funnel Archives - FunnelEnvy

Common Sense Personalization Examples

The MuleSoft example

Let’s look at an example of some common sense personalization ideas. We will use MuleSoft.com, a B2B provider of multiple software products, as an example.

First a disclaimer. MuleSoft is not a FunnelEnvy customer and I have no insider knowledge of their business or marketing. What I’m suggesting below are insights based on what I can determine from their website, with a healthy dose of assumptions included.

MuleSoft’s featured product, Anypoint Platform™, seems to follow a relatively standard SaaS buyer journey which includes a free trial. We can use this to put some definition around the activities that define our STDC intent clusters:

Cluster	Behavioral Criteria
See	New visitor coming to the site with no prior engagement history
Think	Visitor actively engaging with solution specific content
Do	Submitted free trial form or ask an expert form
Care	Paying customer who is having success

We can learn a lot from the technologies that MuleSoft is using on their site. They have Demandbase and Engagio, so it’s safe to say that Account Based Marketing (ABM) is a strategic priority. Since they’ve adopted ABM it’s also very likely that they have defined account tiers grouped by potential value to the business.

The navigation bar gives us clues about some of the other Account based attributes that they care about. Under the Solutions menu they list resources by initiative, integration, technology, and industry.

Digging around in MuleSoft’s training offerings helps us identify the individual roles within the accounts that they can market to as well.

With this information we can put together a contextual framework to evaluate MuleSoft’s website experience. As you can see there are a lot of variables to consider!

Rather than UX improvements or content suggestions, we’d like to personalize the entire experience – messaging, value propositions, and next best action based on an individual visitor context. Let’s look at how we might improve MuleSoft’s web experience with some of this context in mind.

The “See” Cluster

The home page is often one of the most highly trafficked pages, usually with a high volume of direct and organic (branded) search traffic. As a result, it generally has pretty generic top of the funnel content and often serves as a “traffic cop” – funnelling visitors to the sections of the site with more specific content.

What if instead of the headline, copy and CTA we could replace it with something that better reflected the visitor’s intent?

Visitor intent: Explore Government IT solutions

Visitor intent: Understand Salesforce integration possibilities

Visitor intent: Accelerate ecommerce integration

Visitor intent: Try Anypoint Platform

The three content boxes below the home page CTA could similarly be personalized based on intent. MuleSoft also has an extensive resource collection of case studies, ebooks, whitepapers and webinars. The featured content at the top of the page is prime real estate to showcase personalized content.

Accomplishing the “See” cluster

A common question that we get is how do we actually know enough about “anonymous” visitors (ones who haven’t filled out a form) to be able to personalize for them?

We’re looking for signals that could inform the right experience, and it turns out there are more than you might think. Think about how users get to the website. If you’re running ads you’re probably already segmenting based on intent and other relevant characteristics. It’s now become common for marketers to personalize landing pages, but keep in mind that visitors that hit your landing pages might browse to other areas of the site or return in subsequent sessions.

As an example MuleSoft is running search ads. Many of them provide clear signal as to the intent of the visitor who clicks through. These can be used to personalize not only the home page, but also the home page, content pages, and to take them deeper in the content journey.

Using data from incoming clicks doesn’t have to be limited to ads. Referring sites can be great indicators of customer context as well.

An article that links to MuleSoft.com. Visitors that come it are likely to be interested in MuleSoft’s Microservices offerings.

Organic search result that links to a specific MuleSoft content page. In this case the combination of referrer (Google) and landing page is a signal of customer interest.

There are third party data providers that can provide information on anonymous visitors as well. These include Demandbase (firmographic data from reverse IP lookup) and Bombora (B2B intent). If you have the budget these can also be incorporated into a model to inform personalized experiences. Even if you don’t have one of these data providers the underlying input (e.g. IP address) can be used as signal in a predictive model.

The “Think” Cluster

The requirement to be in the Think cluster is that the visitor is in the target market and has shown some commercial intent. In B2B that often means that they’ve returned to the site and engaged with more commercially oriented content, and likely filled out a gated content form. That could also mean that multiple visitors have come to the site from the same account.

We want to continue to provide these visitors with relevant content that continues to engage them, but also give them on-ramps to take the next step. In MuleSoft’s case, this “next best action” is either starting the free trial or talking to sales. Since we may also have information about the visitor’s account and role we can incorporate that into the experience and call to action. For example, we may want developers to start the trial, but IT managers at large accounts to talk to sales.

Changing the copy and CTA for a developer (end user) to encourage them to start the free trial.

If the visitor is an engaged decision maker we can present them with more specific content and a CTA that takes them directly to a Contact Sales form.

Accomplishing the “Think” cluster

As we’ve seen with behavioral data, the content that visitor engages with on site could be a strong indicator of customer intent. If a visitor has shown repeat engagement with content, and specifically engagement with content that indicates some commercial intent, they are likely to be in the “Think” cluster.

MuleSoft has a relatively large content library, and some it can be indicative of a higher intent to purchase.

A “thought leadership” ebook (left) vs an analyst report with vendor comparisons (right). The analyst report likely demonstrates higher commercial intent.

Remember that we don’t have to manually identify and evaluate each piece of content for commercial intent. We’re just looking for the machine to identify and correlate signals to outcomes. All we have to do is throw is therefore throw all of the content URLs into our model and evaluate which experiences actually convert.

Another rich set of data for the Think cluster is in our 1st party data platforms, specifically marketing automation and CRM. Most marketing automation platforms cookie every visitor which can be used to connect a website visitor to a lead record. The accounts in your CRM database can also be associated with visitors though it requires an extra step – at FunnelEnvy we usually make that connection using the marketing automation cookie or via the inferred domain from a reverse IP provider.

Website behavior as well as lead and account attributes evaluated against conversion outcomes can provide solid evidence that a customer is in the Think cluster.

The “Do” Cluster

Visitors in the “Do” cluster have shown strong commercial intent. This goes beyond filling out a form for a piece of content, they’ve demonstrated an interest in engaging in the sales process. Traditionally this is where marketing would have taken a “hands off” approach (it’s a sales problem now!) but that’s no longer sufficient.

For MuleSoft we’ve defined strong commercial intent as having submitted a Contact Us (sales) form or started the free trial. In the time between this conversion and a deal closing, the focus is often on continuing to educate the prospect, expand the champions in the account and alleviate concerns about value and cost. Effectively engaging customers in this cluster should result in higher deal velocity and overall conversion rate from qualified lead to revenue.

For a product like MuleSoft, the prospect will likely be asking certain questions depending on their role:

What support options are available relative to what I need?
What have effective implementations at similar companies looked like?
How much and what kind of training will our developers require?
What professional services or partner resources are available for implementation?

MuleSoft’s website has quite a bit of relevant content that can be both personalized and highlighted for these types of questions. All of the context that we’ve established up to this point can and should be used as well, including initiative, vertical and job function.

MuleSoft support plans can be personalized by highlight the recommended support plan and providing additional details based on the account.

MuleSoft has an opportunity to showcase partners based on what they know about the account and the specific opportunity being discussed.

Highlight training opportunities based on visitor role and surface them on higher traffic pages of the site.

Another relevant content option for customers who are considering purchasing Mulesoft might be to personalize the resources in the nav bar or replace the explainer video on the home page with recommended content related to these topics.

For prospects who have started a free trial one of the most effective strategies is to get them to engage and successfully complete certain tasks. In app engagement generally has a strong correlation to retention and in this case conversion to a paid plan. This seems to be true in MuleSoft’s case as they have a robust onboarding tutorial when a first time user logs into the trial.

Marketers often put a lot of effort into establishing intent before sign up but that doesn’t always carry over into the experience post conversion. If, for example, the visitor was interested in Salesforce integration the onboarding process could direct them towards relevant functionality once they were in the app.

Obviously not everyone is going to complete the onboarding and many will exit the app before completing a desired action. When these visitors come back to the site they could prompt visitors to sign back in and complete it.

Accomplishing the “Do” Cluster

In our example, visitors in the “Do” cluster have either filled out a contact sales form or started a free trial. These signals can be established behaviorally, but most likely you would integrate marketing automation, CRM or application data to the experience to incorporate a richer set of attributes.

For some of the examples in this cluster, an audience based approach combined with predictions can work well. A predictive model is going to show suboptimal experiences to some visitors, as in an A/B test that’s actually feature because you’re trying to explore and learn what correlates to conversion.

