How to optimize a marketing conversion funnel in BtoB?

Do you have a website with significant sales potential, but you're not quite sure how to optimize it? You're not alone; you're still part of the vast majority of B2B businesses. That's right! According to Econsultancy , only 22% of companies in the sector reported being satisfied with their marketing conversion funnel.

In any case, don't worry! After reading this article, you'll know how to create your marketing conversion funnel and the steps to take to optimize it. Even better, we'll suggest marketing automation solution that's very likely the best fit for your business.

What is a marketing conversion funnel?

The marketing conversion funnel, or conversion funnel, is a set of tools designed to track the progress of a sale . It serves to assist the prospect throughout their journey and ultimately convert them into a customer .

The principle is, firstly, to gain the trust of your prospects , and then to pique their interest in your offers, ultimately encouraging them to buy . Upstream, you can attract prospects by focusing on content marketing , social media , or launching an email . You can then hold their attention by offering them attractive, stimulating content that meets their needs. When your prospects are ready to buy, all you have to do is guide them to take action .

The benefits of having an optimized B2B marketing conversion funnel

Inbound marketing plays a crucial role in B2B. To generate more leads, you need to implement a solid strategy to attract them to you. That's why your marketing conversion funnel absolutely must be optimized , especially since purchasing decisions take longer than in B2C.

Therefore, you need to regularly nurture your prospects using lead nurturing techniques . Furthermore, understanding your prospects' behavior, their motivations, and their journey to the sale will help you make the right decisions . With an effective marketing conversion funnel, you'll be able to deliver tailored information at each stage of the decision-maker's buying journey.

In short, an funnel can make the difference between low profitability and remarkable profits.

B2B marketing conversion funnel method

At this point, you're probably wondering what the steps in the marketing conversion funnel method are? And how exactly does a sales funnel work? 

Note first of all that the design of your marketing conversion funnel model depends on your business and the sector in which you are positioned. 

If you're in B2B, remember that your target audience doesn't typically buy online services the same way they do in B2C. Therefore, the sales funnel's primary function is to nurture your prospects throughout their journey to the sales team. The goal is to qualify and engage them as much as possible .

The B2B marketing conversion funnel primarily comprises three levels: upper, middle, and lower . These levels correspond to the prospect's level of brand awareness and their readiness to purchase.

The upper funnel (Top of the funnel or “Upper Funnel”)

At this stage, your target audience doesn't yet have a clear idea of ​​your product. They are likely looking for one solution among others that they believe might meet their needs. The prospect, who is at the top of the marketing conversion funnel, can therefore take some time before deciding on the solution that best suits them.

The middle funnel (Middle of the funnel or “Middle Funnel”)

By the time they reach this stage, your target audience has already selected the brands that interest them most. They have likely signed up for email marketing campaigns to receive information about these brands' products. These prospects have clear expectations and will exclude brands they believe cannot offer them good value and quality .

The lower funnel (“Lower Funnel”)

At this stage, your prospects have already chosen you as one of their favorite brands. They're starting to gather reviews and information from your customers . Specifically, they want to know what they'll get by buying from you. You need to implement remarketing strategies long-tail keywords

SEE ALSO: AIDA model: how to use it in digital marketing?

How to improve your sales funnel?

To improve your conversion funnel (marketing conversion funnel), add value to your content. Offer irresistible deals to capture your prospects (eBooks, white papers, training courses, reports, audits, etc.).

On each of your landing pages, the calls to action (text, image, button, etc.) must be clearly visible and provide a concrete solution to your readers .

Your website design plays a significant role in optimizing your conversions. Everything matters: placement, copywriting , and so on . You can use A/ B testing to evaluate which version converts best.

What marketing automation tools can be used to create a conversion funnel?

There was a time when building and optimizing a marketing conversion funnel was complicated, time-consuming, and expensive . Today, you have the advantage of a wide range of marketing automation on the market to help you do just that. But you still need to select the solution that best suits your business .

Magileads is undoubtedly the ultimate B2B prospecting tool practical and efficient marketing automation solution enables your marketers to nurture your prospects throughout their journey in the sales funnel. From targeting to remarketing, the platform provides all the necessary features to successfully execute your marketing campaign .

Naturally, you can personalize your messages (email or LinkedIn). You can also measure the impact of your marketing strategy using A/B testing or KPIs. As an added bonus, you'll have an integrated PRM tool at your disposal. This will make it easier to adjust your marketing approach based on the behavior of your leads. Ultimately, your sales team will only receive qualified prospects , ready to be converted into customers.

