Build A Marketing Funnel That Converts: The AIDA Model Explained

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Estimated reading time: 14 Min

How to build a marketing funnel based on the “AIDA” model that helps prospects become customers using WordPress.org and an email autoresponder.

Introducing The Marketing Funnel

So, what is a marketing funnel?

It’s a marketer’s tool that provides a visual representation of a conceptual prospect’s journey, from the moment they first become aware of your product or service to the moment they make a purchase and beyond.

Elias Lewis of Philadelphia, a marketing “guru” of his time, first described the concept of the marketing funnel in 1898, nearly 100 years before the internet became a thing!

Lewis called it the “Purchase Funnel” and created a slogan for guiding advertisers’ activities:
”Attract attention, maintain Interest, create Desire, and get Action.”.

And so, the acronym “AIDA” was born.

The evergreen concept of AIDA really hasn’t changed, as you’ll discover below, but there are several significant differences between 1898 and today:

• Competition in 1898 was considerably less than it is today.
• Buyer’s searches for something they wanted were far slower than today.
• Unexpected mail that arrived through the front door actually got read back then.
• The development of magazine and newspaper advertising and the introduction of radio and television enabled the evolution of marketing methods throughout the 20th century.
• Now, the internet has taken marketing much further!
  Online, it’s a global marketplace. A website could be perceived as a multi-media advertising platform that, in many cases, is capable of providing almost instant gratification worldwide.

So although the original concept of AIDA hasn’t changed, entry into the “purchase funnel” and progress through to a buying decision nowadays require a more targeted approach to encourage potential buyers to take a look in the first place.

Also, it’s important to realise that, especially online, people can join the funnel at any of the AIDA stages, and they can be easily distracted.

People sometimes ask, “What is a sales funnel?”

In essence, it’s the same thing.

A concept that, in my mind, is designed to guide prospects through the stages of a buying process on their way to making a buying decision.

It’s a matter of focus, which is why I prefer to think of it as a buyer’s funnel.

By focusing on a buyer’s interests, I avoid being too distracted by my sales interests!

Benefits of using a marketing funnel on a website

The practical implementation of marketing funnels online is important because they help you track the progress of your prospects and identify where they are dropping off in the buying process.

There are many benefits to using a buyer’s funnel on a website, including:

• Improved customer experience
  A well-designed funnel can provide a seamless and informative experience for your visitors, which can lead to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
• Increased conversion rates
  By guiding visitors through your funnel, you can increase the chances of them deciding to buy, thereby becoming customers.
• Increased sales
  By tracking the performance of your funnel, you can identify areas where you can improve your marketing process and generate more revenue.

How Do Marketing Funnels Work?

Marketing funnels work by guiding visitors through a series of information-based buyer steps, from initial awareness to eventual purchase.

The different stages of a buyer’s process: the AIDA Model

As you know by now, the AIDA model is a common framework for understanding the stages a prospect can go through on the way to making a decision to buy.

In one way or another, all buying decisions go through a similar process:

• Awareness (attract attention) 
  The first stage is to gain the awareness of your target audience and do what you can to hold their attention. Developing awareness can be achieved through multiple channels. A popular way to encourage people to take a look is to give away a free product in return for their email address. Your free product, known as a “lead magnet,” should be related in some way to the interests of your target audience and can be delivered in any way that is appropriate, such as an eBook, video, email, newsletter series, etc.
• Interest 
  Once you have their attention, you need to create interest in your product or service. You can achieve this by providing valuable content, such as via email. blog posts, videos, webinars, etc.
• Desire 
  Once they are interested, you need to stimulate a desire for your product or service. You can elevate interest by highlighting the benefits of your product or service and how it can help solve their problems. The more targeted your marketing is in relation to understanding the wants and needs of your audience, the more likely this stage is to be reached.
• Action 
  Each of the three previous stages should contain a clear “call to action” (CTA) that leads the visitor to the next stage. Then, the final stage is to prompt the visitor to take action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a free trial.

The 4 AIDA stages fall into 3 general areas of the funnel:

1. Top-of-Funnel: Awareness
   Where most people will discover and learn about you and your expertise,
2. Middle-of-Funnel: Interest
   Where most people learn more about possible solutions to their challenges,
3. Bottom-of-Funnel: Desire
   Where people learn more about the benefits of your solutions.

Each area can be supported through search-optimised articles, advertisements, social media, emails, videos, or other marketing media.

It’s important for the content being delivered, whatever media is being used, to be positioned and respect the stages that a potential buyer could be at within the AIDA model.

For example, it makes little sense to overtly encourage people to make a buying decision if they have only just become aware of a challenge they face or of a possible solution to handle that challenge.

How to guide visitors through your online funnel

There are a lot of ways to guide visitors through your funnel.

The most important factors are:

• Provide visitors with valuable and clear content
  Present information in ways that are easily understood, which will help your visitors ‌develop their level of awareness. Content can be delivered online via blog posts, videos, eBooks, webinars, emails, newsletters, or other resources to help them ‌learn more about any challenges they face and how your products or services can help them.
• Create a clear and consistent path for visitors to follow
  This means providing them with clear calls to action that tell them what to do next, making it easy for them to navigate your website and make the best decisions for themselves.

