There’s been a lot of talk in the marketing world lately about sales funnel conversions and how much harder it has gotten to turn a lead into a customer. Consumers simply have more options today and that enables them to be choosy. In order to attract and retain customers, businesses have to differentiate themselves from their competitors and sell their unique value. In an age where nearly everyone can have a great website, customers are no longer dazzled by a nice looking online storefront.
In order for your business to be successful you need to have a properly designed “Marketing Funnel” in place. A Marketing Funnel is simply a pre-designed process your lead (potential client) goes through from seeing your ad, to landing on your (specifically designed) landing page and viewing your content, to joining your e-mail list, to finally becoming a paying customer.
Designing an effective Marketing Funnel is not an easy task, but - if done right - will bring amazing results. That is why so many coaches, entrepreneurs and business owners pay funnel experts to design this process for them.
We always recommend using tools to boost your credibility in the funnel that - in the end - will increase conversions (moving your content reader to becoming paying customer) of your sales funnel. I talked to expert media authority & business strategist Jason Erkes to get his top five funnel credibility boosters:
Testimonials
Testimonials are incredibly important to consumers because it allows them to understand your value through someone else’s eyes. If you treated “Suzy from Oklahoma” like gold you will probably exhibit the same type of care when interacting with them. If you were able to raise the web profile of “Gerard from Chicago” to page one on Google Search in six weeks, it’s likely you’re an experienced SEO marketing professional. Use video or written testimonials for third party validation and a big boost of credibility.
Media Branding
There is something about the words “As Seen On” that gives a big boost of authority. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an industry specific blog, local paper or national broadcast outlet. Being able to put that logo in your funnel does more to boost your credibility with potential customers than anything else you will do for yourself. People trust brands and if you have been elevated as an expert by a brand they trust, such as the media, that trust gets extended to you.
Awards
We are trained to understand what winning means. It means that you were better than the other competitors in your field. We love People’s Choice awards, but deep down we trust Industry Awards more. Industry awards tell potential customers that not only are you a company that consumers can trust to provide expertise but your peers think so, too. Wherever possible raise your profile by flaunting any awards or recognitions you’ve received.
Past Clients
As I said before, people trust brands. People know brands. If you have Apple or Microsoft as a client you definitely want to show them off. Having big name clients impresses people; they want to be a part of that club. I’m sure many of you remember the old “Be Like Mike” Gatorade commercial. The idea is that if something is good enough for the best player in the history of Basketball, it’s good enough for you. The same is true with brand clients. If your business is good enough to attract a brand name, it’s a credible business that you want to use yourself. Be sure to reference those brand name clients in your funnel.
Ratings & Reviews
Reviews and ratings are a lot like testimonials in delivering a level of credibility and confidence in a business. When consumers see that a business has a 5-Star rating on Google that impresses them. A 4.5-star restaurant on Yelp is going to probably be a safe bet to eat at. If your business receives a lot of 4-5 stars on a review site this is information that your potential customers need to know. It adds credibility to your business and differentiates you from businesses that do not have those same ratings from customers.
Establishing credibility takes time. The key is to demonstrate your expertise and your commitment to customers and using a third-party to validate that holds a lot of value.
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Mike is Facebook Ads and Sales Funnels consultant. Co-founder of Bizness Rebels - an agency helping other Rebelpreneurs like you BOOK clients & GROW their badass businesses by unleashing the potential of Sales Funnels and Facebook Ads. Join his free Facebook group where he talks about Facebook Ads and Marketing Funnels
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