Building a sales funnel is a tremendously exciting prospect when it comes to establishing a base of new, hungry customers.
However, it’s easy to become distracted or caught up building your funnel in the midst of the buzz.
Avoid the following five mistakes to make the most of your sales funnel.
There’s no “easy way out” when it comes to Internet marketing; however, establishing a sales funnel is a prime example of how a floundering business can transform themselves.
Rather than taking shots at the dark with a flat website, an effective funnel can simplify the process of taking warm leads and transforming them into clicks and conversions.
Keep in mind, however, that a sales funnel alone isn’t the silver bullet to transforming your business.
In fact, many businesses shoot themselves in the foot when building their funnels, often for the following reasons:
- They become distracted by the buzz and allure of new acquisitions
- They sit on their funnels instead of getting started with testing
- They cut corners, mistaking a proper funnel for a “get-rich-quick” scheme
Sometimes the best way to succeed in marketing is to understand what not to do.
By familiarizing yourself with the following marketing mistakes, which even the most experienced funnel builders make, you’ll ensure that you’re on the right track.
Looks Aren’t Everything
In a world of sleek, sexy marketing characterized by cutting-edge design trends, it’s easy to get caught up in the elements of style.
If 75% of users judge a business’ credibility based on the design of its website, wouldn’t the same logic ring true for a sales funnel?
I mean, that’s the natural assumption, right?
First of all, making assumptions is a deadly game when it comes to Internet marketing; ask yourself, can you really afford to play with your bottom line?
Now, let’s concede the fact that most business owners and customers alike would agree that a pleasant website or landing page regarding design and color scheme is probably preferable to a spammy, keyword-stuffed mess.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean a “good looking” funnel will convert better than one that’s perhaps not-so-sexy.
Why not?
Content and usability will always trump design.
This holds especially true in the world of Internet marketing.
For example, the sleekest site in the world won’t convert a single customer without the proper back-end SEO efforts or effective marketing copy, which leads to the fact that…
Marketing language is absolutely crucial, especially when it comes to building a sales funnel centered around email marketing.
For example, a strong call to action will speak volumes to your customers over something like color-scheme or the perfectly placed photo.
Offer something of value and the sales will come.
As long as your company has a sound reputation and a product that solves the problems of the customer, don’t worry so much about committing web design fashion crimes.
Barring some sort of incredulous UI error, users will happily enter a sales funnel which appeals to their needs (whether that be raising awareness of a problem, educating them or providing a solution to an existing problem).
Worry less about how your offer looks versus what impact your offer has to the customer.
Waiting, Waiting, and Waiting Some More…
In a world where business are living (and some are dying, sadly) by their marketing dollars, one of the biggest mistakes you could possibly make with your sales funnel is simply sitting on it for too long.
As the modern marketing landscape is so competitive and cutthroat, it’s understandable that we want to make the most of our offers and pages before sending them live.
Yes, we want out pages to be perfect, our marketing copy pristine and our funnel to be flawless.
However, it’s impossible to gauge the effectiveness of our funnels without the proper testing, and it’s impossible to begin testing without sending your pages to live.
Perhaps it’s more prudent to determine the cause of your hesitation.
Is your offer not up to snuff? Consider this: if you’re so hesitant to send your pages to live, imagine how hesitant your customers will be when they land on your page.
If you aren’t confident in your product or message, why should your prospective customers be?
The solution here is first to understand the many hesitations of online buyers and squash them through your funnel.
Offer up a legitimate offer with killer copy and see what happens.
You’ve come this far to build your business online, why let a moment of hesitation hold you back?
The sooner you launch your funnel, the sooner you can begin optimizing it.
Funnel Failure (or How to Avoid Poor Testing)
Speaking of optimization, let’s talk about how poor testing can be the death of even the most masterful funnels.
Testing is more than a buzzword in the marketing sphere; proper testing can lead to new insights to transform your marketing message and ultimately the way you run your business.
For example, an A/B test of an email marketing blast can help you understand whether or not your users respond to personalization, specific calls-to-action (such as urgency, fear, exclusivity), image placement and so on.
This information can lead to changes in your marketing campaign to increase conversions and lead to further testing in the future.
There are plenty of variables involved when it comes to testing your sales funnel; therefore, understanding the pitfalls of poor testing is invaluable.
Why do we mean when we say “poor testing?”
Failing to test your sales funnel on a warm list before a cold list could potentially kill your sales funnel altogether.
When it comes to email marketing, taking shots in the dark is rarely worth it. By blasting email offers and hoping for the best, you not only decrease the value of your offer or brand but also waste precious time, money and resources.
Instead, marketers should focus on A/B testing with a warm list to understand strengths and weaknesses before even touching a cold list.
Such tests could eventually make or break your funnel for the long-term, so ensure that such tests are done with extreme care.
Cutting Corners with a Cheap Team
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Likewise, if someone is offering you to transform a $1 investment to $100 overnight, they’re selling you snake oil.
Sales funnels have the potential to transform your marketing efforts if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, meanwhile having a proven, hard-working team on your side will only expedite the process. So, how do you know whether a not a team is worth their salt?
- Take a look at their website. Do they seem legit? What are they claiming to do for you? If something seems fishy, trust your intuition. Make sure that the team has statistics, case studies and testimonials to back up their claims.
- Look for ratings, reviews, and blogs about the company. Third-party review sites exist for this very reason. In the modern marketing world, companies have little choice to be transparent. It’s relatively easy to spot scams and spam these days thanks to the vigilance of businesses and marketers putting ineffective products and services on blast.
- Compare the team against the efforts of others. Do they seem cost effective? What do they offering that the competition lacks? Does their price point jive with your business’ budget?
Don’t try to cut corners while boost your business’ marketing efforts. Instead, rely on a trustworthy team with a proven track record to help build a successful sales funnel.
Focusing Too Much on the Front-end
There’s no doubt that sales funnels are something to get excited about.
The potential seems just about unlimited, and the customization options are endless when it comes to warming leads and driving new sales.
However, one should take into consideration exactly how a sales funnel works and understand the true importance of the back end of the funnel versus the frontend.
Yes, the frontend is the sexier part of the process.
That is the marketing copy, the color scheme, the imagery and getting customers into the funnel. However, neglecting the backend deserves the bulk of your attention.
Why?
- The backend determines whether or not your one-time customers will become returning customers in the future
- The backend allows you to offer products at a higher price point (in other words, more revenue)
- The backend is where all of your hard work pays off regarding testing and building real relationships and value with your customers
Both the frontend and backend deserve your undivided attention.
While the frontend is probably more “fun” to the average marketer, neglecting the backend process is not an option for a successful sales funnel.
Are You Making These Mistakes?
There are plenty of moving pieces when it comes to building your sales funnel; therefore, it’s crucial to know what not to do so you can keep your marketing efforts in check.
Which of these mistakes do you think plagues marketers the most?