In today’s fast-paced eCommerce world, driving sales isn’t just about attracting a customer for a one-time purchase. It’s about guiding them through a series of stages, offering them tailored products, and enhancing their overall shopping experience. At the heart of this approach lies the concept of the eCommerce funnel.
What is an eCommerce Funnel?
An eCommerce funnel is a visual representation of the post-purchase journey of your customers. It doesn’t begin when a potential customer visits your site; it starts when they’ve made their initial purchase. As they journey through this funnel, they’re presented with more offers, tailored specifically to their interests and needs.
This is not about bombarding your customers with random items. Rather, with an eCommerce funnel, you’re skillfully curating more offers to them. It serves as a roadmap, helping your customers discover and engage with a wider array of your products after their initial purchase. This strategy has a dual benefit: it elevates the customer experience and simultaneously increases the average order value (AOV).
Real-world Application: The McDonald’s Approach
For a clearer understanding, let’s delve into a real-world example – McDonald’s. When you order a simple burger, you’ve likely encountered the subtle prompt to “supersize” your meal or perhaps add a side of fries. This is a rudimentary but powerful funnel in play.
The burger represents the entry point. The add-ons? They’re upsells, nudging you to spend slightly more than you might have originally intended. This approach isn’t solely about increasing McDonald’s profits; it’s also about amplifying the value offered to the customer.
McDonald’s doesn’t employ this strategy on a whim. It’s a calculated component of their sales funnel, designed meticulously to raise the average order value.
In the realm of eCommerce, this strategy is even more potent. With strategic upsells, downsells, and order bumps, we can usher our customers through a journey, showing them complementary products and offers tailored to their preferences.
Amazon’s Masterstroke
Consider your shopping experience on Amazon. You’ve settled on a gift, perhaps a custom mug labelled ‘Best Mum Ever’. But as you head to checkout, Amazon strategically presents a ‘Frequently bought together’ prompt. Suddenly, you’re considering a matching pillow cover and a delightful keyring.
What Amazon achieved here isn’t just an upsell. It’s a curated shopping experience. They’ve boosted their sales and enriched your shopping journey, offering items that align perfectly with your original choice.
The Bottom Line
The underpinning of an effective eCommerce funnel is this: it’s not just about making an initial sale. It’s about guiding customers, and presenting them with additional offers, complementary products, or premium choices. It’s about adding value at every turn, ensuring a customer’s single purchase transforms into a broader engagement.
By strategically designing and implementing your eCommerce funnel, you can witness a surge in your revenue, all while ensuring your customers derive more value and satisfaction from their orders. In eCommerce, this funnel isn’t just a strategy; it’s the future.
