business

What is a sales funnel, and how does it apply to online courses?

What is a sales funnel, and how does it apply to online courses?

As an online course creator, you know that creating a great course is only half the battle. The other half is getting people to actually purchase your course. That's where a sales funnel comes in.

So, what is a sales funnel, exactly? At its simplest, a sales funnel is the process a potential customer goes through from first hearing about your product to making a purchase. It's called a funnel because, like a funnel, the number of potential customers gets smaller and smaller as they move through the process.

Here's how it works. At the top of the funnel, you have people who are just learning about your course. They may have come across your website through social media, a Google search, or a referral from a friend. The goal at this stage is to get them interested in your course and give them a reason to learn more.

One common way to do this is by offering a lead magnet, such as a free mini-course or eBook, in exchange for their email address. This allows you to start building a relationship with them and nurturing them through the funnel.

Once you have their email address, you can start sending them targeted emails that provide more information about your course, address their pain points, and offer social proof in the form of testimonials from past customers.

As they continue to move through the funnel, you may offer them a low-cost tripwire, such as a discounted introductory course, to entice them to make their first purchase. This not only gets them to take action, but it also helps build trust and rapport with them.

From there, you can offer them your main course at the middle or bottom of the funnel. By this point, they've already received value from you, built trust in your brand, and are more likely to make a purchase.

But the sales funnel doesn't end there. After they've made a purchase, you can continue to offer them upsells and downsells, such as advanced courses or coaching, to increase their lifetime value and keep them engaged with your brand.

So, how does this apply to online courses? Well, a sales funnel is critical for selling online courses because it helps you build a relationship with potential customers, educate them about your course, and ultimately drive sales. Without a sales funnel, you're relying on random traffic to your website and hoping people will make a purchase.

In summary, a sales funnel is the process a potential customer goes through from first learning about your course to making a purchase. By nurturing them through the funnel with targeted emails, low-cost tripwires, and upsells and downsells, you can build trust, increase their lifetime value, and drive more sales for your online course.

Online courses