The step-by-step path a visitor takes from first contact to purchase.
The funnel is the sequence of stages a prospect moves through: awareness → interest → consideration → purchase → retention. Each stage has more people at the top than at the next stage, which is why it looks like a funnel. The gap between each stage is a conversion rate. Understanding your funnel is the foundation of most marketing work.
Every marketing decision happens inside a funnel. Knowing where your funnel leaks tells you what to fix next. Most teams don't map their funnel carefully, so they optimize the wrong steps. Start by mapping yours end-to-end before touching anything.