Do you have an online business? Would you like to increase your online visibility and grow your business at a faster pace?
Well, if you answered yes, the truth is that you need both a website and a sales funnel.
A website is important for your business because it gives you an online presence. It helps to ensure that potential customers find you on Google. On the other hand, if you want to generate leads, automate your marketing and increase sales, you need a sales funnel.
Websites Vs Sales Funnels – What’s The Difference?
What is a website?
A website refers to a set of related web pages found under a single domain name. depending on the business, a website can consist of various pages including home page, about page, service page, contact page, just to mention, but a few.
Websites are created for various reasons. For instance, a website can be used to sell a product or service, blogging, article writing, among many other uses. A good website is one that is easy to navigate and user-friendly.
What are sales funnels?
A sales funnel is the step-by-step process your prospects go through from the initial contact until they become a buying customer. It portrays the sales process from the awareness stage to the action stage.
Pros & Cons of a Website
Ability to reach a wider audience
The first advantage of having a website for your business is its the ability to reach a wider audience. Billions of people from all over the world use the internet. What’s more, all these people are always looking for information, products or services.
So, with a website, you have the potential to reach online shoppers both locally and internationally. Internet shopping is on the rise and you will certainly grow and expand your business.
Accessible to many consumers
Without a website, business will not be visible on Google. Without a website, you are likely to lose potential customers because they are not aware your business exists.
So, having a website is critical because the name of your business, as well as your product or service, will appear on Google.
This can lead to someone landing on your website, particularly when you invest in Search Engine Optimization.
Builds credibility
A website that is designed well tends to instil confidence and build credibility. According to recent studies, at least 80% of consumers will Google a brand, product or service before making a purchasing decision.
Online customer reviews
There’s no greater way of building credibility than to have your happy customers talk about your brand, products or services. Testimonials from past consumers help to alleviate any fear that potential customers may have about your products and services. Reviews help to build trust among potential customers.
Showcase your work
A website gives you a platform to showcase your work and achievements. So, if you have received an award, appeared on a local daily or gained recognition in your locality for having great products or services, you can put up photos and videos so people can see what your business can do for them.
Makes engagement with target audience easy
A website allows you to respond to your visitor’s emails and comments promptly. In addition, you can use your blog section to inform people about your business.
You can also link all your social media sites directly to your website, which helps you to stay connected with all your consumers.
You’re able to interact and provide information to all your social media fans.
Disadvantages of Websites
Reliability
The information on your website may be misleading, particularly if you do not update it regularly.
Crashes and uptime
Your website may go down. As a result, potential customers will not be able to find you nor purchase from you, which means that you will miss potential sales.
It may be difficult to reach your target audience
There are numerous websites on the internet. So, the high level of competition, particularly within your niche market can hinder you from reaching your target audience.
Advantages of A Sales Funnel
Below are some reasons why you need a sales funnel for your online business:
Increases conversion rate
People moving down your funnel may decrease. However, people who stay in the funnel are more likely and willing to make a buying decision.
So, a sales funnel helps to filter non-targeted people, which helps to ensure that only those who are willing to make a purchase stay.
In other words, a sales funnel allows you to maintain a lasting connection with prospective customers at every stage of the purchasing cycle.
Builds trust
A sales funnel allows you to build trust with prospective customers and nurture until they make a purchasing decision.
Increases the lifetime value of customers
A sales funnel allows you to upsell and retain your customers. You will be able to sell to them on a regular basis, unlike in other business models where customers buy only once and never return.
It converts email subscribers easily
Building your sales funnel with email marketing at the core allows you to take advantage of email’s efficiency of driving sales to your online business. In other words, a sales funnel will allow you to use email to convince and convert your leads.
Increases sales
A sales funnel allows you to build a landing page for your product or service. One of the ways that a landing page drives sales is that it can have a contact form for lead generation.
What’s more, you can outline how your product or service will be beneficial to your potential customers. A sales copy helps to not only anticipate common questions but also answer them.
Informs you about products and services that do not sell
A sales funnel lets you identify products or services that are not selling well. So, you are able to make adjustments on your plan, as well as products to improve them.
What’s more, you will be able to replace or remove those products.
Disadvantages of a Sales Funnel
Can’t do blogging
A website allows you to do blogging regarding your product, service or for a content marketing strategy. However, sales funnel cannot do that. Trying to blog on a sales funnel would turn your sales funnel into a traditional website.
Directs people to what they need most
A website allows you to offer your visitors access to unlimited information before they can make a buying decision. However, a sales funnel directs your potential customers through stages of the most commonly asked questions and most commonly needed information.
In other words, your audience only sees the information you want them to see. Therefore, your leads may not have access to any extra information they might need to make a buying decision. It is not easy to address unique problems on a sales funnel.
Potential customers have to go through a bunch of products before they get what they want
If a prospective client needs a specific product or service you offer, and it is probably buried down within your funnel, they will not know that you have that product. As a result, they will not be able to buy from you.
If you would like more info on this topic then check out the video below.
Final Thoughts
A website and sales funnel are both important to your business. I believe this article will help you decide whether a website or sales funnel is the best for your business.
