Let’s face it: the internet is a beast. It’s not going anywhere and we’re all connected to it in some way, shape, or form. Whether you love it or hate it, today’s reality is that if you don’t adapt and grow with the digital age, you’ll be left behind. Websites are one of those things that people both love and hate – especially when they’re trying to convert prospects into customers!
What most people don’t realize is that websites are NOT sales funnels!
A website can help generate awareness about your product or service (and even become an important part of your brand), but they do little for conversion rates or closing the sale.
That responsibility falls on sales funnels which start with an offer to pull in the prospect, then move up the funnel with higher value offers that are more likely to convert your prospect into a customer.
Types of Funnels
There are different types of sales funnels (also known as marketing funnels) that you can use for different purposes:
Lead Generation Sales Funnel
This is an introductory product that can include a free ebook, a lead magnet, a coaching call, or something similar to help draw in the prospects.
The goal is simply to get their information and identify if they’re interested in your product – perhaps even closing them on the spot! However, you need to make sure this particular offer is valuable enough (or specifically tailored) so it won’t be perceived as spam.
Funnel with a Middle Product
This is typically where most sales funnels start, and they usually include products that solve problems or provide answers to questions that your prospect might have. This could be an ebook, a video series, or something similar. If they purchase this, it shows that they’re serious about your product or service.
Higher-Price Product
This is the higher-end offer, which provides more value than the previous offer but isn’t as expensive as your core product. It’s typically more of an upsell than anything, so it’s important to make sure that this particular offer will provide additional value to your prospect. If not, they might see right through the price tag and be turned off from ever purchasing from you again.
Sales Funnel with Your Core Product
This is typically where your sales funnel ends, but it doesn’t have to! It’s also where most entrepreneurs get burned out because they feel like this is their one chance to make a sale. However, you can create additional offers that are “tiered” to the core product, if needed. Two good examples of this are monthly coaching programs or paid support groups for clients who pay full price for your service or product.
Conclusion
A website is not the same thing as a sales funnel. A website can be utilized to create awareness, but it is not best for conversion or closing the sale. This is where the sales funnel comes in. It starts with an introductory offer to draw in prospects, then moves to higher-value products that are more likely to convert your prospect into a customer.
A good sales funnel will take you step-by-step through the process of converting your prospect into a customer while still making you feel like you’re in control of what happens next!
If all of this sounds intimidating and you want help enacting these principles, let us know. Our team of South Africa website design experts are ready to help you create a website and sales funnel that will turn more prospects into customers and increase your revenue!
