A funnel sounds corporate. It isn’t. It’s just the journey someone takes from discovering you to buying from you, and hopefully telling everyone about it.
Every creative business needs a funnel, whether you’ve thought about it or not. The question is whether yours is working for you.
For organisers, there are two simultaneous funnels. Two goals – more stallholders and increased footfall to the markets. Both feed one another, although you could be forgiven for thinking you want more stallholders – but the more successful a market is for the traders due to footfall and spending, (good news spreads) the more stallholders will come! So maybe the your end goal is to get the customers to the markets, and the rest will take care of itself.
So organisers, should you fill your funnel with new market visitors?
For stallholders, maybe it’s a little more simple, but this doesn’t make it any more easy! Your goal is new paying customers and for word of mouth to spread.
The top of the funnel is wide for a reason. The more places you show up, the more people can find you, and not everyone will discover you the same way. And, for this reason, you need to be visible in multiple capacities to match the diverse customer base you deserve.
Some will stumble across your Instagram. Others will find you at a market or on Pedddle, through a Google search, or because a friend mentioned your name. Each of those is a different door into the same funnel.
The wider you cast your net, the more touch points you have – it provides opportunities. Give people the opportunity to discover your brand, let them start the journey with you as some of them will travel all the way to the bottom. This is your conversion rate!
Let’s break it down.
Top of the funnel: visibility
This is where people find you for the first time.
On social media. Your Pedddle listing. A market stall. A Google search. A friend mentioning your name. In the media.
You can’t control where someone enters. Some people arrive cold, they’ve never heard of you. Others arrive warm, someone they trust already pointed them your way.
Action: Can you make a list all the places a customer would find you?
Question: Are you happy with this list. Is it broad enough to capture many people but more specifically your people. Ideally you want a good list of relevant (and reputable) places.
To add to this, research suggests the number of touch points a customer needs with your business can range anywhere from 1 to 20, but that number is rising as people have more options and more noise to filter. Just a few more stats:
80% of sales happen somewhere between the 5th and 12th contact.
82% of customers view five or more pieces of content from a brand before making a purchase.
Awareness: they noticed you
They paused on your post. They looked at an item a little longer than everything else at your stall. They found your Pedddle page. They didn’t click through yet, but something registered. Most of these people are business strangers – they haven’t interacted with you and you don’t have their details yet!
They look around – people are getting better at navigating the web nowadays. So they may start on one page and end on another, this all forms part of your digital footprint directing them to the point your want them.
TIP: Make sure what they see in that first moment does you justice. A strong image, a clear bio, easy customer journey.
Engagement: they raise their hand
They followed you. Signed up to your newsletter. Saved a product. Added something to a wish list. Saved you to favourites.
This is permission. They want to hear more from you.
So many customers stay in this phase for a while, silently watching. But don’t let them! You need to move them to purchase, but how? Engage with them, deliver that newsletter, show them on Pedddle where they can find you next – draw them in on social media.
Action: Don’t go quiet. Show up regularly with something worth seeing, work in progress, new pieces, honest updates. And if someone joins your mailing list, welcome them with a greeting email.
Consideration: they’re almost there
They’re in your shop or at your stall. Reading descriptions. Checking shipping times. Looking at your photos closely. It’s sat in their basket. They read your reviews.
This phase can be longer than you want too – but their digging into your business needs to give them clarity.
They want to buy, they just need to feel sure.
Action: Clear product photos. Simple, honest descriptions. Visible delivery and returns info. Customer reviews on product listings, or Google/Trustpilot. Remove the hesitation.
Purchase: they bought
This is not the end of the funnel. It’s the start of the next one. This is where you want to make them your repeat purchaser or even your greatest advocate. Encourage them to share with other people and leave you a review.
Action: Make the experience memorable. Good packaging, a small note, a follow-up message. A great first purchase is the best reason to come back.
Advocacy: they tell people
This is the best thing that can happen to your business.
They post an unboxing. They gift your work and explain where it came from. They tag you in a photo. No ad does what a genuine recommendation does.
These people are your micro influencers. They pull brand new customers into the top of your funnel, already warm, already curious, already halfway sold.
Action: Create the conditions for it. Beautiful packaging, work that photographs well, an interaction worth remembering. You can’t force word of mouth, but you can make it easy.
Here’s an interesting article giving you a step by step guide on building your funnel.
Consider, if you are not a member of Pedddle already making Pedddle one aspect of your funnel. Our LIST+ membership is great for visibility of small businesses and for their SEO as we link back to your online stores and social media. In additional you can check in virtually to all your markets to let customer know where they can find you.