Recognize that, for any given user, the journey through the funnel may not be linear
Douglas K. Smith, Quentin Hope, Tim Griggs, Knight-Lenfest Newsroom Initiative,Users can (and often do) skip stages of the funnel, move backward, or move through the funnel at various paces. For example, some users at the top of the funnel might sign up for an email newsletter – or subscribe – even though they have limited experience with your brand or offerings. This was true at The New York Times, where, in the early days, a surprising number of digital subscribers hadn’t even used the site in several months. Meanwhile, users can and do become enthusiastic recommenders at any stage. The linear path down the funnel grounds your tactics for optimizing results from linking goals for different audience segments to your strategy and economics. Still, remaining alert to non-linear user actions will help you refine and tune your strategies – and improve results.