Sometimes you will want to restrict the range of possible “guesses” made by the predictive model, especially in the case where certain experiences clearly wouldn’t be applicable or there’s some other hard business constraint.

In situations where you have “hard constraints”, such as if a customer is in the free trial, the inherent error rate of the a purely predictive model may not be appropriate. In this case you could setup an audience for free trial users and then run a predictive decisioning model within that audience.

The “Care” Cluster

Customers in the “Care” cluster are your most loyal advocates. In SaaS solutions, not only are they paying for the solution but they’re also having demonstrable success with it. Visitors in this cluster are prime candidates for expansion and referrals, but may also need more advanced services and support.

As an organization pursuing Account-Based Marketing and Sales, MuleSoft has an opportunity to provide more value for and penetrate more deeply into their Care cluster accounts. When visitors in this cluster come to their website they could present a completely different homepage experience.

Salesforce changes the homepage experience between new visitors (left) and existing customers (right)

MuleSoft has several opportunities to deliver more value to existing customers through a personalized homepage experience. This could be in the form of:

Features that the customer are being underutilized and the customer could get more value out of.
Promoting services or partners that might be able to help the customer.
Highlighting training and certification options relevant to the visitor’s role.
Building the community by promoting location specific events.

KPIs that are relevant to the care cluster include engagement, expansions, renewals and referrals. Some of these may not be owned by the marketing team, but they’re certainly relevant to the company.

Accomplishing the “Care” Cluster

Once a customer is in the Care cluster you generally have a lot more first party data about them. This can include CRM data, but potentially also application behavior, customer support history, and success metrics. You’re trying to inform your decisions with a more holistic view of the customer, their interactions with your company and solution.

In Conclusion

If you’re struggling to understand why the same lead form and marketing automation nurture you’ve had on your website for years are not working as well as they once did take a step back because the rules of the game might have shifted underneath you.

We can’t assume the same uniformity of customer intent that we once could – and that has significant implications for experiences that we deliver across channels and particularly on the website. To deliver better outcomes it actually helps to go back to Marketing 101 – right message, right person, right time and identify the solutions and processes that will help us get there at scale.

By James Niehaus|2025-05-12T04:36:47-07:00May 11th, 2025|Revenue Funnel Optimization, Conversion Rate Optimization|0 Comments

Identifying and Fixing B2B Top-of-Funnel Weaknesses to Improve Lead Quality

The top of the funnel (TOFU) sets the foundation for successful B2B lead generation. It’s where potential customers first engage with your brand, making it a crucial stage in shaping lead quality. A strong TOFU strategy attracts the right audience, educates them, and primes them for deeper engagement.

Without a well-optimized TOFU, businesses risk wasting marketing budgets on unqualified leads, experiencing higher churn rates, and missing out on valuable opportunities to nurture prospects into long-term customers.

However, many B2B marketing teams struggle with top-of-funnel inefficiencies, leading to poor-quality leads, wasted marketing spend, and lower conversion rates. Common challenges include misaligned targeting, ineffective content, and a lack of clear intent signals from prospects. Addressing these weaknesses is essential for improving lead quality and maximizing return on investment.

Recognizing Top-of-Funnel Weaknesses

Many businesses make the mistake of focusing on TOFU lead quantity rather than quality. While high lead volume can appear promising, a lack of lead qualification early in the funnel leads to inefficiencies further down the pipeline. This is why TOFU strategies must incorporate detailed audience segmentation, educational content, and engagement-driven marketing techniques. Businesses that excel in TOFU marketing create lasting relationships with potential customers, fostering trust and positioning their brand as a valuable resource long before the sales conversation begins.

To fix TOFU inefficiencies, analyze key metrics that indicate lead quality and engagement.

Traffic sources: Identify which channels drive the most visitors and assess their conversion potential. Paid traffic might generate high volume but could be missing the right intent signals.

Bounce rates: High bounce rates suggest that content isn’t resonating with your target audience. If key pages have a bounce rate above 70%, it may indicate a disconnect between messaging and audience expectations.

Time on page and engagement metrics: Low engagement levels indicate that content may not be relevant or compelling enough. If visitors spend less than 30 seconds on a page, they likely aren’t finding value in the content.

Lead-to-Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) conversion rate: If a high percentage of leads fail to progress beyond the initial stage, your targeting or messaging may need refinement. Consider MQL improvement steps, including refining your audience segmentation and adjusting your content strategy.

Beyond analytics, conduct qualitative reviews of your audience targeting and content strategy. Are you attracting decision-makers or unqualified visitors? Does your content align with their needs and pain points? Understanding these gaps allows you to refine your TOFU approach and attract leads that are more likely to convert.

Strategies to Improve Targeting

Effective targeting is the key to enhancing TOFU lead quality. Refining buyer personas and leveraging intent data can help ensure you reach the right audience.

Optimize Buyer Personas: Reassess your ideal customer profiles by incorporating insights from sales teams and customer data. Consider firmographics, pain points, and decision-making processes to align messaging with high-value prospects. Using AI-powered audience segmentation tools can refine personas further by analyzing behavioral patterns.
Leverage Intent Data: Use behavioral data, engagement signals, and third-party intent sources to identify prospects actively researching solutions. Intent-driven targeting ensures your messaging reaches those with a higher likelihood of conversion. Platforms like Bombora, G2, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator provide insight into prospect behavior.
Refine Content Strategy: Create content that speaks directly to your target audience’s needs. Case studies, industry reports, and educational blog posts can build trust and encourage further engagement.
Use Predictive Analytics: AI-driven predictive analytics can analyze historical data and identify patterns in lead behavior. This enables more precise targeting and personalized outreach, ensuring marketing efforts focus on prospects with higher conversion potential.
Segment Audiences for Personalization: Instead of treating all leads equally, segment them based on industry, company size, and engagement levels. Personalized campaigns tailored to specific segments lead to higher engagement and improved conversion rates.
Align Sales and Marketing Efforts: Ensure both teams have a shared definition of a qualified lead and use feedback loops to refine targeting. Regular check-ins between marketing and sales teams help improve lead scoring and campaign effectiveness. When sales and marketing align, lead qualification criteria become clearer, reducing friction in the funnel and ensuring better conversion rates.
Invest in Account-Based Marketing (ABM): ABM strategies enable hyper-focused engagement with high-value accounts, increasing the likelihood of conversion. Combining ABM with intent-based targeting further enhances TOFU efficiency.

Successful TOFU campaigns often integrate these strategies. For example, SaaS companies using intent-driven advertising combined with personalized content recommendations have seen significant improvements in lead quality. Testing different targeting approaches and continuously optimizing campaigns based on performance data will ensure sustained success.

Implementing Solutions to Boost Lead Quality

Once you’ve refined targeting, optimizing engagement tactics to drive high-quality leads through the funnel is the next step. Several strategies can help enhance TOFU effectiveness.

Gated Content & Lead Magnets: Offering valuable resources, such as whitepapers or webinars, in exchange for contact details ensures that only engaged prospects enter the pipeline. Ensure the content addresses a key challenge and provides actionable insights to encourage deeper engagement.
Personalized Landing Pages: Tailoring landing pages based on industry, role, or intent increases relevance and conversion rates. Dynamic landing pages that adjust copy and visuals based on visitor behavior have been shown to increase conversions.
A/B Testing & Iteration: Experiment with different messaging, CTAs, and content formats to determine what resonates most with your audience. For example, testing a long-form landing page versus a shorter one could reveal preferences that improve conversion rates.
Data-Driven Adjustments: Regularly review analytics and adjust campaigns based on engagement patterns and conversion trends.
Retargeting and Nurturing Campaigns: Use remarketing ads and personalized email sequences to keep your brand top-of-mind. Prospects engaging with TOFU content but not immediately converting may need further nurturing before moving down the funnel.
Chatbots and Interactive Experiences: AI-powered chatbots and interactive content (like quizzes or assessments) can increase engagement and qualify leads early in the funnel, ensuring only high-intent prospects progress.

B2B marketers who implement these solutions see consistent improvements in lead quality and conversion rates. A combination of audience refinement, content optimization, and iterative testing ensures that top-of-funnel marketing efforts generate leads that align with business goals.

