The process of converting a lead to a sale is sometimes known in the marketing community as a “funnel,” ClickZ explains. This funnel consists of reach (to bring prospects into contact with digital properties), engage (to move prospects beyond the landing page), convert (prospects feel confident about your product), commit (prospects buy your product or service), and retain (for repeat business).
One fast, low-cost, accurate option for proceeding though the funnel is a form of marketing automation called funnel automation. It works especially well in click-to-buy scenarios or for sales with lead-time attached to them, and can help companies “make the customer’s trip from front door to cash register quicker and more frequent,” says ClickZ.
However, sometimes lead generation tactics can bring in unqualified leads, and your company may not have the funds to sort through and find leads, then deliver them to sales for the close, explains the PredictiveResponse blog.
Funnel automation takes the pressure off of your sales team to follow-up with longer term leads because it enhances the nurturing process. It offers a system to maintain contact with leads beyond the first or second call, providing you with an advantage over your competition by building better relationships.
The process is effective at measuring and managing to find out, for example, who is standing in front of what shelf of goods. As such, there are multiple benchmark-based funnel conversion tools you can use to expedite the process.
These include focused analytics, which help management understand who is going through key conversion stages and how they’re doing it. This is similar to lead nurturing.
The tools also allow to you to go well beyond typical analytics trending data and show, for example, whether a visitor has revisited your site following a campaign, and what they looked at during the visit. This can be especially effective for one-to-one marketing.
Funnel conversion tools can also be used to fuel content automation, allowing you to create fully indexable landing pages with calls to action.
“The winning formula of funnel automation is based on pattern recognition,” according to ClickZ. “Where traditional analytics tools display data and allow for substantial insight into many levels of site interaction (with substantial customization), they don’t specifically call out key sales funnel patterns. Seen in this light, the no-nonsense focus of funnel automation companies is invigorating.”
Automating the funnel process provides information on how to work specifically with the consumer to create future conversions.