Boost Sales with an Omnichannel Funnel Strategy

As a business manager, you're probably always on the lookout for new ways to drive sales, build brand loyalty, and boost customer engagement. 

You're probably already familiar with the traditional sales funnel—where you draw in leads, nurture them with content, and then seal the deal. But here’s the thing: as the landscape of marketing continues to evolve, the old ways of doing business might not be enough anymore.

Consumers today are hopping between platforms, devices, and channels like never before. And if you're not there, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. This is where the concept of the omnichannel sales funnel comes into play. It's a fresh, smarter approach to guiding potential customers through their buying journey—one that ensures your brand is always there, no matter where your customers are.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the idea of an omnichannel sales funnel, explain why it’s so crucial to today’s marketing success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to make it work for your business. 

Ready to level up your marketing strategy? Let’s dive in.

What Exactly is an Omnichannel Sales Funnel?

Before we dive into the nuts and bolts of omnichannel marketing, let’s break it down into simple terms.

An omnichannel sales funnel is a marketing strategy that’s all about engaging with your customers across multiple channels—whether they’re browsing your website, interacting with you on social media, or walking into your brick-and-mortar store. It’s a holistic approach to guiding prospects from the very first moment they hear about your brand to the point where they become loyal customers.

The idea here isn’t just to make a sale—it’s about creating a seamless, interconnected experience for your customers across all touchpoints. The goal is to make their journey as smooth and consistent as possible, so they feel engaged, valued, and eager to return.

The Classic Funnel vs. the Omnichannel Funnel

You’ve probably seen the traditional funnel before: awareness at the top, consideration in the middle, and conversion at the bottom. The idea is that customers move through each stage in a linear fashion, from hearing about your brand to making a purchase.

Here’s the thing: consumers don’t always follow that neat little path anymore.

These days, the journey is much more dynamic. A customer might first discover your brand through a social media ad, then research your products on your website, and later see an email reminder or chat with a customer service rep. They might even ask their friends about your brand or pop into your store. They can skip stages, revisit previous steps, or jump around between channels. And through all of this, your brand needs to stay consistent and connected.

That’s where the omnichannel sales funnel comes in. It’s an approach that works with today’s multi-channel world, ensuring your messaging and customer experience stay intact, no matter how or where your customers engage with you.

Understanding the Customer Journey

If you want your omnichannel sales funnel to succeed, you need to start with a solid understanding of the customer journey. But here’s the trick: the customer journey is not as simple as it used to be. People don’t just make a purchase after one encounter with your brand.

Instead, customers today go through several stages—often hopping from channel to channel and platform to platform. Think about it like this:

• Awareness: A potential customer discovers your brand through an Instagram ad or a Google search.
• Consideration: They check out your website, read reviews, and compare products.
• Conversion: They finally make the purchase, maybe via your mobile app or in-store.
• Loyalty: After the purchase, they keep hearing from you via email or social media, keeping them engaged and encouraging repeat purchases.

Each of these stages is critical to the customer’s overall experience, and it’s up to you to ensure they have a smooth transition from one to the next.

Building Your Omnichannel Sales Funnel Step-by-Step

Now that you understand what an omnichannel sales funnel is and why it’s essential, let’s talk about how to actually build one for your business. Here’s a step-by-step process that will help guide you through it.

Step 1: Audience Segmentation

To start building a killer omnichannel sales funnel, you need to understand who your customers are. No, I don’t mean just their age or location—I mean really getting into the nitty-gritty of who they are and what makes them tick.

Segmentation is the key to creating targeted, personalized marketing efforts that will speak directly to each audience segment. The more you know about your audience, the better you can tailor your messaging.

For example, let’s say you sell athletic shoes. You could segment your audience into groups based on:

• Demographics: Age, gender, income, etc.
• Behavior: How often they buy sports gear, whether they prefer online or in-store shopping, etc.
• Psychographics: Their lifestyle, values, and interests (e.g., fitness enthusiasts vs. casual wearers).