Addressing top-of-funnel weaknesses is essential for improving lead quality and optimizing B2B marketing efforts. Businesses can ensure their marketing spend translates into high-value leads by analyzing key metrics, refining audience targeting, and implementing data-driven strategies. A well-optimized TOFU strategy attracts the right prospects and sets the stage for stronger engagement and higher conversions.

Are You Ready to See Improved Funnel Performance?

Confused about where your funnel is leaking? To make data-driven optimizations easier, FunnelEnvy provides a Full Funnel Audit service. An optimized funnel requires technical expertise and a holistic approach. That’s where we come in. Our audit includes:

21-day delivery guarantee
Precise plans & instructions
Comprehensive end-to-end audit

Request your full funnel audit today!

By Kala P|2025-04-03T17:29:02-07:00April 14th, 2025|Uncategorized|0 Comments

How to Increase Traffic to Your B2B Lead Generation Pages

Driving relevant traffic to your B2B lead generation pages is the lifeblood of successful marketing campaigns. Without a steady stream of qualified visitors, even the most well-designed landing pages and compelling offers can underperform. However, increasing traffic in the B2B space has challenges, including longer sales cycles, niche target audiences, and the need for highly tailored messaging.

To overcome these obstacles, B2B marketers need a strategic, multi-channel approach. From leveraging search engine optimization (SEO) to targeted paid campaigns, here are proven strategies for increasing traffic to lead generation pages and boosting conversions.

Optimizing for Search Engines and Keywords

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a cornerstone of driving organic traffic to your B2B lead generation pages. A strategic focus on high-intent keywords, combined with technical optimization, ensures your pages attract the right audience at the right time.

Identify High-Intent B2B Keywords

High-intent keywords signal that a prospect is ready to engage or take action. Instead of generic terms like “marketing tools,” aim for specific phrases such as “B2B marketing automation software” or “lead generation services for SaaS companies.”

Use Data to Guide Keyword Selection: Leverage tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to find keywords with a balance of search volume and competitiveness. Look for terms your competitors rank for and seek untapped opportunities in niche markets.
Incorporate Long-Tail Keywords: Long-tail keywords often have lower competition and higher conversion potential. For example, “How to increase lead conversion for SaaS” might drive more relevant traffic than “SaaS lead generation.”

Optimize On-Page Elements

Once you’ve identified target keywords, implement them strategically across your lead generation pages.

Key areas to focus on include:

Title Tags. Ensure they include your primary keyword and communicate value (e.g., “Boost SaaS Conversions: Proven Lead Generation Strategies”).
Meta Descriptions. Write compelling descriptions that encourage clicks while incorporating secondary keywords.
Headings and Subheadings. Use H1, H2, and H3 tags to structure your content, incorporating keywords naturally into these sections.

In addition to these tips, Funnel Envy offers an affordable solution for low-converting forms. You can learn more about our Custom Lead Forms Offer here.

Improve Content Relevance and Quality

Google prioritizes content that delivers value to users. Ensure your lead generation pages provide detailed, actionable insights tailored to your audience’s needs. Include elements like:

FAQs addressing common concerns or objections.
Case Studies showcasing real-world results.
Data-driven insights supported by charts, graphs, or statistics.

Enhance Technical SEO

Beyond content, technical SEO plays a critical role in ensuring your pages rank well:

Page Speed Optimization. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to ensure your lead-generation pages load quickly. Slow-loading pages can drive potential leads away.
Mobile Responsiveness. As more professionals use mobile devices for research, ensuring that your pages are fully optimized for mobile browsing is more crucial than ever.
Internal Linking. Link to relevant blog posts or case studies to keep visitors engaged and guide them toward conversion points.

Measure and Iterate to Boost Traffic

SEO is an ongoing process. Use analytics tools to monitor how your lead generation pages perform:

Organic Traffic Growth. Track which keywords are driving traffic to your site.
Bounce Rate and Dwell Time. Analyze how visitors engage with your content and make improvements to retain their interest.
Conversion Rates. Evaluate whether the traffic from SEO efforts is translating into actionable leads and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Leveraging Paid Campaigns and Retargeting

Paid campaigns and retargeting are essential for B2B marketers aiming to drive targeted traffic to lead-generation pages. Using a data-driven approach, you can maximize the return on ad spend (ROAS) and ensure your campaigns reach the right audience.

Optimize for High-Intent B2B Audiences

Successful paid campaigns start with identifying your ideal audience. Platforms like Google Ads and LinkedIn allow precise targeting based on job titles, industries, and company size. For B2B lead generation, focus on intent-based keywords that indicate interest in solutions rather than general research terms. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify long-tail keywords that reflect specific pain points your audience is searching to solve.

Leverage A/B Testing for Campaign Refinement

A/B testing is crucial for improving the performance of your paid campaigns. Test different ad copy, visuals, and calls to action (CTAs) to identify what resonates best with your audience. For example, one ad version might highlight your solution’s ROI benefits, while another emphasizes ease of implementation. Regularly analyze metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and cost per acquisition (CPA) to refine your strategy.

Advanced Retargeting Techniques

Retargeting is an effective way to re-engage visitors who didn’t convert on their first visit. Segment your audience based on behavior, such as pages visited or resources downloaded, and create personalized ads tailored to their interests. For example, a visitor who browsed a pricing page may respond well to an ad promoting a free demo or consultation.

Platforms like LinkedIn and Google Ads make it easy to set up retargeting campaigns to bring these high-intent visitors back to your lead-generation pages.

Drive Engagement with Content Marketing and Social Media

High-quality content and strategic social media engagement can significantly boost traffic to your lead-generation pages. You can establish authority and drive meaningful engagement by tailoring your approach to meet your audience’s specific needs.

Create Content that Aligns with the Buyer’s Intent

Develop content that speaks directly to your audience’s challenges at different buyer journey stages.

Awareness Stage: Publish blog posts and infographics that address common industry pain points.
Consideration Stage: Offer whitepapers, eBooks, or comparison guides to help decision-makers evaluate solutions.
Decision Stage: Provide case studies or webinars showcasing your client’s success stories.

Repurpose existing content into multiple formats, such as turning a blog post into a LinkedIn carousel or a video series, to maximize reach and engagement.

Utilize Social Media Platforms Strategically

LinkedIn remains the go-to platform for B2B marketers. Tools like LinkedIn Ads and Lead Gen Forms enable precise audience targeting and seamless lead capture. Use LinkedIn’s analytics to refine your strategy based on engagement metrics like likes, shares, and conversions.

Other platforms, like Twitter and YouTube, can complement your LinkedIn efforts by amplifying content reach. For instance, sharing webinar snippets on YouTube or hosting Twitter Spaces on industry trends can drive traffic back to your website.

A Multi-Channel Approach for Increasing Traffic to Your B2B Landing Pages

Driving traffic to your B2B lead generation pages requires a holistic, multi-channel approach. From optimizing for search engines and leveraging paid campaigns to engaging audiences through high-quality content and social media, each channel plays a crucial role in capturing and converting leads.

If your business struggles to increase traffic to your landing pages, FunnelEnvy can help. Watch our video and learn how to elevate your landing page performance in 30 days using proven form plays from top marketers.

By Kala P|2025-05-12T04:37:19-07:00January 20th, 2025|Lead Management|0 Comments

Top-of-Funnel Optimization: Strategies to Boost MQL Volume

Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) fuel a successful B2B marketing and sales funnel. Leads who have shown genuine interest in your product or service form the foundation for future sales opportunities. Without a steady flow of top-of-funnel MQLs, businesses struggle to sustain a robust sales pipeline.

This post explains how to boost MQL volume by optimizing your top-of-funnel strategies. Whether you’re a SaaS or B2B organization, these actionable tips will help you attract and qualify more leads.

Top of Funnel Opportunities

The top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) in the context of Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) refers to the initial stage of the buyer’s journey, where businesses aim to attract and engage potential prospects who may eventually become qualified leads. At this stage, the focus is on generating awareness and interest through strategies like content marketing, social media outreach, and targeted advertising.

TOFU activities are designed to provide value and educate audiences about solutions to their pain points without overtly promoting a product or service. Effective TOFU strategies help identify individuals who demonstrate genuine interest and align with the business’s target criteria, ultimately nurturing them into MQLs ready for further engagement and conversion down the funnel.

