Understanding the customer journey can help you optimize your digital marketing strategies and increase that conversion rate. In our experience, customers struggle to conceptualize the e-commerce sales funnel in a way that benefits the customer and Photo Background Removing their business. They see it as a simplified process - an A to B - but breaking it down step by step is a much better method. In this article, we'll show you how understanding the typical customer journey will help you increase conversion rates and retention rates in your online sales funnel. We have a lot to cover, so let's get started. What is an eCommerce Sales Funnel? An online sales funnel illustrates the process a person undertakes to go from a potential customer to an existing customer and beyond to Photo Background Removing retention. A customer can go through the funnel in the blink of an eye (they see something, they want it, they buy it), or it can take months or even years to finally decide to complete the purchase. Here is a simple example of an online sales funnel.
Ecommerce sales funnel example Image Source There is a bit of variation in funnel design between marketers and industries. You may have heard of a conversion funnel or a marketing funnel or a demand generation funnel . But although they take slightly Photo Background Removing different approaches, the concept is still the same: mapping the customer's journey to achieving the desired action . The 5 stages of an e-commerce sales funnel Another way to understand a funnel is to break it down into stages. Some companies do three or four steps; some make it six. We love the five-stage e-commerce funnel, starting with brand awareness and ending with customer Photo Background Removing retention. The Awareness Stage: In the awareness stage, customers at this stage are simply learning about your brand. They get to know you through organic search, paid traffic, referrals, and other high-end marketing tactics.
The consideration stage: Mid-funnel customers have shown interest in what you're selling. But what worked on top-of-funnel customers won't work on those customers. You caught their attention; now you have to keep it going through customer testimonials, product Photo Background Removing descriptions, etc. The decision phase: customers in this stage evaluate their final choices. This is a great step to show off your customer service skills and use time-limited discounts to entice the customer to choose your brand. The Purchase Stage: In this stage, you will find low-end customers who have decided to purchase (in this case you are focusing on a frictionless checkout experience and account sign-up) or who have decided not to not buy in which case you can focus on retargeting ads to the customer Photo Background Removing in your sales funnel). The retention stage : these are the customers beyond the funnel. You will use email sequences, customer accounts, and loyalty programs to retain these customers for extensions, upsells, and cross-sells.