How to optimize a marketing conversion funnel in BtoB?

Expert references and credible studies

Studies and data on the marketing conversion funnel

• Gartner (2023) : “B2B companies with optimized customer journeys see their conversion rates increase by an average of 30%” Gartner link
• Harvard Business Review (2024) : “Marketing-sales alignment boosts the performance of a B2B marketing conversion funnel by 67%” HBR Link
• McKinsey (2023) : “Automating lead nurturing processes generates 50% more qualified leads” Link to McKinsey

Recognized experts

• Jill Rowley (Growth Marketing Specialist): “Account-based marketing transforms the effectiveness of a B2B marketing conversion funnel” LinkedIn Profile
• Mark Roberge (former HubSpot CRO): “Lead qualification should be the central element of your funnel” Medium article
• Trish Bertuzzi (The Bridge Group): “Funnel optimization begins with a deep understanding of personas” Official website

Direct testimonies

1. Pierre D., CMO at ScaleUp Tech : “By reorganizing our marketing conversion funnel around account-based marketing, we increased our sales by 40% in 6 months” (LinkedIn post)
2. Sophie M., SaaS Marketing Manager : “Implementing chatbots to qualify our leads has reduced our acquisition costs by 35%” Video testimonial
3. Thomas L., Founder of ETI Industrie : “Algorithmic scoring has allowed us to prioritize our prospects 3x better” Blog post
4. Amélie T., Sales Director : “Our new marketing conversion funnel integrating interactive webinars boosted our conversion rate by 25%” Case Study
5. David R., CEO of a startup : “Analyzing the friction points in our marketing conversion funnel helped us gain 20% more qualified leads.” Podcast interview

User experiences

1. Tech Startup : “Adding an interactive quiz in the middle of the marketing conversion funnel increased our MQL leads by 55%” Trustpilot
2. Software Publisher : “Our new customer journey segmented by company size reduced our CAC by 40%” G2 Crowd
3. Consulting Firm : “Personalized sequential email improved our open rate by 70%” Case Study
4. Industrial Manufacturer : “Integrating explainer videos has reduced our sales cycle by 30 days” Industry Article
5. Cloud Solution : “Our automated lead nurturing program generated €1.2 million in additional revenue” Annual Report

Stories and anecdotes about the marketing conversion funnel

1. How Dropbox tripled its conversions by simplifying its signup funnel. Read the study.
2. The segmentation error that cost a scale-up €500k ( Forbes article)
3. The chatbot that saved a tech SME's sales funnel: A testimonial
4. The forgotten video that boosted conversions by 25% when it was reinstated. Video case
5. The A/B test that revolutionized the customer journey for a SaaS publisher. Read the analysis.

B2B Marketing Conversion Funnel Segmentation

Recommended flowchart :
[Lead Capture] → [Personalized Nurturing] → [Qualification] → [Demonstration] → [Closing]

Questions and Answers about the Marketing Conversion Funnel

1. What is the first point to optimize in a B2B funnel?
The initial qualification of leads. 68% of companies waste time on poorly qualified leads (Source: Sales Benchmark Index).

2. How to reduce leaks in your funnel?
By identifying drop-off points using tools like Hotjar and testing variations (A/B testing).

3. Should we prioritize automation or relationships?
Both: automate repetitive tasks (45% of the process) and humanize key moments (Source: Harvard Business Review).

4. Which KPI should be tracked as a priority?
The conversion rate between each stage of the funnel is more revealing than the raw volume of leads.

5. How to adapt your marketing conversion funnel for large accounts?
By lengthening the nurturing cycle (6-12 months) and multiplying the points of contact (case studies, customer references).

6. What role for content marketing?
Crucial: 75% of B2B buyers consume 3+ pieces of content before engaging a salesperson (DemandGen Report).

7. How to manage waste?
By recycling it through remarketing campaigns (30% of cold leads become qualified in 6-12 months).

8. What role for social networks?
Key to the top funnel phase of marketing conversion: 54% of B2B researchers start on LinkedIn (LinkedIn Marketing Solutions).

9. How to measure real effectiveness?
By following the CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) and the LTV (Customer Lifetime Value), the only real business indicators.

10. Should optimization be outsourced?
Only for highly specialized skills (CRO), otherwise it is better to internalize customer knowledge.