How To Make A Sales Funnel For Retail Stores
Retail businesses face unique challenges in attracting customers, driving foot traffic, and increasing online-to-offline conversions in an increasingly digital marketplace. A well-designed sales funnel can help retail stores capture local interest, showcase inventory, and convert browsing shoppers into paying customers. This guide will show you how to build, market, and implement a sales funnel specifically for your retail business.
If you're a retail store owner or marketing manager looking to increase store visits and sales while building customer loyalty, there are several excellent platforms that can help you build effective retail-focused sales funnels without requiring extensive technical knowledge.
The first step to making your retail sales funnel is choosing the right platform. However, selecting from numerous options can be overwhelming, especially when you're focused on inventory management and customer service. Keep reading this guide to see our suggested picks and a step-by-step guide to making a sales funnel for your retail store.
The Best Platforms For Retail Store Sales Funnels
When choosing a platform for your retail sales funnel, you need specific features that address the unique needs of brick-and-mortar businesses with online presence. The ideal platform should include product showcasing capabilities, local targeting options, in-store event promotion, and special offer delivery. It should also help you track online-to-offline conversions and build your customer database. Based on these requirements, we've ranked the top 5 platforms for retail store sales funnels:
1. ClickFunnels
Get started with ClickFunnels (Free Trial) ๐
ClickFunnels offers retailers a comprehensive solution with templates that can be customized for both product sales and store visit promotions. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create multi-step funnels that showcase featured merchandise, collect customer information, and promote in-store events or specials. ClickFunnels integrates with email marketing platforms and CRM systems while offering powerful automation features for customer follow-up. It provides a 14-day free trial to test all features.
2. Leadpages
Get Started with Leadpages (Free Trial) ๐
Leadpages offers user-friendly templates ideal for retail lead generation and promotion. Its alert bars and pop-ups are effective for promoting seasonal sales, new arrivals, or in-store events. Leadpages makes it easy to create lead magnets such as “Style Guides” or “Product Lookbooks” that provide value while capturing customer information for marketing.
3. Unbounce
Get started with Unbounce (Free Trial) ๐
Unbounce provides retailers with highly customizable landing pages perfect for specific product lines, seasonal collections, or special promotions. Its Smart Traffic feature automatically directs potential customers to the landing page variant where they're most likely to convert based on their interests. Unbounce excels at A/B testing different product presentations and offers to optimize conversion rates.
4. Instapage
Get started with Instapage (Free Trial) ๐
Instapage allows retail businesses to create personalized landing pages for different product categories or customer segments. Its collaboration features make it easy for retail marketing teams to work together on campaign creation. Instapage's heatmap analytics help identify which products or offers attract the most attention from potential customers.
5. Elementor
Get started with Elementor (Free Version Available) ๐
Elementor provides WordPress users with a flexible platform to create custom retail funnels. Its product showcase features, gallery displays, and countdown timers are particularly suited for retail promotions. The platform's free version offers sufficient functionality for many retail stores just getting started with digital marketing, with the Pro version adding features like popup builders and advanced form widgets.
Conclusion
After evaluating multiple platforms, ClickFunnels stands out as the best choice for retail stores due to its comprehensive approach combining product showcasing, customer capture, and promotion capabilities in one integrated system. While it requires a monthly investment, the potential return through increased foot traffic and sales can quickly justify the cost.
However, if you're working with a limited budget or already have a WordPress website, Elementor's free version provides an excellent starting point with many essential features for showcasing your retail products and promotions.
Now that we have identified our top choice, let's show you how to make a retail store sales funnel using ClickFunnels.
How to Make a Sales Funnel for Retail Stores Using ClickFunnels
Building an effective retail sales funnel involves bridging the online-to-offline gap while capturing customer information for ongoing marketing. The following steps will guide you through making a funnel that drives both immediate sales and long-term customer relationships.
Step 1: Sign Up for ClickFunnels
Create your account and take advantage of the 14-day free trial to explore all features before committing.