Understanding MQLs

An MQL is a prospect engaged with your marketing efforts and meets specific criteria that suggest potential interest in your offerings. Unlike general website visitors, MQLs show intent through actions such as downloading a whitepaper, signing up for a webinar, or filling out a form.

Businesses define MQLs based on demographic data, firm characteristics (e.g., company size, industry), and behavioral signals. For example, an MQL for a SaaS company might be a decision-maker at a mid-sized tech firm that frequently visits your website and subscribes to your newsletter.

Qualifying leads at this stage is critical because it ensures your sales team focuses on prospects most likely to convert. Without clear criteria for identifying MQLs, marketing efforts become scattered, and valuable opportunities slip through the cracks.

Optimizing Your Website for Lead Generation

Your website is the first touchpoint for many potential leads. A well-optimized site ensures visitors quickly find the information they need and take action, such as filling out a form or downloading a resource. Here are some more tips:

Simplify Website Navigation: Clear, intuitive menus help users explore your site without frustration. Group information logically and ensure critical pages like “Services” and “Contact” are easily located.

Optimize Landing Pages: Each landing page should have one clear purpose. Use concise headlines, compelling copy, and a single call-to-action (CTA). Remove distractions like unnecessary links to keep users focused on converting.

Leverage CTAs and Lead Capture Forms: Place CTAs strategically throughout your site. Use engaging language like “Get Your Free Demo” or “Download the Guide.” Keep lead capture forms short—only ask for essential information like name, email, and job title to reduce friction.

Content Marketing Strategies

Content marketing builds trust and attracts leads who are actively seeking solutions. By offering valuable, informative content, you position your business as an authority while guiding prospects into your funnel. Here are some places to start:

Create High-Quality, Relevant Content. Create customer journeys for your ideal personas. Focus on topics that address common pain points in your industry. For example, a blog titled “Top CRM Features for SaaS Companies” targets decision-makers actively searching for a solution.

Use Various Content Formats. Offer a mix of blog posts, whitepapers, and case studies to appeal to different preferences. Whitepapers attract leads in the research stage, while case studies showcase real-world results and build credibility.

Prioritize SEO. Optimize your content for search engines to increase visibility. Use keywords like “B2B Top-of-Funnel Optimization” naturally within your content and meta descriptions. Include internal links to keep readers engaged and guide them to conversion-focused pages.

Creating and sharing targeted content attracts more qualified prospects ready to engage with your business.

Leveraging Data and Analytics

Data is a powerful tool for understanding your audience and improving your marketing strategies. You can refine your approach to maximize MQL generation by analyzing user behavior and campaign performance with the following tactics:

Track Key Metrics: Use analytics tools like Google Analytics or HubSpot to monitor website traffic, bounce rates, and conversion rates. Identify which pages and campaigns drive the most MQLs.

A/B Test for Improvements: Experiment with different elements of your campaigns, such as email subject lines, CTA copy, or landing page layouts. Minor adjustments can significantly impact conversion rates.

Implement Lead Scoring: Assign scores to leads based on their behavior and characteristics. For example, downloading a whitepaper may indicate higher interest than visiting a blog. Use this data to prioritize leads most likely to convert.

Email Marketing Tactics

Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to nurture leads and drive conversions. A well-crafted email campaign can guide prospects through the funnel and increase their likelihood of becoming an MQL. Below are the basics for a compelling email marketing campaign:

Segment Your Audience: Divide your email list based on factors like industry, role, or behavior. This allows you to send targeted messages that resonate with specific groups.

Write Compelling Emails: Focus on clear, engaging subject lines and concise copy that highlights the value of your offer. Use visuals sparingly to support your message without overwhelming the reader.

Automate Lead Nurturing: Set up email sequences that deliver timely content based on user actions. For example, a prospect downloading a guide might receive a follow-up email with a webinar invitation.

Social Media and Paid Advertising

Social media and paid ads amplify your reach and attract new leads into your funnel. By targeting the right audience, you can increase MQL volume effectively.

Engage on Social Media: Share content on platforms where your audience is active, such as LinkedIn for B2B professionals. Use posts to promote resources like blog articles or whitepapers.

Run Targeted Ad Campaigns: Use platforms like Google Ads or LinkedIn Ads to reach prospects based on their job titles, industries, or interests. Focus on campaigns that drive traffic to specific landing pages with strong CTAs.

Retarget Lost Leads: Use retargeting campaigns to re-engage visitors who didn’t convert on their first visit. Offer an incentive, like a free consultation or exclusive content, to encourage them to return.

Moving Ahead with Strategies to Boost MQLs

Boosting MQL volume requires a strategic, multi-channel approach. By optimizing your website, leveraging content and analytics, running effective campaigns, and collaborating with industry partners, you can attract more qualified leads and drive business growth.

Are you confused about where your funnel is leaking? You’re not alone. An optimized funnel requires technical expertise and a holistic approach. That’s where we come in. Our Full Funnel Audit helps you turn your funnel into a conversion machine in just 21 days, with precise plans & instructions and a comprehensive end-to-end audit.

By Kala P|2025-05-12T04:37:16-07:00December 23rd, 2024|Full-Funnel Optimization|0 Comments

Creating Mobile-Friendly B2B Lead Gen Forms for Better Conversions

Mobile devices are indispensable tools for professionals to research, communicate, and make purchasing decisions in today’s digital landscape. B2B SaaS companies are no exception. Today, mobile-first strategies are an essential part of the marketing tools mix.

The goal is clear: ensure your lead generation forms are fully optimized for mobile users to capture more leads for sales teams and improve conversion rates. This blog post will guide you through the best practices for creating mobile-friendly B2B lead gen forms that can turn mobile traffic into valuable leads.

Why Mobile Optimization Matters for Lead Gen Forms

As mobile usage continues to dominate the digital space, B2B audiences now rely on their smartphones and tablets to perform tasks traditionally done on desktops.

This trend means that if you don’t optimize your lead forms for mobile, you’re more likely to lose out on a substantial portion of potential leads.

Impact on Mobile Lead Generation Conversion Rates

The consequences of non-optimized forms are stark. Contact forms that aren’t mobile-friendly can lead to frustration, high abandonment rates, and, ultimately, missed opportunities. A form that requires excessive scrolling, has tiny buttons, or demands too much information can quickly deter a mobile user from completing it.

Contact forms that aren't mobile-friendly can lead to frustration, high abandonment rates, and, ultimately, missed opportunities. Share on X

On the other hand, mobile-optimized lead forms are simple, quick, and intuitive, significantly reducing drop-offs and increasing the likelihood of conversion.

By optimizing for mobile, you’re catering to a growing segment of your audience and positioning your lead gen strategy to capture and convert leads more effectively, directly impacting your bottom line.

Designing Mobile-Friendly Lead Gen Forms

When it comes to lead generation forms, less is more, especially on mobile. The key is to minimize the number of fields required to complete the form, focusing only on the essential information needed to qualify a lead.

Every additional field is a potential friction point that could cause a user to abandon the form. By keeping it simple and concise, you make it easier for users to complete the form quickly, which can lead to higher conversion rates.

Responsive Design

A genuinely mobile-friendly form adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes and orientations. Responsive design ensures that your forms look and function well on any device, whether a smartphone, tablet, or smaller desktop window.

This adaptability is crucial because it allows users to interact with your form without pinching, zooming, or scrolling excessively, which can lead to a poor user experience. Investing in responsive design helps ensure your forms are accessible and easily used across all devices.

Touch-Friendly Elements

Mobile users interact with their devices primarily through touch, so designing forms with large, easy-to-click buttons and fields is essential. Small buttons or closely spaced fields can lead to frustration, especially on smaller screens. Ensure your submit buttons are prominently displayed and large enough to easily tap with a finger.

Additionally, ensure adequate form field spacing to avoid accidental clicks, which can cause users to leave the form incomplete.

Best Practices for Lead Generation Form UX on Mobile

Clear and Concise Instructions

Clear and straightforward instructions are critical in guiding users through the form completion process. Mobile screens offer limited space, so it’s essential to communicate the necessary information without overwhelming the user.

Use simple, direct language, and consider placing brief instructions near each field to help users understand what’s required. This approach reduces the chances of users making mistakes or feeling uncertain, which can lead to higher lead generation form completion rates.

Auto-Complete and Input Masks

Speed is critical when it comes to mobile form completion. Implementing auto-complete features, where the form suggests or automatically fills in information based on the user’s previous inputs or browser data, can significantly reduce the time it takes to complete the form.

