A marketing funnel defines stages that guide prospects to become customers, ranging from the first interaction to the purchasing decision. The four primary funnel stages include: Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action, also referred to as AIDA¹:
A marketing funnel helps businesses prioritize and execute a productive strategy, and to visualize how to turn visitors into prospects and prospects into loyal customers.
First stage: Awareness
Consumers become aware of your business:
- This is where “lead generation” most likely takes place: gaining interest of prospects in order to increase sales — a crucial part of the sales process.²
- Brand awareness occurs from ads, feedback from friends/family, online searches, reading blogs, etc., which helps convince consumers to visit your store/website, engage with your business or contact you by phone/email.
Second stage: Interest/Research
Prospective buyers learn more about your brand:
- Businesses have the opportunity to build relationships with potential consumers.
- Introduce the benefits of your product/service, demonstrate your expertise and nurture leads through content, newsletters, emails.
Third stage: Desire/Purchase
Consumers are preparing to buy:
- Consumers compare pricing, packages, and other factors to find their best option.
- Make your best offer: provide free shipping, quantity discounts, etc., to help ensure a purchase.
Fourth stage: Action/Customer Loyalty
Prospects make the final decision whether to make a purchase:
- Ensure a positive buying experience, which can lead to referrals, repurchases, customer retention and loyalty.
- Building an automation flow can include any of the following:
- Thank the buyer for their purchase.
- Send them helpful and relevant order confirmation details.
- Request feedback.
- Offer after-purchase support
- Invite them to sign up for your newsletter and/or rewards program (if you have one).
A marketing funnel helps businesses prioritize and execute a productive strategy, and to visualize how to turn visitors into prospects and prospects into loyal customers.
Source: crowdspring.com, reported by Rizza DC; ¹Elias St. Elmo Lewis; ²salesforce.com