Step 2: Define Your Retail Store Strategy
Before building your funnel:
- Clarify your store's unique value proposition and target customer
- Identify your geographical service area for local targeting
- Determine your key product categories or signature items
- Gather high-quality product images and customer testimonials
- Plan your promotional calendar and special events
- This clarity will guide your funnel design and messaging strategy
Step 3: Make Your Store Showcase Landing Page
- Add a compelling headline highlighting your store's unique appeal
- Include a gallery of featured products or collections with high-quality images
- Add a brief video store tour or behind-the-scenes content
- Feature customer testimonials with specific shopping experiences
- Include store location with map and hours prominently
- Offer a valuable lead magnet (discount code, style guide, etc.)
- Create a simple form to capture name, email, and shopping preferences
- Add social proof like years in business, customer counts, or awards
Step 4: Design Your Lead Magnet Delivery Page
After visitors submit their information:
- Thank them for their interest in your store
- Provide immediate access to your promised offer or resource
- Include additional featured product showcases
- Add compelling reasons to visit your physical location
- Feature any current in-store specials or events
- Make it easy to get directions or store information
- Include social sharing options to extend your reach
Step 5: Build Your Online-to-Offline Bridge
Create clear pathways to physical visits:
- Exclusive in-store redemption offers
- Online reservation with in-store pickup options
- Virtual shopping appointments with staff
- In-store event registration
- Personal shopping or styling services
- Store visit scheduling with specialized staff
- Each with clear benefits for visiting in person
Step 6: Make Your Special Promotion Funnels
Design seasonal or special event campaigns:
- New collection or product launch announcements
- Holiday or seasonal sale promotions
- Store anniversary or milestone celebrations
- Exclusive shopping events or hours
- Trunk shows or vendor demonstrations
- Flash sales or limited-time offers
- Each with dedicated landing pages and urgency elements
Step 7: Develop Your Customer Segmentation System
Create targeted experiences for different customer types:
- First-time visitors vs. returning customers
- Product category preferences and interests
- Purchase history and average spend
- Geographic proximity to store
- Special occasion shoppers
- Style preferences or brand affinities
- Each with personalized messaging and offers
Step 8: Implement Follow-up Sequences
Set up automated email campaigns for:
- New subscriber welcome with store introduction
- Post-visit thank you messages with feedback requests
- Product care information and styling tips
- New arrival notifications based on preferences
- Special occasion reminders (birthdays, anniversaries)
- Re-engagement for lapsed customers
- VIP previews and exclusive offers
Step 9: Make Your In-Store Event Promotion System
Create dedicated funnels for:
- Product demonstrations or workshops
- Style shows or fashion events
- Meet-the-designer or expert visits
- Customer appreciation events
- Charity or community shopping events
- Sale previews or early access opportunities
- Each with registration capability and attendance reminders
Step 10: Build Your Loyalty and Retention Program
Design systems for maximizing customer lifetime value:
- Points accumulation and reward redemption
- VIP tier progression and benefits
- Birthday or anniversary recognition
- Early access to sales or new products
- Customer appreciation perks
- Friend referral incentives
- Personalized recommendations based on purchase history
Step 11: Create Your Cross-Sell and Upsell Funnels
Develop strategies for increasing average transaction value:
- Complementary product recommendations
- Complete-the-look or collection promotions
- Premium alternative suggestions
- Bundle or package deals
- Add-on services or product care items
- Exclusive limited-edition offerings
- Each with clear value messaging and urgency
Step 12: Measure, Track, and Optimize
Monitor key metrics to continuously improve performance:
- Online-to-offline conversion rates
- Lead capture cost by marketing channel
- Email engagement metrics
- Promotion redemption percentages
- Average transaction value from funnel-sourced customers
- Customer acquisition cost vs. lifetime value
- Return on ad spend by campaign and funnel type
By following these steps with ClickFunnels, retail stores can make an effective sales funnel that bridges the online-to-offline gap, drives store visits, increases sales, and builds a valuable customer database for ongoing marketing. This systematic approach helps brick-and-mortar retailers compete effectively in the digital marketplace while leveraging their physical presence as a competitive advantage.