Input masks, which format data as the user types (such as automatically formatting phone numbers), further streamline the process by reducing errors and ensuring that users enter data correctly.

These tools enhance the user experience and increase the likelihood that users will complete the lead capture forms.

Progressive Disclosure

To avoid overwhelming users with too many fields, consider progressive disclosure, which involves breaking the form into multiple steps or sections. This technique allows users to focus on one part of the form at a time, making the process more manageable and less intimidating.

Multi-step forms can guide users through the process in a logical, step-by-step manner, improving completion rates and reducing the chances of abandonment.

Testing and Optimization for Mobile

To maximize conversions, you must continuously test different versions of your lead generation forms on mobile. A/B testing allows you to compare two form variations to see which performs better. Test elements like form design, field placement, button size, and CTA wording specifically for mobile clients.

Monitoring Mobile Analytics

Data drives improvement, so tracking your forms’ performance on mobile is essential. Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor metrics such as form completion rates, bounce rates, and user interactions on mobile.

Pay attention to where users drop off during the form completion process; these insights can highlight areas that need adjustment. Continuously analyze this data to uncover patterns and identify opportunities for improvement.

Continuous Iteration

Optimizing effective lead generation form templates isn’t a one-time task; it requires ongoing iteration. Regularly review user behavior and feedback to identify areas for enhancement. For instance, if users frequently abandon your form at a particular step, consider simplifying that section or providing additional guidance.

Keep testing and refining your forms based on real-world performance data to stay ahead of evolving user expectations. This continuous improvement cycle helps you maintain high conversions and ensures your forms remain relevant and practical.

Integrating Mobile Forms with Other Digital Marketing Channels

Mobile-optimized email marketing campaigns are effective in driving traffic to your forms. Craft emails with responsive designs that look great on any device and include clear, prominent links to your forms.

Use concise copy and strong CTAs to encourage recipients to engage with your content. By aligning your email campaigns with your mobile lead form template, you can effectively funnel more users to your forms and increase your chances of conversion.

Social Media Integration

Leverage mobile-centric social platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to promote form links. Share links to your forms in posts, ads (in 2022, mobile accounted for almost 48% of B2B ad spending), and direct messages, making it easy for users to access and complete them on their phone or tablet.

Tailor your content to each platform’s strengths—short, compelling messages on Twitter or more detailed posts on LinkedIn—to engage your target audience. Integrating your forms with social media allows you to reach a broader audience and drive more traffic to your lead-generation efforts.

SMS Marketing

SMS marketing offers a direct and effective way to drive traffic to your mobile-optimized forms. Send targeted messages with a clear CTA and a link to your form, making it easy for recipients to respond immediately. Given the high open and response rates of SMS, this channel can significantly boost your lead generation efforts.

Integrating your lead generation forms on mobile with lead magnets and other marketing channels creates a cohesive, multi-touch strategy that maximizes your reach and drives conversions.

Moving Ahead

Optimizing forms for mobile conversions can be detailed and complex. FunnelEnvy is here to guide you. Elevate your lead generation game in just 30 days using proven form strategies from top marketers. We offer a DFY form service that ensures that your forms are not only mobile-friendly but also tailored to maximize conversions. Contact us today to learn more.

By Kala P|2025-05-12T04:37:15-07:00September 16th, 2024|Conversion Rate Optimization|0 Comments

Top 5 Signs of a Weak B2B SaaS Funnel and What to Do About It

As the B2B SaaS space gets more competitive, a well-optimized sales funnel is crucial for driving growth and maximizing ROI. However, even the most sophisticated marketing strategies can suffer from weak points that hinder their effectiveness.

If your lead generation and conversion efforts aren’t delivering the expected results, it might be time to scrutinize your funnel for hidden flaws. A weak B2B SaaS marketing or sales funnel doesn’t just lead to lost opportunities—it can significantly impact your bottom line.

In this post, we’ll explore the top five signs that your funnel needs attention and provide actionable insights on how to fix them. Addressing these issues head-on can transform your funnel into a powerful engine that drives consistent growth and higher conversions.

Top 5 Signs of a Weak B2B SaaS Funnel

B2B SaaS funnel conversion benchmarks can be a helpful tool in assessing your funnel’s performance. It turns out that conversion rates often vary by the business size. Below are benchmark conversion rates based on the size of the business.

Source: First Page Sage

Now let’s look at the top 5 signs of a weak funnel, and how to fix it.

Sign #1: Flatlining or Declining Lead Generation or Conversion Rates

One of the most obvious signs of trouble is when your SaaS funnel metrics plateau or decline. If your retention rate or other once-promising metrics have stalled, your funnel isn’t performing as it should.

How to reverse declining lead gen and conversion rates:

Start by analyzing each stage of your marketing or sales funnel to identify where prospects are dropping off. Are you attracting the right audience? Are your messaging and value proposition aligned with their needs?

Consider revisiting your content strategy, refining your targeting, and A/B testing different elements of your funnel, such as landing pages, CTAs, and email campaigns. Additionally, leveraging tools like heatmaps and analytics can provide deeper insights into user behavior, helping you pinpoint and address the areas where your funnel is losing traction.

Sign #2: High Abandonment Rates Throughout the Funnel

A high abandonment rate is another telltale sign of a weak funnel. If potential customers consistently exit your funnel before completing a conversion, friction points or gaps in your process must be addressed.

How to fix your funnel’s high abandonment rates:

Optimizing the user experience at every touchpoint is essential to reducing abandonment rates. Simplify your forms, ensure your website and landing pages are fast and mobile-friendly, and make your value proposition clear and compelling.

Personalization can also significantly reduce abandonment, so tailor your messaging and offers based on user behavior and preferences. Finally, implement retargeting campaigns to re-engage those who drop off and guide them back into your funnel.

Sign #3: Siloed Teams and Disjointed Marketing Efforts

When your marketing and sales processes operate in silos, it can lead to inconsistent messaging, misaligned goals, and, ultimately, a disjointed funnel. This fragmentation often results in missed opportunities and inefficiencies that weaken your marketing efforts.

Here’s the fix for disjointed marketing efforts:

Breaking down these silos requires fostering a culture of collaboration between your teams. Implement regular cross-functional meetings and establish shared goals aligning with your business objectives. Utilize collaborative tools and platforms for seamless communication and data sharing across departments. You can create a more cohesive and effective funnel by ensuring everyone works towards the same objectives with a unified strategy.

Sign #4: Difficulty Attributing Revenue to Marketing Efforts

If you need help to clearly attribute revenue to specific marketing efforts, it can be challenging to determine what’s working and what’s not. This lack of visibility can lead to inefficient spending and missed opportunities for optimization.

How to attribute revenue to marketing efforts:

Invest in advanced analytics and tracking tools that provide a comprehensive view of your customer journey to improve attribution. Multi-touch attribution models can offer deeper insights into how different channels and campaigns, such as social media, contribute to conversions. Additionally, integrating your CRM with marketing automation platforms can help you track the entire lead lifecycle, from initial contact to closed deal, giving you a clearer understanding of your marketing ROI.

Sign #5: Lack of Clear Visibility into the Entire Customer Journey

A weak funnel often lacks clear visibility into the entire customer experience, making it difficult to understand how prospects move from one stage to the next. Without this visibility, optimizing your funnel becomes a guessing game, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities.

How to gain clear visibility into the customer journey:

Clear visibility into the customer’s journey requires mapping out each stage of your funnel and identifying key touchpoints. Use tools like user journey analytics to track interactions across channels and gather insights into user behavior.

By creating a detailed journey map, you can identify potential bottlenecks and optimize your funnel to ensure a smooth and consistent experience from start to finish.

What to Do Next: How a Full Funnel Conversion Audit Can Help You Grow

If you’ve identified one or more signs of a weak B2B SaaS funnel in your organization, it’s time to take action. The most effective way to address these issues and optimize your funnel is by conducting a full-funnel conversion audit.

This comprehensive evaluation goes beyond a simple website analysis; it delves into every aspect of your marketing operations to identify and fix leaks, streamline processes, and enhance performance.

A full-funnel conversion audit can provide a wealth of benefits, including:

Identifying and Fixing Leaks Throughout the Entire Funnel

A thorough audit uncovers the specific stages of your funnel where prospects are dropping off. By pinpointing these leaks, you can implement targeted solutions to keep leads engaged and moving toward conversion.

