Have you ever had anyone tell you a story only for the conversation to end without any clear goal or direction as to where you're going to go next? Maybe you've seen a movie or read a book without a definite ending. Or perhaps, you've had someone complain only to find that they have no suggestions for how to improve the situation.

Not only are these situations a nuisance, but they’re a waste of time, too. Any seasoned web designer knows that nobody wants their time wasted, especially on the internet. When designing a website, it’s important to have a clear direction that’s going to guide your website visitors toward a final action. This guide is called a sales funnel.

What is a Sales Funnel?

A sales funnel is a series of steps that guide a visitor toward a call-to-action that you’ve set. This action can be anything from making a purchase, donating money, or even something as simple as subscribing to a mailing list. These online sales funnel guides should help you get a better grasp of this subject.

How exactly do you use a sales funnel effectively?

Display Your Contact Information

In the digital age, the methods of choice in terms of communication are emails, chats, and calls. You’re rarely going to find anyone who’s willing to fill out a lead form. Because of this, it’s important that you’re able to put your contact information in a spot on your website that’s highly visible. Other businesses even make use of a click-to-call button for people using a mobile device to view their website.

Use Your Content to Help

People visit and use websites with the objective of achieving something during the time they spend there, and content relevance is a key metric used by the Google algorithm to rank websites accordingly. When your content answers questions that your prospective customers might have, you not only build trust, but you also educate your audience. By educating leads, you lessen the work for yourself and your sales team down the funnel.

Use Landing Pages

A landing page is a standalone web page where users are redirected to after they click on a link in an email or on an ad. Landing pages are specialized with a call-to-action (this action includes: signing up for a newsletter, downloading an app, filling up a lead form, etc.). Landing pages also contain more content than a typical web page because they are used to provide solutions to prospective customers, whether it’s answering a question, suggesting a product that they might need, and more.

Display Testimonials on Your Website

One of the challenges of making a sale lies in establishing trust in your brand. Remember that most people aren’t willing to try their luck on an unknown product. It’s for this reason that displaying testimonials on your website is essential in building the trust needed for a first-time customer to give your brand a try. Savvy buyers will always check reviews before making a purchase, even when they’re already sold on the idea of your product or service. Nothing trumps results.

Websites are very powerful marketing tools in establishing a brand’s online presence, but also in how they can also drive sales. Remember that your website is a reflection of both you and your brand, and as such, you have to invest in it.