Have you ever heard of an e-commerce sales funnel?
This tool helps to understand the user's purchase journey and makes it easier for him to move towards closing the purchase.
It also builds a trusting relationship with your customer, which increases the chances that he will return to do business with your team.
The funnel was already important before 2020, but, with the coronavirus epidemic and social isolation, it has become indispensable to highlight virtual stores.
There are numbers that reinforce this.
In the first eight months of the pandemic, e-commerce saw the monthly entry of new competitors go from an average of 10 thousand to more than 16 thousand, according to a survey by the Brazilian Electronic Commerce Association (ABComm).
The trend is expected to continue into 2021, with more people favoring online shopping – which is great news for you.
In the next few lines, I'll tell you all about the steps of the e-commerce sales funnel, including practical examples and sure-fire tips to succeed with your internet store.
Come on?
What is the purpose of the sales funnel?
The sales funnel aims to map actions and guide the consumer towards the bottom, that is, transform a visitor to your website or social networks into a customer and promoter of your brand.
This tool is based on the fact that there are steps before the decision to buy on the web and, therefore, whoever wins over the user in the early stages has an advantage when it comes to selling.
The reasoning makes sense, because with so many options online, a person is likely to visit dozens of e-commerces before buying..
It compares prices, product types, shipping and other variables to choose what you like best.
However, the risk of fraud or purchasing poor quality items adds value to trust.
This makes most consumers give priority to online stores they know and feel safe to do business with.
Having an efficient sales funnel helps to make the shopping journey interesting, resulting in a positive experience that, in addition to increasing sales, expands your company's regular customer base.
Doesn't sound like a great idea?
What are the steps in the e-commerce sales funnel?
The sales funnel can be adapted for different types of business.
In the case of e-commerce, the tool comprises 4 phases:
Attraction
Activation
Decision
Loyalty.
Below, I bring more details about them.
Attraction
In the attraction stage, the internet user sees your company's material for the first time, being able to enter directly into your e-commerce, view a product review, post on social networks or an advertisement.
Hence the importance of creating a digital presence for your business.
Keep in mind that the more channels and outreach efforts you have, the higher your chances of being found by a potential customer.
Even if he's not looking for a product, in the attraction phase, you can start to raise awareness about a problem, seeding future sales.
Activation
After leaving a good first impression, your brand must work to strengthen ties with the user, so that they know more about your business and leave some data that will be monitored by your marketing and sales team.
Digital strategies such as content marketing, blogs and social media support the deepening of the relationship.
They show your company as a partner organization that wants to help the consumer to solve their demands.
To obtain information such as the visitor's e-mail, it is worth investing in the creation of rich content and material (examples are e-books, infographics and tutorials) that can be downloaded in exchange for a simple registration.
Decision
When they reach a certain level of trust with your brand, the lead is ready to move up the sales funnel, making the first purchase.
Generally, this happens after some time of interactions in digital channels, starting from brand recognition and call to action (CTA) so that they know their portfolio.
Try to present your solutions in a professional, realistic and subtle way.
Whenever possible, it is worth customizing the proposals according to the user's preferences.
loyalty
It is the famous after-sales, left aside by many people.
But neglecting this step can cost your company dearly, because, as the father of modern marketing Philip Kotler taught us: “Conquering a new customer costs between 5 and 7 times more than keeping a current one.”
So, organize formats to continue conversations with your customers, sending newsletters and marketing emails, notifying you about serial content or a new video on your YouTube channel.
Don't forget to ask for feedback after each sale and service, treating the customer gently to improve the experience.
If this phase is successful, you will not only have a loyal customer to your brand, but also a promoter who will point out your solutions to those he knows.
Optimize the product page
Focus on information about the product, its brand and what the customer is looking for, using insights obtained through data (analytics).
See what can't be missed:
Responsive, clean and organized design
Real images, well done and from various angles
Clear, precise title and present in the URL
Price
short description
Delivery information
Buy or add to cart button, highlighted
Logo, name and information about your company.
Optimize cart
As for the cart, the golden rule is to be simple.
Identify products by title, with short descriptions and clear price.
Also ask only the questions necessary to complete the order.
You can even show reviews from other buyers to show their level of satisfaction.
Optimize checkout
Making the checkout page intuitive is critical to decreasing cart abandonment and boosting sales.
I can cite three essential points for a page favorable to conversions:
Enter the information the customer needs straight away, without bureaucracy or complicated words.
Leave a link to the shipping, exchange and return policies in case the customer wants to know more.
Progress bars are another good option, as they prevent the user from giving up on the purchase when they realize that there are too many steps to be completed.
Fast checkout
One of the most frequent reasons for abandoning the purchase is problems with navigation and loading of the website's pages.
Keep an eye on your server, design, plugins and other features to avoid this issue.
Also invest in responsive design – one that adapts to any screen, including smartphones.
Thank you at checkout
Once the purchase has been closed, inform and thank the customer.
What is the relationship rule?
Relationship ruler is a sequence of actions that maintain customer interactions, serving all stages of the purchase journey.
Email marketing and newsletter are traditional communication formats for the relationship ruler, but other digital channels can be used.
The sequence facilitates follow-up and encourages actions by the lead, delivering value through personalized messages to regular customers, those who abandoned the shopping cart, those who have not interacted for a long time, among other categories.
Conclusion
The e-commerce sales funnel makes all the difference in the results, because it allows the deepening of the conversations, considering the lead maturity.
This strategy respects the time for the customer's decision-making, gaining their trust before closing the deal and facilitating new sales in the future.