Improving Lead Gen and Conversions

By optimizing each stage of the funnel based on data-driven insights, you can enhance the efficiency of your lead gen efforts and increase conversion performance. This increased efficiency boosts your pipeline and ensures that you’re attracting suitable leads who are more likely to convert.

Increasing Qualified Leads

A well-optimized funnel attracts and nurtures leads more aligned with your ideal customer profile. Refining your targeting, messaging, and nurturing strategies can increase the quality of leads entering your funnel, resulting in higher conversions and more revenue.

Optimizing Marketing Spend

You can allocate your marketing budget more effectively with a clear understanding of what’s working and what isn’t. A full-funnel audit helps you eliminate wasteful spending and invest in the channels and strategies that deliver the best ROI.

Streamlining Workflows and Team Collaboration

By addressing silos and fostering collaboration between marketing and sales teams, an audit can help create a more efficient and cohesive workflow. Again, you’ll see efficiencies leading to better alignment, faster decision-making, and a more effective funnel.

Gaining Clear Data-Driven Insights for Future Strategies

The insights from a full-funnel audit provide a solid foundation for future marketing strategies. With a data-driven approach, you can continuously refine your funnel to adapt to changing market conditions and customer behaviors.

By regularly assessing and adjusting your funnel, you can maintain a high-performance lead conversion system that drives sustained growth.

Moving Ahead

As you know, a weak B2B SaaS funnel can significantly impact your ability to generate leads, convert them into customers, and ultimately grow your business. By identifying the signs of a weak funnel and taking proactive steps to address them, you can transform your marketing efforts and achieve better results.

Ready to take your funnel to the next level? Reach out to Funnel Envy today to get a High-Performance Lead Conversion Blueprint and an actionable plan to optimize your entire funnel in 21 days. Whether you need to fix leaks, optimize your funnel, or align your teams, this blueprint will provide the roadmap you need to drive more conversions and grow your business.

By Kala P|2025-05-12T04:37:15-07:00September 2nd, 2024|Full-Funnel Optimization|0 Comments

Optimizing B2B Customer Journey with Paid Ads

B2B buyers don’t want to talk to salespeople anymore. Paid B2B ad spend is way down.

These two converging trends create a window of opportunity to increase sales and market share via B2B paid ads.

What does optimizing the customer journey with paid ads have to do with these trends?

Two converging trends create a window of opportunity to increase sales and market share via B2B paid ads. Share on X

The first trend is that B2B buyers now prefer a self-serve, DIY approach to buying. Gartner’s 2023 research shows that by 2025, a whopping 80% of B2B sales transactions will occur through online platforms.

Not only that, 33% of all buyers prefer a sales experience without a seller, with 44% of millennials being the most allergic to interacting with salespeople.

The second trend is that B2B spending on paid ads has dropped considerably since pre-pandemic levels, and the recovery is uneven. This drop may signal that companies are still grappling with recovery and resetting strategies. Their hesitation means a window of opportunity for proactive fast movers to grab market share.

How can you capitalize on these trends?

One idea is to drive paid traffic to a customer journey optimized for what customers want – frictionless digital interactions, especially on mobile devices.

A place to start is by optimizing the B2B customer journey with paid ads to capitalize on buyers’ preference for using digital channels. At the same time, competitors in your industry may be waffling on paid ad strategy.

This post will guide you through the key strategies for using paid ads to optimize your B2B customer journey.

When to Consider Paid Ads for B2B

In the B2B customer journey, timing is everything. Paid ads can be beneficial at various stages and critical touchpoints in the customer journey, but the key is understanding the customer’s journey and their stages—Awareness, Consideration, and Decision— so you can pinpoint when to deploy paid advertising for maximum impact.

Awareness Stage: Getting on the Radar

At the awareness stage, potential customers recognize that they have a problem that needs solving but may not know the available solutions yet. This stage is an excellent time to use paid ads to create brand visibility.

Examples of content: Blog posts, videos, or infographics can attract prospects and introduce them to your brand.

Consideration Stage: Nurturing Leads

During the consideration stage, prospects actively seek solutions and evaluate options. They are reading reviews, comparing features, and asking their network for opinions.

Examples of content: Paid ads at this stage can drive traffic to more detailed content like webinars, whitepapers, or case studies that position your product or service as the solution to their problem.

Remember that you can use retargeting strategies to keep your brand top of mind with prospects at this stage.

Decision Stage: Encouraging Conversions

At this point, prospects are ready to make a decision. They’ve done their research and are leaning towards a solution. The goal of paid ads here is to get the prospect to take that final step.

Types of content matter. Paid ads should lead to landing pages with apparent calls to action, leading them to convert—whether purchasing, signing up for a service, or contacting your sales team. Consider running tests with promotions, discounts, or exclusive features to lure them to the close.

Ongoing Relationship: Upselling and Cross-Selling

Even after a sale, the customer journey is still ongoing. Existing customers can be even more lucrative than new prospects. Target paid ads to upsell or cross-sell additional products or services or introduce new features that benefit the customer to increase the lifetime value and retain customers for the long term.

By understanding when to leverage paid ads at various customer journey stages, B2B companies can make smarter advertising decisions that yield better results. But the buyer stage is only one part of the puzzle. You need to consider segmenting the audience, too.

Audience Segmentation and Targeting in Paid Ads

Audience segmentation and targeting are crucial for the success of any paid advertising campaign, especially in a B2B context where the decision-making process is often more complex.

Below is a more in-depth exploration of how to implement these strategies for your paid ads.

Understand Your Audience’s Pain Points and Goals

Before you start any campaign, review your understanding of the audience’s needs, pain points, and objectives. A deep understanding informs your segmentation strategy and helps you tailor your ads to resonate with each group. In a B2B setting, consider variables like industry, company size, and job roles as basic segmentation criteria.

Types of Segmentation in Paid B2B Advertising

Generally speaking, the more specific your segment, the better your ad results. If you haven’t revisited your customer personas in a few months, it’s a good idea to review and optimize them for the persona in the context of the ad campaign. Other things you can consider are:

Firmographic: Business entity characteristics, for example, industry, company size, and revenue
Technographic: Technology stacks used by the company
Demographic: For example, age, gender, education
Geographic: Location-based targeting
Psychographic: Interests, opinions, and lifestyle
Behavioral: Previous interactions with your website or app or purchasing behavior

Remember that as you test your ads, the successful ads can also be a feedback loop, giving you more accurate information about your personas.

Tailoring Creative and Messaging

Once you’ve segmented your audience, tailor your ad creative to each group’s unique needs and challenges. For example, a healthcare SaaS company could target hospital administrators with ads focusing on operational efficiency while targeting physicians with messages about patient care and workflow.

A/B Testing B2B Ads for Continuous Refinement

A/B testing allows you to test different versions of your ads to see which performs best for each segment. You can try anything from headlines and calls to action to images and overall layout.

Remarketing and Retargeting Ads in B2B

These strategies involve showing ads to people who have previously interacted with your brand. In B2B, retargeting can be incredibly practical to stay top-of-mind during a long sales cycle.

Implementing Multi-Channel Marketing

Implementing a multi-channel marketing strategy involves deploying your advertising and content across multiple platforms to engage your audience wherever they are. The key to success lies in maintaining a consistent brand message while tailoring the delivery format to suit each channel’s unique characteristics.

Whether using search engines, social media, or email, the goal is coordinating efforts to provide a seamless customer journey. Leveraging data analytics is crucial; it allows you to monitor performance across channels and refine your approach for better ROI.

By embracing a multi-channel strategy, B2B businesses can increase touchpoints, enhance customer engagement, and drive more conversions.

Conversion-Driven Landing Pages

Conversion-driven landing pages are the crucial link between your paid ads and the desired action you want the visitor to take, whether signing up for a webinar, purchasing, or contacting sales. These landing pages should offer a seamless experience that aligns with the messaging and visuals of the ads that led the user there.

Elements like compelling headlines, concise copy, and clear calls to action are essential. Utilizing A/B testing can help you refine these elements for optimal performance. You can also consider dynamic landing pages, where the system uses different landing pages based on a visitor’s journey.

In the B2B context, where sales cycles can be lengthy and complex, a well-crafted landing page can be a powerful lever for business growth, effectively turning prospects into customers.

