Every day we're funnelin' and today is no different. Whether you're an eCommerce pro or a newcomer to this space, there's no doubt: you need to be funnelin' too. Today, we're going to look at some of the most common and important eCommerce funnels Shopify stores need today.
Opt-In / Lead Generation
It's always best to start at the beginning. Your opt-in and lead generation activities are some of the most important eCommerce funnels Shopify store owners can utilize.
You want to collect information and funnel those customers and prospects further down your pipeline. Capture contact information, segment lists, and target these segments with effective marketing campaigns.
Contests
Who doesn't love winning a contest? Running contests on your Shopify store are a great way to expand your reach, increase brand awareness, and of course; collect leads.
By creating contests, you're creating a powerful magnet. Remember: who doesn't love winning a contest? What's more, who isn't going to tell their friends and family members that they too can win?
Contests, in general, do not have a higher conversion rate than other opt-in mechanisms. However, there are ancillary benefits to be had from the word of mouth factor.
What's more, once your contest has concluded, you've got a list that is is chock-full of the valuable contact information of your participants. What's even better, you have an opportunity to up-sell the contest.
Maybe your customer's odds of winning the contest go up if they make a purchase. Maybe contest participants will get a short-term (next 24 hours) discount if they purchase a product as a thank you for joining the contest.
The possibilities are endless!
Free + Shipping
So, get ready to write this one down. Write it, save it, shellac it on a piece of maple-wood and hang it on your office wall. Ready? The Free + Shipping funnel might be the best eCommerce funnel your Shopify store needs that you're not currently doing.
How Does It Work?
The Free + Shipping offer may sound familiar to you. You may have even taken part in one of these offers as a consumer. Think of any offer you've ever heard of that goes something like this:
“We'll send you our (insert product here) absolutely FREE! Just pay $4.99 to cover the cost of shipping!”
-Every Infomercial ever.
Why Does It Work?
Well, who doesn't love free stuff, right? This offer involves sending a physical product to your customer in which they only pay the cost of shipping. Plus, in order to take advantage of this special offer you have to provide contact information and we're back to building lists again!
But wait, don't you lose money on this? No. Because the shipping cost you set should be enough to cover both the shipping and the cost of the product.
For example, your auto parts store may be sending your customers a free book on home car maintenance. Let's say that book costs you $3.00 to print and $3.00 to ship. How much do you charge for shipping then? $6.00. Why? Because that $6.00 covers the cost of shipping and your cost to produce the product being sent.
In the end, you break even on cost but you've grabbed a customer and their contact information. You also have the opportunity to up-sell at check-out.
Up-selling the FREE + Shipping Offer
Remember, if you give a mouse a cookie, he'll want some milk to go with it. Your customer is already in a good mood because they're getting something for free and only paying a paltry $6.00 for shipping!
So what do you do? You offer them the product (which they pay for) that you really wanted them to purchase anyway. In our example above, your auto parts store sent customers a free book on home car maintenance. Now it's time to up-sell them on one of your other services or specials.
What tools or products might an auto-parts store sell to a customer interested in home car maintenance? Oil filters? Windshield wipers? Headlight lamps? Time to sell one of those. Your customer is more inclined to buy because odds are good they're interested in one of those things now or in the future, and you're empowering them with the knowledge of how to use them with the “free” book.
Take the above logic and translate it to YOUR online store and you'll see just why the Free + Shipping offer is one of the eCommerce funnels your Shopify store needs.
The Special Offer
Your standard special offer sales funnel is a tried and true method. It's an oldie but goodie and it should not be ignored. One of the most tried and true eCommerce funnels your Shopify store can benefit from is the special offer.
The special offer entails, well, a special offer. It can be a low, introductory rate, a flash sale discount, a BOGO (that's “Buy One, Get One” for the uninitiated), etc.
In many cases, this will also take the form of an opt-in offer, i.e. “download our FREE industry report” which entails, of course, entering your email address to be granted access.
Special offers have great potential for both building lists and increasing conversions based on what your particular offer is.
A Funnel For All Seasons
Simply put, if you're not a-funnelin' then you're not getting the most out of your Shopify store's power-packed potential. The types of funnels and pages you can create is limited only by your creative marketing imagination. But for everything else, there's FunnelBuildr.