A simple marketing funnel setup

A few points for clarity:

• Although traffic sources are mostly selected to introduce prospects to the top of your funnel, it’s also possible to find an audience with more experience and have them join your funnel further down.
  For example, someone searching online using the keyword “buy tennis balls” or who is a member of a forum or group about playing tennis is most likely past the awareness stage and in the interest or desire stage.
• Your lead magnet should be designed to be useful to people at the stage at which it is being introduced.
  For example, someone just starting to play tennis might find an eBook titled “The Rules of Tennis” useful, while someone with more experience might find a video on “Drills for Practising Groundstrokes” more useful.
• Your email sequence should reflect the interests of someone interested in your lead magnet.

How to design a marketing funnel that visitors take action in

Designing an effective marketing funnel is similar to creating a captivating story.

Guiding a visitor through a journey from initial awareness to the ultimate action of purchase is much like a tale that leads its reader towards a satisfying conclusion.

So, as you know by now, a buyer’s funnel delivers a series of practical steps that a visitor goes through on their way to becoming a customer.

Set up well, it’s a powerful tool that can help a searcher learn as much as they need about whatever it is they’re looking for and increase conversions and sales on your website.

Important Considerations

If you want to design a marketing funnel that visitors take action on, there are a few things you need to consider:

• Your target audience 
  Who are you trying to reach with your funnel, and where can you find them?
  What are their challenges, needs, and wants?
  What kind of lead magnet would encourage visitors to give you their email address?
• Your product or service 
  What are you selling?
  What are the benefits of your product or service?
• Your sales process 
  How do you want visitors to progress through your funnel?
  What steps do they need to take to become a customer?
  Do you want to attract potential buyers to each stage of the AIDA process?
• Your budget 
  How much money are you willing to spend on your marketing funnel?
  (Note: there are cost-free options, apart from the use of your time.)

Build A Marketing Funnel In WordPress

There are a variety of ways to build a marketing funnel on your site in WordPress.

One popular method is to use a specialised plugin and/or theme specifically designed for creating landing pages, email opt-in forms, email lists, autoresponder management, and other lead generation tools.

There are many options, such as Seedprod, OptinMonster, Thrive Leads, and WPFunnels.

But, in practice, you can create a buyer funnel as I do, using more or less any WordPress theme and the block editor combined with an email autoresponder tool.

The tools you need

To build a marketing funnel using WordPress, you will need the following tools:

• A WordPress website
• Optional: A funnel plugin and/or a landing page builder
• An email marketing platform

Build a marketing funnel in WordPress without using a funnel plugin

Many people think that they need to use a plugin to create a marketing funnel in WordPress.

This is not the case.

You can easily set up a buyer’s funnel in WordPress without using a plugin.

In this section, I outline the steps you need to take to set up a funnel in WordPress without using a plugin.

I also provide some tips for optimising your funnel to maximise conversions.

Step 1: Create a Lead Magnet

Ideally, your lead magnet is irresistible.

So, what makes a lead magnet truly irresistible?

It’s to do with value and relevance, just like any other piece of content!

It needs to solve a specific problem and provide actionable advice.

It could be a comprehensive eBook, a handy checklist, an insightful webinar, or even a course delivered by email.

The key is to ensure it’s something that your audience will find useful and is willing to trade their email address for.

• Example
  If your audience is young professionals interested in personal finance, a lead magnet could be a free eBook titled “10 Smart Investment Strategies for Young Professionals” or perhaps a comprehensive checklist titled “The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom for Young Professionals.”

Step 2: Create Your Email Sequences

Email sequences are the series of emails that you will send to your leads after they subscribe to your email list.

Creating a series of emails before landing pages might seem like putting the cart before the horse.

However, writing emails first forces me to think through how to communicate ideas to my readers, starting with their problems and pain points, in a logical way that moves them through the buyer’s process.

Also, I find that my email series tends to provide ideas for the later writing of relevant blog posts.

These emails should be designed to nurture your leads and eventually make them an offer to buy that they can’t refuse!

Each email has a specific purpose that aligns with at least one of the AIDA stages, ensuring a smooth transition from awareness to action.

I find that the emails also lend themselves to being the inspiration for future blog and social media posts, etc.

There are a variety of different email marketing platforms that you could use to create email sequences.

Popular options include ConvertKit and AWeber.

I’m currently using a system called MailPoet that’s implemented as a plugin in WordPress and offers great value for money.

Step 3: Create Your Landing Pages

Once you’ve created your email series, you need to create landing pages.

Landing pages are the pages that visitors will see when they first arrive at your marketing funnel.

They are sometimes referred to as “squeeze pages” because they should be designed to capture leads by exchanging something of value in return for an email address.

As always with WordPress, there are a number of different ways to create landing pages.

You can use a page builder plugin, such as Elementor or Beaver Builder.

Or you can simply do as I do and use the standard WordPress block editor to create landing pages.