By segmenting your audience, you’ll know which channel to use for each group, and what type of content resonates with them the most.

Step 2: Create Buyer Personas

Once you’ve segmented your audience, it’s time to get into the details with buyer personas. These are fictional representations of your ideal customers, based on real data and research.

A good buyer persona will cover things like:

• Name (even though it’s made-up)
• Demographics (age, job, location)
• Goals and challenges
• Shopping behaviours (online vs. in-store, social media usage, etc.)
• Pain points (what problems does your product solve for them?)

Creating detailed personas helps you understand what drives your customers at every stage of the funnel. These personas guide your content, messaging, and customer touch-points.

Step 3: Map Out the Customer Journey

Understanding the steps your customers take—from awareness to loyalty—will help you create content that’s relevant at every touchpoint. This process is called customer journey mapping.

For example, let's say Sarah, our customer, is a young professional who loves running. Her journey might look something like this:

1. Awareness: Sarah hears about your brand through an Instagram ad showing stylish running shoes.
2. Consideration: She visits your website to read reviews and compare your shoes with others.
3. Conversion: She purchases the shoes online after receiving an email with a discount code.
4. Loyalty: After receiving her shoes, she gets a thank-you email, a special offer for her next purchase, and an invitation to join your loyalty program.

By mapping Sarah’s journey, you can anticipate her needs at each stage and ensure she gets the right content, support, and engagement at the right time.

Step 4: Choose the Right Channels

Once you’ve mapped the customer journey, the next step is to choose the right marketing channels that align with each stage. These could include:

• Paid Ads (for awareness)
• Content Marketing (for consideration)
• Email Campaigns (for conversion)
• Social Media (for loyalty)

Different customers engage with different channels at different stages. For instance, Sarah might discover your brand on Instagram, do some research via Google, and then make the purchase on your website. Your job is to create a cohesive experience across all these channels.

Stage 1: Awareness – Getting On Their Radar

Alright, let’s start at the top of the funnel: Awareness.

At this stage, your main goal is to get noticed. You want your target audience to find out about your brand and the products or services you offer. This is where your marketing efforts need to work in full force to attract as many eyes as possible.

To drive awareness across your omnichannel funnel, consider using a combination of the following channels:

• Paid Ads: Think Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. These platforms let you target specific audience segments based on their behavior, demographics, and interests. The trick is to make your ads engaging and eye-catching so potential customers stop scrolling or browsing.
• Content Marketing: Write blogs, create engaging videos, and craft posts that address common problems your audience faces. For instance, if you sell running shoes, you could create content around “Best Shoes for Runners in 2024,” or “How to Prevent Running Injuries.” This content can live on your website or on platforms like YouTube.
• Social Media: This is a massive channel for brand awareness, especially for a younger audience. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are especially great for engaging your audience with fun, short-form content. Don't forget about user-generated content—when happy customers share about your products, it can help attract new buyers.
• SEO: Investing in search engine optimization (SEO) helps your brand get found when potential customers search for related keywords. Whether it's through blog posts, landing pages, or product descriptions, SEO ensures your content ranks higher on search engines like Google.

At this stage, remember that the goal isn’t to sell right away— it’s about making your brand visible and getting people to take that first step toward learning more about your products or services.

Stage 2: Consideration – Educating and Engaging

Now that people know about you, it’s time to educate them. The Consideration stage is all about providing value to your audience and showing them why your brand is the best option to meet their needs. This is where you nurture those initial interactions and move them closer to making a decision.

