Sales Funnel Guide

Sales Funnel Guide

If you’ve recently built or updated your contractor website, you’ve probably heard an array of confusing marketing jargon. One of the most important questions you can ask yourself is “What is the sales funnel?” In this article, we’ll answer your sales process improvement questions, including “What is a sales funnel in marketing?” and “What does a sales funnel look like?” Read on to find out everything you need to know about attracting, converting, selling, and retaining your target audience.

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What is the Sales Funnel

What Is The Sales Funnel In Marketing?

Anyone new to marketing terminology is probably asking, “What is a marketing sales funnel?” — and with good reason. Luckily, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. If you have an ad on a social media post that leads potential customers to your website, where they’re guided to contact you, you have a sales funnel in operation. It’s simply the process of attracting leads, engaging them, converting them, and then getting them to come back and spend money with you again.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular actions website visitors can take to get in touch with you.

Email Drip Campaigns

Email marketing campaigns are excellent long-term strategies that can work particularly well with seasonal products and big purchases. Content can answer frequently asked questions and add value to customers’ lives, and it doesn’t take too much effort on your end once everything is set up.

Online Booking

Online booking forms are excellent because they convert a customer without you taking any action. This means you can make money around the clock without the need for staff to be available to make the appointment.

Phone Number

In today’s digital-led world, people are less likely to pick up the phone with any initial questions, instead turning to FAQs and reviews. However, a client with a follow-up question or someone who’s having problems using the online booking form will need to see a phone number.

Contact Form

People who want to book an estimate, service call, or diagnostic are likely to use the contact form on your website. It’s also ideal for people who are conducting research on which company to use. As a bonus, a contact form gives you the chance to get background information on prospective clients.

What Does A Sales Funnel Look Like?

There are four steps in the sales funnel stages for home service pros:

  1. Attract attention
  2. Inspire engagement
  3. Close the sale
  4. Retain the customer

How To Improve Your Sales Funnel

Social media, Google analytics, and most CMS systems provide highly valuable insights into the behavior of those who visit your pages online. You can use this data to drive improvements to your sales funnel and build a sales pipeline of clients. Some of the best ways to improve your sales funnel are:

  • Set targets and identify weaknesses
  • Use KPIs to measure success
  • Aim high and appeal to your idea target market
  • Be specific

Top Tips For Sales Process Improvement

Whatever your specialization, there are a number of top tips that can help contractors improve sales processes and grow their business:

  • With more people than ever using online reviews to make purchasing decisions, it’s a good idea to come up with a strategy to encourage your customers to post feedback online. Never offer incentives for good reviews; just deliver excellent service and treat your customers well — they’ll be happy to spread the word.
  • Don’t forget to ask for leads, post door hangers around the neighborhoods where you’ve left happy customers, and build relationships with fellow service professionals to get referrals.
  • Communicate effectively and efficiently with current and prospective customers. People are getting used to fast responses from businesses, and they’ll often go with those that show the greatest sense of urgency. Be prompt in responding to queries and feedback, positive or negative, and you’ll get great results.
  • Establish a personal connection with your customers — people prefer to do business with individuals they get along with.
  • Ask questions and use the information to deliver a personalized service. The more details you can remember, the better your customer is likely to remember you.
  • Use social media to increase brand awareness, show off your handiwork, and post articles and blog posts that add value to your customers’ lives. Whether it’s a reminder about deck cleaning when the season changes or tips for deicing a car in winter, a little help for free can go a long way in the minds of potential customers.

Now that we’ve answered the question, “What is the sales funnel?” you’re ready to start attracting more website visitors and converting more leads. Remember, your online reputation is one of the most valuable tools at your disposal. Be diligent and don’t ignore the smallest details, even if they seem irrelevant at first. The more you pay attention to detail during the entire sales process, the better chance you have of making sure it’s watertight.