What a funnel is
It is the sequence of steps a person takes to reach a goal: for example visit → enquiry → appointment → customer. At each step some people drop out, and that is normal: the aim is to find where the drop-off is larger than expected.
How to measure it
- Define the stages (few, clear, sequential).
- Count the people who reach each stage in the same period.
- Calculate the progression rate from one stage to the next.
- Compare rates across channels, devices and periods.
Where to step in
- Between visit and enquiry: message, offer, page clarity, website speed.
- Between enquiry and appointment: response times and booking options.
- Between appointment and customer: proposal, pricing, trust, follow-up.
With little data
If there are only a few people in the funnel, rates are unstable: better to wait for more data or look at longer periods before drawing conclusions.
An example: the online shop
Out of 1,000 visits: 300 view a product, 60 add it to the basket, 25 buy. The weakest step is from product to basket (20%): you improve the photos, make the price visible and add reviews. Raising that step to 30% means 12 more purchases with no extra traffic.
