The Plain-Language Version

A marketing funnel is a model for describing how someone goes from not knowing your business exists to becoming a paying customer. It's called a funnel because a lot of people enter the top (awareness) and fewer make it all the way to the bottom (purchase). The classic stages are: Awareness (they find out you exist), Consideration (they research and compare options), and Decision (they choose to buy or hire you).

Does Your Small Business Need One?

You already have one — you just may not have thought about it deliberately. Every customer who calls you went through some version of these stages. They found you (awareness), evaluated you (consideration), and chose you (decision). The question isn't whether you have a funnel. It's whether you're being intentional about each stage.

For most small businesses, the most common funnel gaps are: awareness (not enough people know you exist), and conversion (people find you but don't take action). Your Google Business Profile, your reviews, your website, and your social media presence all play roles in different stages of this journey.

→ Read more: The Small Business Marketing Checklist: Where to Start

Practical Takeaway

You don't need to build a complicated automated funnel with email sequences and lead magnets to run a successful small business. What you do need is to make sure that at each stage of the customer journey — from first search to first call — your business gives people a reason to take the next step.

Want to identify where your customer journey is breaking down? Schedule a free consultation at jpetrous.com | contact@jpetrous.com | 586-563-6634.