Landing pages will need to be linked logically, from appropriate valuable content on your website and where allowed in social media.

On your website, you can use simple links, banners, or popups, placed in the content or in the sidebar.

Step 4: Integrate Your Email Marketing Platform

As you create landing pages, you need to integrate your email marketing platform with your WordPress website.

This will allow you to send emails to your leads automatically.

Each email autoresponder system is different and takes a little up-front learning.

Most are relatively easy to learn and set up.

Some email marketing platforms have a plugin that you can install in WordPress.

This plugin will allow you to easily connect your email marketing platform to your WordPress website.

Step 5: Optimise Your Marketing Funnel

It stands to reason that the more you can do to optimise your funnel while building it, the more efficient you will be to:

• Use clear and concise language 
  Your visitors should be able to understand your content, whatever you are offering, and why they should take action.
• Use persuasive content 
  Continue to create relevant content that will convince your visitors to take action. This could include testimonials, case studies, or free trials.
• Make your calls to action clear 
  Tell your visitors what you want them to do, and make it easy for them to do it.

Once you’ve set up your funnel, you need to put time into optimising it further to improve your conversion rates.

Here are some tips for optimising your buyer’s funnel:

• Track performance of your marketing funnel
  This will allow you to identify areas where you can improve.
• Test different landing pages and email sequences
  This will help you find the ones that are most effective at converting leads into customers.
• Use A/B testing
  A/B testing is a technique that allows you to test different versions of your landing pages and email sequences to see which one performs better. Experiment with different headlines, calls to action, images, content, and layouts to see what works best for your audience to take action.
• Continuously refine and improve your funnel
  As you gather more data and insights, use them to make incremental improvements to your funnel. This could involve tweaking your landing pages, adjusting your email sequences, or experimenting with new marketing tactics.
• Focus on providing value at every stage
  Ensure that each step of your funnel offers something valuable to your audience. This could be informative content, a helpful resource, or an attractive offer. By consistently providing value, you’ll build trust and move prospects closer to a purchase.
• Personalise the experience
  Use customer data to personalise your funnel for different segments of your audience. Tailor your messaging, offers, and content to meet the specific needs and interests of different groups.
• Optimise for mobile users
  Ensure that, when you build a marketing funnel, it’s fully optimised for mobile devices. With an increasing number of users accessing websites on their smartphones, a mobile-friendly funnel is essential for maximising conversions.
• Use social proof
  Include testimonials, reviews, and case studies in your funnel to build credibility and trust. Seeing the positive experiences of others can be a powerful motivator for prospects to take action.
• Simplify the purchase process
  Make it as easy as possible for prospects to complete a purchase. This includes having a simple and straightforward checkout process, offering multiple payment options, and providing clear instructions and support.
• Keep your marketing funnel updated
  Over time, various elements of your funnel may become outdated due to audience behaviour, product changes, technical updates, or as your business grows.
• Continue to create relevant content
  Last but not least, continue to create relevant, useful content such as blog posts, videos, and infographics that provide useful content for your readers and that are linked to your landing pages in appropriate ways.

Summary

A marketing funnel is a powerful tool in online marketing.

By following these steps and focusing on providing value and a great user experience, you can build a marketing funnel that is effective in encouraging visitors to become customers.

In essence, designing a marketing funnel is about understanding your audience deeply, communicating with clarity and persuasion, and continuously refining the process to align with their evolving needs.

Remember, a well-constructed funnel is not just a pathway to purchase; it’s an ongoing dialogue with your audience, building a relationship that’s both beneficial and lasting.

The concept, originally introduced in 1898, has evolved but remains fundamentally the same, comprising stages of awareness, interest, desire, and action (AIDA).

How the AIDA model works

1. Awareness
   Grab attention and maintain it. Freebies or ‘lead magnets’ work wonders here.
2. Interest
   Once they’re hooked, keep them interested with valuable content.
3. Desire
   Turn interest into a craving for your product by highlighting its benefits.
4. Action
   Guide them towards making that purchase with clear calls to action.

Now, in the 21st century, the buyer’s funnel is inevitably a little more complicated.

Buyers can enter the funnel at any stage, competition is greater, and the internet provides a potentially global market!

To set up an effective funnel if you’re using WordPress for your website, you don’t always need fancy plugins.

The steps involve creating a lead magnet, setting up email sequences, designing landing pages, integrating email platforms, and continuously optimising for better performance.

Basic tips for a successful marketing funnel include:

• Use clear, persuasive language.
• Test and refine continuously.
• Focus on mobile optimisation and personalisation.
• Keep the content relevant and updated.

So, by understanding your customer’s journey and carefully crafting each stage of the funnel, you can significantly enhance their experience and boost your sales.

It’s a blend of art and science, requiring constant adaptation and a keen interest in your audience’s needs.

I’m sure you’ve got the point.

The marketing funnel is well proven to be the most efficient process for attracting prospects and turning them into customers.

If you’re an expert marketer, what have I missed?

If you’re new to marketing, have you found this article useful?

Please let me know in the comments or via the contact form.
🙂
Richard