Here’s how you can guide them through the Consideration stage:

• Email Campaigns: Once you’ve captured a potential lead’s email (whether through a free download, special offer, or simply signing up for your newsletter), you can use targeted email campaigns to educate them about your products. A personalised email offering more information about your shoes, how they help improve running performance, or a customer testimonial can work wonders.
• Case Studies and Testimonials: Trust is huge in this stage. Customers want to know they’re making a smart choice. Highlight case studies, customer stories, or reviews that show how your product has solved problems for others. Whether it’s a blog post, a social media post, or a dedicated page on your website, proof of success will drive your customers closer to making a decision.
• Product Comparisons: At this point, your potential customers are comparing you with other options. Help them by offering product comparisons. For example, you could create content comparing your sneakers to competitors in terms of comfort, durability, and price. Transparency and detailed insights can help you win the consideration battle.
• Re-marketing Ads: Just because someone visited your site doesn’t mean they’re ready to buy right away. This is where re-marketing ads come in. These ads target people who have already interacted with your brand, showing them relevant content and nudging them back into the funnel. If Sarah visited your website but didn’t buy anything, remarketing ads for the same sneakers she looked at can bring her back.

At this stage, the customer is still deciding. They know about your product and they’re weighing their options. Your job is to provide enough valuable information to tip the scales in your favor.

Stage 3: Conversion – Closing the Deal

This is where the magic happens: Conversion.

By now, your potential customers are aware of your brand, and you’ve educated them on why your product is the best fit for their needs. Now, they’re ready to take the next step: make a purchase.

This is the point where the customer experience matters the most. You need to make the purchasing process easy, quick, and stress-free. If there are too many steps, too much friction, or too many distractions, you might lose them. Here’s how you can drive conversions in an omnichannel funnel:

• Simplify the Checkout Process: Whether customers are buying online or in-store, ensure the checkout process is smooth and straightforward. Offer multiple payment methods, including mobile wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay, and make sure it’s clear and simple to complete the purchase.
• Personalized Offers: Incentivize action with time-sensitive offers, like discounts or free shipping. For example, if Sarah has been eyeing your sneakers for a while, send her an email with a 10% off coupon to encourage her to complete her purchase. Personalised offers make the customer feel valued and can be the extra nudge they need.
• Mobile Optimization: More people are shopping on their phones than ever before. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing out. Ensure your site is optimized for mobile, so customers can easily browse, select, and purchase from any device.
• Live Chat and Support: Sometimes, customers have last-minute questions before making a purchase. Offering live chat support (whether via your website or social media) can provide immediate answers. People are more likely to buy if they feel supported and have all the information they need.

At this stage, your focus should be on removing barriers and making the process as easy as possible for the customer to say “yes.”

Stage 4: Loyalty – Turning One-Time Buyers into Lifelong Customers

Now that you’ve made the sale, don’t just sit back and relax. It’s time to build loyalty and turn Sarah (and every customer) into a repeat buyer.

Loyalty isn’t just about offering discounts. It’s about creating a connection with your customers and ensuring they have a great experience even after the purchase. Here’s how to keep them coming back for more:

• Follow-up Emails: After the sale, send a thank you email or a personalised message. Let your customer know you appreciate their business and remind them of the benefits they’ll get from using your product. You could also ask for a review or feedback.
• Loyalty Programs: Reward your customers for their repeat business. A loyalty program can be a great way to incentivize future purchases. For example, after Sarah buys her sneakers, offer her 10% off her next purchase or points she can redeem for discounts.
• Engage on Social Media: Keep the conversation going on social media. Share content that’s relevant to your customers even after they’ve made a purchase. Maybe share running tips, new sneaker releases, or user-generated content from customers showing off their new kicks.
• Exclusive Offers: Give your loyal customers first access to new products, special events, or exclusive discounts. This makes them feel valued and gives them a reason to keep engaging with your brand.

Conclusion

In today’s world, customers are everywhere—and they expect brands to meet them where they are, with the right message, at the right time. The omnichannel sales funnel is all about making sure you’re there for your customers at every stage of their journey.

By offering a seamless, integrated experience across all channels, from awareness to loyalty, you’ll not only drive conversions but also build long-lasting relationships with your customers. And the best part? As you refine your funnel and collect more data, you’ll continue to improve your strategy, making it easier to capture more leads, close more sales, and increase customer lifetime value.

So, business manager, are you ready to put the omnichannel sales funnel into action? Start with understanding your audience, map out their journey, and create content that speaks to them at each stage. With a solid omnichannel approach, you’ll see your customer engagement and sales skyrocket.