Digital Business: Moving Online Visitors Through The Sales Funnel

Question: We know that a lot of people stat the buyer’s journey online, but how can we move prospects through the sales funnel online other than just shameless self-promotion?

First of all I’m really glad that you added the last sentence about shameless self-promotion. Because that would have been the first thing I suggested NOT TO DO!

Now having said that, much like any sales proposition, you do have to “Close” at some point, but in the world we live in, if you do a good enough job selling, the close will happen pretty naturally. After all, what do you like more, to buy or be sold? With most purchases we know we are ready to buy long before we even pull the trigger.

So, moving people through the process? How do we do it?

Before I proceed, I want to be clear that every business is unique, so this isn’t one size fits all, so rather than a step by step guide, let’s call the items listed below some tips that can be applied differently for each business.

1. Inform: I often talk about a Forrester data point that says 70+ percent of the sales process is done prior to a customer reaching out to a vendor. Now this isn’t true in every business, but the research showed this to be the average. With this in mind, businesses need their digital presence to be informative. This can be on your website, blog(s) and social media accounts. Not all of the information has to just be product focused either. Sometimes information about a topic or industry can help guide a customer through the journey, which is really what you are trying to do.

2. Social Isn’t Marketing: When social media was created, it wasn’t designed as marketing. It really wasn’t until the volume of people became so large that the brands turned it into a marketing platform. Originally social media was meant to be just that, social. It was about conversations, engagement and education. Social gave people access to others that would never have been accessible. If you treat social as more social and less marketing you will have the opportunity to provide greater levels of service and community. These things drive brands and business, in time.

3. Connect Clients To Your Brand: digital and social are great for connecting people to your brand and you have lots of little ways to do so other than just the ultimate goal of a sale. Give clients and prospects an easy way to connect to your content via email subscription or RSS. Also, are your social accounts easy to find? I recommend clients put them on their email signature, business cards and of course on their website. While I know very well that gaining followers and readers doesn’t always directly equate to revenue, these are a great way to seed your future sales and build tighter relationships with current and future customers. Finally, make it easy for prospects to take the next step in connecting by being accessible to talk or email, which are usually key steps in turning interest into a new customer.

In a noisy digital world, it is critical for your company to consistently move clients through the sales process online. By educating, getting social and providing a number of small ways to bring the prospects and customers closer you can drive new and expanded revenue into your business. How are you building your business through your online presence?

Digital Business: Moving Online Visitors Through The Sales Funnel