lines, and content when creating emails. All of these will have a direct impact on your return on investment from email campaigns.
#5: Develop a referral program
A referral program is a great way to get more customers by incentivizing your existing customers to refer new customers. This can be done through discounts, free products or services, waived initial setup costs, or even a fee-based program. If you’re considering starting a referral program, it’s best to research what other successful companies have done. You can then come up with a plan that works best for you and your clients. Hiring professionals like a digital marketing agency can help you create an affiliate program tailored to the needs of your target market. With accessible incentives, you can reap the benefits of increased traffic flow towards your conversion funnel.
#6: Take advantage of paid ads
If you’re looking to drive more traffic to your conversion funnel, paid ads are a great strategy to consider. Using PPC ads on social media platforms and search engines allows for a much more targeted reach than organic strategies alone. With pay-per-click ads, entrepreneurs and small business owners can adjust ad spend and bids as needed to get the most out of their advertising campaigns. Keep in mind, however, that running successful pay-per-click campaigns requires a comprehensive understanding of the relevant tool and analytical knowledge. If your organization doesn’t have these skills, it may be worth hiring a social media ad specialist to ensure your campaigns see maximum ROI.
In conclusion, driving traffic to your conversion funnel can be a daunting task, but with the right strategies it is possible.
Using social media platforms, investing in SEO and creating compelling content are just some of the ways you can increase your web traffic. Adding tips like developing referral programs and taking advantage of paid advertising will help bring more customers into your funnel. By understanding what the conversion funnel is and why it’s beneficial, you can create marketing plans that increase your ROI. Although there are many options and processes for setting up a successful funnel, once implemented, the return in revenue will be worth it.
resource: Core Lead Magnet Workbook – Are you struggling to build your email list? The best way to get people to join is to offer them free and valuable content! By creating a fantastic lead magnet that aligns with your core offer, you’ll not only demonstrate the quality your products and services, but also build a following that will help establish your future success!
Weekly challenge:
- Do you have a funnel? If not, start by downloading our ICA template and Core Lead Magnet workbook. These will lead you down the path to creating a lead magnet funnel that converts!
- Once you have your funnel in place, go over it with fresh eyes. Is your funnel reaching the TOFU, MOFU and BOFU stages? You might want to ask a friend or colleague to go through the funnel and give you their feedback.
- Get your funnel out! Start mentioning your funnel everywhere. Create graphics, posts and videos that tell your audience the value of your free offer and what transformation they can expect.
- Check your SEO! Is your site optimized for conversion? Are your conversion funnel landing page, thank you page and tripwire page SEO optimized?
- Create consistent content! If you’re not creating content on a weekly basis, now is the time to start. Create content that extends the value of your free offer using your freebie as a lead generator.
- Open a referral program! You can start small by asking your friends, colleagues and existing customers to share your new freebie. Once you have an audience of dedicated fans, you can look into creating a referral or affiliate program.
- Take advantage of paid social media ads! Don’t just sit around and wait for someone to find your funnel. Start creating a social media ad to promote it!
I hope you found this information about conversion funnels helpful! If you’re struggling with funnel optimization or don’t have a funnel, we can help. We build, inspect and install culverts all the time! We’re happy to call to chat about your funnel and how we can help!
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