The shift from traditional to agentic funnel isn’t an optimization—it’s a structural replacement.
The Old Funnel: Sequential and Fragmented
Flow: AWARENESS → CONSIDERATION → INTENT → PURCHASE
| Stage | Channels | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Display ads, Content, Social, Brand campaigns | Broad reach, scattered attention |
| Consideration | Retargeting, Email, Comparison sites, SEO | Days/weeks of research |
| Intent | Shopping ads, Product pages, Reviews | Multiple sessions |
| Purchase | Checkout, Cart, Payment | High abandonment |
Characteristics: Linear progression, 6-8 touchpoints, complex attribution, friction everywhere.
The Agentic Funnel: Compressed and Unified
Flow: USER QUERY → AI REASONING → RECOMMENDATION → TRANSACTION
| Moment | What Happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
| User Query | “I need hiking boots for Patagonia…” | Seconds |
| AI Reasoning | Searches, compares, checks inventory | Seconds |
| Recommendation | “Here are three options…” | Seconds |
| Transaction | “Purchase complete.” | Seconds |
Characteristics: Single interaction, explicit intent, AI does research, ~2x conversion.
Key Metrics Comparison
| Metric | Old | Agentic | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Touchpoints | 6-8 | 1 | ~85% reduction |
| Time to Purchase | Days-weeks | Minutes | ~99% compression |
| Conversion | ~6% | ~11.4% | ~2x |
| Attribution | Complex | Binary | Simplified |
What Collapses vs. Transforms
What Collapses
- Transactional friction
- Multi-touch attribution
- Discovery → checkout journey
- Consumer research phase
What Transforms
- Brand building → AI recommendation logic
- Brand equity → Entity authority, AI trust signals
- Brand signals → AI reads reviews, citations, sentiment
- Trust → Third-party validation shapes AI confidence
Brand doesn’t matter less. It matters differently.
This is part of a comprehensive analysis. Read the full analysis on The Business Engineer.
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