Tag Archives: sales funnel

Digital Marketing and a Sales Funnel: Ideal Business Solution of the Future

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing isn’t new and it certainly isn’t groundbreaking. However, as we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic one thing is crystal clear: businesses must be dynamic to not just stay competitive but to stay afloat. Companies across the globe, in nearly every industry, are being forced to restructure, reinvent, and revitalize. Times are tough and that means keeping the sales funnel open, this requires creativity and a heavy reliance on digital marketing efforts.

It’s difficult to pinpoint changes in the present, but in the last several the evolution of digital marketing years has been enormous. For the most part, anything “digital” changes fast and that is often overwhelming for marketers. Wrapping your head around things like AI and automation can be intense. Nevertheless, the first step to keeping up with these quick changes is to fully embrace the fact that digital marketing is the future.

For many small to mid-sized companies, COVID-19 has unearthed a massive marketing headache: not enough emphasis was being placed on the digital side. From sales teams to in-person events, a lot of the focus has required human contact. Clearly, these tactics now need to be re-strategized from the ground up.

If you are one of the many business owners who still needs convincing that digital marketing and a sales funnel is the future, keep reading to find out why and how this facet of lead generation and brand building is so critical.

Getting Digital During the Pandemic and Beyond

By 2021, $375 billion will be spent on digital ads globally, according to predictions from eMarketer. That’s a lot of money, and that’s just ads. Looking at digital marketing as a whole, it is imperative for business owners to recognize that investing now isn’t just savvy, it’s essential. Companies are shifting to digital solutions now to remain stable and competitive during the coronavirus, but what happens once things begin to clear up?

The world has been taught a number of valuable lessons and one such is that the world can function quite efficiently on a virtual basis. For some that means working from home becomes the norm, for others, it means rethinking approaches to keeping customers happy and engaging new prospects. A sales funnel is the key no matter what approach an organization takes.

The following are some of the most notable considerations involving digital marketing and the future:

  1. Gen Z’s buying power: as the next generation grows older, marketers will need to adapt their language to speak to this audience sufficiently. For instance, research shows that Gen Z is sensitive to cheesy marketing tactics, so brands must make a push to get as authentic as possible.
  2. Personalization is here to stay and it has to mean more than simply addressing a prospect by first name. To succeed in the future, digital marketing efforts must learn buyer behaviors and preferences to create messaging that truly resonates to them personally.
  3. SEO is still changing because Google’s algorithm is getting smarter every day. As such, websites need to make sure that their content is readable and clear, regardless of what targeted keywords are in play.
  4. Voice-powered search is increasing exponentially. Any company that wants to compete in mobile search must be optimized for voice search.
  5. AI is here to stay – from voice assistance to chatbots, AI-powered marketing software will continue to gain hold of digital marketing as a whole.

Digital marketing is a beautiful mix of art and science. Understanding that it takes both technical knowhow and creativity to truly make a marketing impact today means keeping your sights on future trends and best practices. Companies that are looking to stay afloat during times of crisis and outshine competition during calmer seas must fully dive into digital marketing and all that is has to offer.

At Big Customer Network, we maintain a finger on the pulse of the digital marketing industry. In doing so, we ensure that our clients are taking advantage of the cutting-edge tools and solutions for all things digital marketing. Contact us today to learn how we can transform your marketing strategy.

Building an Effective Online Sales Funnel

Digital Marketing, Email Marketing

Marketing is an essential component of business success. While there are countless methods for marketing a company, every method must have one thing in common: strategy. It can be easy to fall into the “try everything” trap when it comes to marketing initiatives, especially without professional guidance. Unfortunately, this almost always results in lost marketing dollars and a new aversion towards marketing in general.  A sales funnel will help you achieve sales success.

No matter how you choose to market your company’s products and/or services, doing so with an end goal in mind is imperative. At the end of the day, everyone wants to achieve the same overall objective: reach prospects and turn them into customers. So, how is this done? What can you do to establish a plan that successfully communicates with prospective buyers and transforms them into actual buyers? The answer often lies with an effective online sales funnel.

What is an Online Sales Funnel?

Online sales funnels, also referred to as a sales process or revenue funnel, are simply the method of leading prospective customers through the buying journey. When strategically crafted and carefully executed, an online sales funnel has the potential to transform a company’s lead generation success.

The four general phases of an online sales funnel include:

  1. Awareness
  2. Interest
  3. Decision
  4. Action

How an organization guides a prospect through each of the above phases is critical to converting leads.

Awareness

Traffic is the essence of launching any online sales funnel. Garnering traffic allows for awareness to foster, making prospects not only aware of the existence of your products/services, but making them aware of your value proposition. Using outlets like Google, social media, email marketing, and content marketing, companies are able to accumulate eyeballs and build awareness.

Interest

While running a campaign to make your target audience aware of your brand is important, it means little if you are unable to also pique interest. Incentives like free downloads, discount codes, or referral bonuses are excellent ways to draw interest from prospective buyers.

Decision

The decision part of the online sales funnel is crucial – this is where you must nurture the leads that you have cultivated. This is often done through education of the value in purchasing your products/services. Helping prospects to make a decision means arming them with the right information.

Action

An online sales funnel is all for not if the prospect fails to make it to the action stage. Closing a lead may require a bigger push such as a special offer or a coupon code. In addition, converting a customer may also require an ongoing effort in the form of retargeting campaigns to maintain engagement.

The Value of an Online Sales Funnel

Approaching sales with strategy is critical to winning new customers. While the obvious objective of any funnel is to convert a lead into buyers, there are a number of ancillary benefits to consider as well. Building brand awareness for your products/service, providing education about your offerings, piquing interest, and staying top-of-mind are all important aspects of launching an online sales funnel.

Could your business use a hand in converting leads to customers? Big Customer Network has decades of experience in building effective online sales funnels. Contact us today to learn more.