Moving Ahead

Even with more automation and AI-driven data integration tools, B2B marketing complexity is increasing. Coordinating paid ads, audience segmentation, and conversion-driven landing pages can seem overwhelming.

While it may seem daunting, you don’t have to go it alone. FunnelEnvy can help you set up a system to track and test results at every stage of the customer journey. We work with clients in many industries, from consumer healthcare to industrial equipment. We provide customized assistance to our clients with all elements of their landing page design, from technical aspects like page speed and caching to form fields and CTA design.

Are you interested in finding out more? Just click here to complete a short quiz that we’ve created to help us learn more about your needs and how we may be able to help.

By Kala P|2025-05-12T04:37:10-07:00November 13th, 2023|Conversion Rate Optimization|0 Comments

Why Audience Data is Vital to Your B2B Funnel

There’s a famous quote often attributed to John Wanamaker, an early American department store entrepreneur: “Half my advertising budget is wasted – the trouble is, I don’t know which half.” The phrase has become somewhat trite these days, showing up often in PowerPoint presentations given by marketers across the world.

But the saying itself speaks to a problem at the heart of many marketing departments: it’s just tough to know which of your marketing campaigns are successful and which are a waste of time and resources. 160 years after Wanamaker opened his own retail store, in our advanced digital age with AI and automation galore, his words seem to ring more true than ever before.

One of the easiest ways to minimize waste in advertising – or any other part of your marketing budget – is gaining a better understanding of your audience. Knowledge about the people you’re selling to and how you can help them solve their problems has been the holy grail of all kinds of marketing and advertising since the inception of human commerce.

Today, audience knowledge is arguably more important because of the huge volume of noise prospects face every day in the marketplace. Below, we’re diving into more specifics about why knowing your target audience may be the key to unlocking more success – and ROI – from your marketing.

Reduces Content Costs

As we mentioned in the intro, greater audience knowledge means less money spent on the wrong thing. For marketers today, a significant chunk of their resources go towards creating content. From blog posts to social media updates to email newsletters, companies in all sectors spend lots of time and money on creating content.

But what’s actually in all that content? Is it really helpful, or is it only being produced because there’s a need? Robert Rose, a strategy executive with the Content Marketing Institute, frequently talks about the problematic concept of the content team operating as a “vending machine” – you need a piece of content for a funnel, so you push a button and the staff member, team or contractor produces it. The problem with this approach is it creates a siloed attack where different arms of your marketing campaigns function with different goals.

In an ideal situation, audience data serves as a connecting factor that ties the creators of content in your business to all other areas: including the broader goals of the company. When this happens, there is in turn less money and time wasted creating content that doesn’t resonate with your target audience.

Improves Brand Reputation

The impact of strong audience knowledge on brand reputation might be most apparent in B2B sales. When your audience operates in a highly technical field that requires specialized knowledge, it’s easier for them to tell if you really know what you’re talking about. This can serve as something of a double-edged sword, however – it also means that if you have authentic knowledge of your audience and their goals, you’ll stand out in your marketplace.

When your audience operates in a highly technical field that requires specialized knowledge, it’s easier for them to tell if you really know what you’re talking about. Share on X

The key here is to stay current by studying and immersing yourself in communities of people like your target customer. Whether it’s a sub-forum on Reddit, a Discord channel, or a social media group, it’s important to take time to understand the newest concerns and discussions among your audience. Ideally, these are communities you already are or were present in at one time. This is a big reason why many of the most successful healthcare services and product companies are created by former doctors, nurses or healthcare office employees. They have first-hand knowledge and experience in a highly specialized field where it’s easy for prospects to pick out impostors.

Guides Direction of Your Business

Great companies respond quickly and effectively to the most important requests of their prospective customers. The idea has been ingrained into the modern business community, particularly since the rise of the Lean Startup model popularized by Eric Ries and others in the startup community.

But the best companies are able to predict what their customers want in the future. Reaching this level has the potential to put a business in rarefied air reserved for the biggest brands in history: Nike, Microsoft, IBM, etc. Steve Jobs once famously paraphrased Henry Ford, believing that he’d once said: “If I asked my customers what they wanted, they would’ve told me a faster horse.”

Over the years, this quote has been twisted into an argument against customer research. If people wouldn’t have asked for a car or an iPhone, why bother paying attention to their input on your product or service? This interpretation neglects the first part of the quote, where Jobs says “our job is to figure out what they’re going to want before they do.”

You don’t reach that depth of audience understanding by ignoring relevant data. Just the opposite: the only way you can really predict what your customer wants before they do, like Jobs and Ford, is by so deeply understanding your audience that you begin to think the same way. This level of familiarity can only be attained with an extremely strong grasp of prospect data, and typically takes a long time to achieve.

Final Thoughts on Audience Data for Your Funnel

The specific methods you use to collect data and learn about your audience will vary depending on the kind of product or service you offer. We’ve covered individual tactics like landing page and form optimization on many other posts here on this blog.

We believe, however, what’s more important than any one tactic or data collection method is adopting a broader philosophy about audience data within your company. The truth is, audience data is important to your B2B funnel and almost every other part of your marketing, from the initial creation of customer avatars right on through to the way you hire and build your team.

As your organization changes and grows, you’ll find that the particular campaigns you deploy may change. Sometimes you’ll focus on high-level content intended to make your prospects think deeply; other times you’ll just be creating a simple demonstration video that shows off one of the key features of your product or service. No matter what particular actions you are taking, they’ll always be more successful with a foundation in audience data. If you can pay close enough attention to what your ideal client wants, what’s stopping them from achieving it, and what they need to be convinced that you can help them in this pursuit, all of your marketing endeavors will flow much more easily.

And if you need a little veteran help to give you a better perspective on how to wrap your head around customer data, FunnelEnvy is here to assist. We have a wide breadth of experience helping businesses of all sizes in all different industries get a better handle on their audience. Whether you’re a brand new startup or a seasoned marketer looking to enter the next phase of growth, we can help fill in some of the natural gaps that may occur as your marketing gets more and more developed. The more things you have going on, the more difficult it is to keep your audience central to your mission.

To start the process, just click here to fill out a quick quiz that will help us learn more about ways we may be able to assist.

By Raj C|2025-05-12T04:37:05-07:00May 1st, 2023|Attribution Modeling|0 Comments

How to Make Your Ads Less Expensive

Paid advertising campaigns on one of today’s many prominent digital media channels can be a valuable part of any funnel. One of the key advantages of paid ads (also called PPC) is that they offer quicker access to a larger audience than organic strategies like SEO and referral marketing. In this sense, building a massive audience almost “overnight” is possible, often reducing the time it takes to achieve your KPIs.

But like every strategy to promote your funnel and company offerings, paid advertising has a downside: cost. Investing in paid placement on social media networks and search engines can get expensive, especially if you aren’t sure about the return you’re getting.

Based on our experiences working with clients incorporating paid advertising campaigns into their funnel, we’ve found a few specific strategies work best for cost reduction.

Tweak Audience Targeting

On most paid advertising platforms – especially social media networks – one of the first things you’ll do is set up a target audience that dictates what kind of people will see your ads. One significant determining factor is often location: some companies running ads will want to restrict them to people in a specific location. For many software and digital services companies, geography is no longer significant in determining their target audience for paid ads.

However, you can still use geography as a variable as you adjust your audience targeting until you can find an ideal audience set that gets you the results needed for sufficient ROI. Here are a few other ways to adjust your audience targeting:

By device. While it’s essential to ensure all elements of your funnel are accessible from any device, it’s sufficient to experiment and see if one particular device works better for generating engagement and visitors.
Browsing time. Each PPC platform will allow you to target the time of day or browsing windows slightly differently. You may find it best to break up these metrics into six or 8-hour periods and see which timing works best.
Lookalike audience. A lookalike audience is a predictive feature that allows a network to list people who share the same characteristics as another group of people who have already shown interest in your audience. For example, on Facebook, you might use “Fans of the Business Page” as a lookalike audience to draw on for an ad campaign.

For many software and digital services companies, geography is no longer significant in determining their target audience for paid ads. Share on X

Make the Offer Better

Another big element of getting more traffic from each ad campaign – thus lowering overall costs – is the offer; how do you intend to attract people into your funnel? It starts by getting them to click on the ad while browsing the platform on which it appears; an action sometimes referred to as a “clickthrough.” It is an important first step in any paid ad campaign. No matter how well-optimized your audience targeting or how great your ad creative is, you’ll struggle to bring in enough prospects if your offer isn’t as compelling as it should be.

There are many ways to improve your offer, but we’ve found a simple and quick way to upgrade substantially: keep your current offer but expand what you provide. For example, if you offer a 15% discount on an initial package, you may increase that discount to 20%. If you’re offering a 20-minute evaluation, maybe change it to 30 minutes.

If these adjustments don’t bring about sufficient improvement, you may want to consider completely changing the nature of the offer. In these situations, look to competitors or companies who work in related industries to see the most successful paid advertising offers.

Strengthen the Hook

In this context, the offer’s ” hook ” refers to the ad’s elements that bring in prospects. Usually, this consists of an image, a headline, and a “sub-headline” element that appears at the bottom. There’s also usually a CTA button that entices users to click and take the next step in the ad’s funnel.

Bringing as many prospects into the funnel as possible is crucial to minimize the amount of money you invest in each ad campaign. One way to do this is by improving the elements listed above. Pick an individual component to work on – like the headline – and go through some testing to determine an ideal version. From there, you can open up the testing to other ad creative elements. For example, should your subheadline be a question that piques readers’ curiosity or a bold statement that challenges their beliefs on an important subject? Either could be practical, depending on your specific needs and target audience.

Call in a Specialist as Needed

As is the case with most elements of a digital marketing campaign, sometimes it’s hard to have the right perspective when you are so close to the internal workings of your funnel. You and your team may have strong opinions about what is or isn’t working for your ad campaigns and the rest of your digital efforts, but you may be missing one key piece of perspective that’s hard to find inside your own business.

These are situations in which outside experience can be precious to your marketing efforts. Cost is a big factor here – there’s no point in reducing the amount of money you’re spending on paid ads for your funnel just to replace that spend with money going towards a consultant or expensive agency. And it’s true that in some cases, bringing in an outside party to review your ad campaigns can make things more convoluted and frustrating.

There are two keys here: first, you must seek assistance on a level that makes sense for your business and your budget. As a smaller startup just beginning to experiment with paid ads to bring in revenue, one probably doesn’t need to rush out to lock down a yearlong agreement with a boutique agency with a five-figure monthly retainer. Even a casual “brain-picking” session with a respected mentor or expert in their field can sometimes be enough to shed new light on a problem that helps you take steps towards solving it.

At FunnelEnvy, our team has many collective years of helping clients in all kinds of industries address challenges related to their marketing funnels, whether it involves paid ads, landing page optimization, or making forms more efficient for visitors. We use this background to give each client personalized attention to help them meet their goals. Whether that’s ensuring they spend less on advertising in favor of other methods or optimizing their current expenses to ensure they get as much return as possible from their ad campaigns, we can help.

If you’re interested in learning more about FunnelEnvy and how we work with our clients, click here to fill out a brief quiz that will allow us to learn more about your business and determine if we’d be a good fit to help with your funnel optimization needs.

By Raj C|2025-05-12T04:37:05-07:00April 3rd, 2023|Full-Funnel Optimization|0 Comments

Optimizing Your Funnel With Video Content

If you aren’t already taking advantage of the power of video content, you’re missing out on one of the most important channels for any type of marketing – especially B2B. Research shows that video makes for some of the most engaging content. Over 9 in 10 marketers already use video in their funnels to help capture the right audience and serve them relevant, helpful content that allows them to accomplish their business goals. Moreover, nearly the same number of consumers report that watching a brand video has convinced them to buy a product.

At this point, it’s far from groundbreaking to say that video should be a key element of any organization’s marketing funnel. Clients often experience difficulty with the specifics of video content and understanding the optimization process. How exactly should you use video in your funnel? What kinds of videos should you make? And how will you know if your videos are effective?

Clients often experience difficulty with the specifics of video content and understanding the optimization process. Share on X

Though it’s tough to definitively answer these questions for any company without specific knowledge of their campaigns, we can offer some advice based on the trends we’ve seen working with clients to help them wisely incorporate video into their existing strategies. Let’s jump in.

Select the Right Kind of Videos

There are dozens of different kinds of video types and endless variations or tweaks you can put on those types to make them even more unique. Just spend a few minutes on YouTube, and you’ll see exactly how diverse video content can be!

In a business marketing context, we can generally group videos into one of three buckets:

Quick snippets are meant to explain one specific concept or express a single idea. Software companies often create these using a screenshare that shows off a particular feature.
Medium-length videos are longer and go more in-depth on a broader area. These videos are anywhere from five to 20 minutes in length. For example, one type of feature video could be a medical research company showing off different parts of its facility.
Feature videos are anything longer than about 20 minutes. These are often pre-recorded speeches or conference sessions shared with the audience.

Again, these categories aren’t perfect, and you can probably come up with endless video types. Don’t get caught up in the specific traits of one type or another – instead, use them as a springboard to think about which type of video may be best for your business. As you go through the process of creating, promoting, and analyzing your video content, be sure to sort them by type so you can get more data on the effectiveness of each kind.

Let Your Prospects See Themselves

Think about some of the best movies, books, or television shows you’ve consumed over the last few years. For many people, the stories in these mediums are much more effective when they feel a connection to the characters in them. That could mean their job, geographic location, family status, etc.

The best marketers have figured out that this concept doesn’t just apply at the box office or the bookstore – it also works in a B2B marketing funnel. Whether you’re planning to create half-hour explainer videos with multiple scenes and people speaking, or you simply want to run a 45-second screenshare showing a single feature, do what you can to ensure your prospects connect with something. You could use language they recognize, name a process they frequently use in their business, or something completely different.

A case study or testimonial-style video is the best video to achieve this connection. Just be aware that many viewers are naturally skeptical of testimonial videos, so you should strive to include an authentic, balanced evaluation of your company and its offering.

Connect Performance, Budget, and Analytics

Even after you’ve decided on a particular type of video to use, planned its production, and included it in the right channels, your job is still unfinished. The time after you’ve placed your videos into your funnel and published them on social media, your newsletter, etc., is one of the most critical periods for determining the overall success of your video efforts.

That’s because this is when you can get honest feedback from prospects about how effective your videos are at helping you achieve business goals. This feedback comes in the form of data – views, conversions, form abandonments, meetings booked, and so on. Ideally, you can compare this data with a preexisting, deep data set.

Once you’ve analyzed the numbers and determined which kinds of videos are performing best for you, double down on them by redirecting more of your budget toward making them. Unless you have a specific reason, there’s no point continuing to spend money on content that doesn’t maximize the return.

An easy way to think of video is a virtuous cycle with three parts: budget, analytics, and performance. The cycle starts when you invest marketing dollars into creating a video (budget), continues when you dive into the numbers and metrics behind the video (analytics), and finishes with an ultimate evaluation of the video’s effectiveness in helping you achieve business goals (performance).

From there, the cycle starts over with the budgetary phase. As each part of the cycle becomes more and more optimized, it carries over to the other parts of the video cycle, helping them improve.

Final Thoughts on How to Optimize a Funnel With Video

In 2023, it’s essential to get beyond just “doing video” and into optimizing your video for maximum funnel success. Barriers for video have dropped so much that you should already be incorporating them into your funnels.

To reach the next level of success with video, you need to know which types of videos your prospects respond to, how to include a hook that connects them to the content of the video, and what steps are necessary to iterate on videos to attain continued success. After all – you probably already spend time analyzing other elements of your conversion rate, so why not devote some of the same attention to the specific performance of your video?

While it’s possible to handle all of these steps within your organization, many companies find it easier to get them taken care of with the help of an outside specialist. A well-qualified B2B marketing expert will be able to give you a broader, more strategic perspective on the way you incorporate video into your funnel. They’ll assist you in identifying which kinds of videos to produce and how to track their metrics so that you end up getting the most out of the investment you make into a video for your funnel.

FunnelEnvy has helped many clients in various industries attain greater efficiency with video production and a better grasp of whether or not their content is moving the needle. To learn more about our pricing and determine if we are a good match for your needs, click here to complete a short questionnaire.

By Raj C|2025-05-12T04:37:04-07:00March 6th, 2023|Full-Funnel Optimization|0 Comments

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