A click funnel is a comprehensive guide that outlines the steps needed to lead prospects to a desired action online. By detailing these steps, businesses can automate processes that begin with awareness and culminate in decision-making, thereby enhancing conversion rates.
In this article, we’ll uncover how click funnels work and how to create one for your business. We’ll also provide you with a comparison of a sales funnel and a click funnel, along with examples of the latter.
How do they work?
A click funnel typically includes various stages, each designed to guide prospects toward taking a desired action. These stages involve capturing potential customers, nurturing them, and converting them into buyers. It begins with the awareness stage, where leads learn about a new brand and share their contact information in exchange for valuable content such as case studies, guides, free trials, infographics, free tools, and more.
The next step called the "interest stage," involves businesses providing targeted solutions and content to help these leads address their challenges. When marketers have prospects’ email addresses, they send personalized email campaigns that align with these individuals’ needs. Additionally, retargeting ads are often used to nurture potential customers.
Finally, during the “decision stage,” businesses create an enticing offer for their prospects. This can be a discount, free trial, exclusive deal, or something else depending on the product or service a company provides. Businesses strive to give leads all the information they need to make a purchase. Marketers share testimonials, social proof, and guarantees, all of which are essential for consumers. Additionally, companies usually ensure a simple, fast, and seamless checkout process to reduce customer churn. Companies utilize various online marketing channels to complete all these processes.
Now that you understand how a click funnel works, it’s time to reveal how it differs from a sales funnel. Although these two terms may appear similar, they have some distinct features.
Click Funnel vs Sales Funnel
While both the click funnel and the sales funnel aim to convert prospects into customers, they differ in various ways. These differences typically become apparent when we examine their structures, tools, and the automation used for each. To implement everything correctly, it’s crucial to understand these unique characteristics.
Click funnel is a process designed to convert leads into customers through online tools, such as landing pages, lead magnets, email campaigns, listings, etc. With their help, marketers can reach the desired action without having to interact with potential customers through calls and face-to-face communication. The process is fully automated, meaning that eCommerce companies, online schools, and coaches can reach their potential customers using online channels and tools.
Unlike a click funnel, a sales funnel is a journey a customer takes starting from discovering a business and ending with a post-purchase experience. During this time, prospects interact with brands through various channels, including social media networks, ads on Google, email campaigns, and personal outreach. Marketers use these tools to nurture leads and bring them toward a conversion. A sales funnel contributes to long-term engagement, loyal customers, and high sales.
Now when the difference is clear, let’s proceed to our step-by-step guide on building an effective click funnel for your business. Let’s dive in.
How to create an effective click funnel?
When you aim to convert your prospects into customers exclusively through online channels, it’s essential to create an effective click funnel first. In this section, you’ll get the opportunity to learn how to do it correctly with the guide below.
- Outline your buyer persona. Regardless of the type of funnel you create, the first step is to identify your target audience and understand what they are seeking. You should not only leverage existing information but also research additional data about your potential customers. Consider developing a detailed profile of your ideal customer, including information about age, gender, location, preferences, pain points, interests, communication channels, and more. This will help you effectively reach these leads with a relevant offer.
- Determine the conversion goal and funnel structure. Consider what you want to achieve with this click funnel. For instance, you may aim to increase file downloads, collect prospects’ contact information via subscription forms, or generate more requests for free trials. Depending on your primary goal, you’ll need to establish a funnel structure. For example, if you provide subscription-based software and aim to boost the number of paying subscribers, consider offering a free trial or a demo. After experiencing the service, prospects can then determine whether your platform suits their needs.
- Build an outstanding landing page. Since landing pages are essential for converting prospects into customers, focus on creating one for your business. It should guide your potential customers through your click funnel and lead them to the desired action. Make sure your landing page features a modern design, a user-friendly layout and navigation, visible CTAs, and concise copy. All these elements are crucial for prospects as they enhance the effectiveness of your marketing message.
- Consider adding a lead magnet. While it’s not mandatory, offering potential customers a freebie on your landing page is a great idea. This strategy will help you attract leads and encourage them to explore your product more thoroughly. You can offer a free trial, demo, infographics, a discount on the first purchase, an eBook, or a special price for your service, among other options. In return, ask visitors to sign up for your email newsletter. This way, you’ll be able to directly connect with people who might be interested in your product or service.
- Take advantage of social media networks. In addition to creating a landing page, you should also drive traffic to it. You can do this organically if you already have a large follower base, or you can run ads on Instagram or Facebook, depending on the channels that prospects prefer the most. By running sponsored content on social media platforms, you can increase visibility and reach individuals who have searched for similar products. To maximize the effectiveness of this advertising, you should ensure that posts feature eye-catching visuals and clear CTAs so that prospects can take the desired action.
- Qualify leads based on their purchasing intent. Once prospects show engagement, you should identify which of them are ready to buy and which are unlikely to take action soon. After that, you can determine the appropriate strategy for different groups of leads. Some may be ready to communicate with sales representatives, while others may not require further interaction with your brand.
- Send personalized email campaigns. You can effectively nurture qualified leads through email marketing. Consider setting up email sequences for different audience segments based on their interests, funnel stage, preferences, problems, etc. When you send emails customized to meet your prospects’ needs, they are more likely to engage with your content and may convert into customers. With SendPulse, you can group prospects based on their needs, preferences, requirements, and pain points and deliver personalized messages, encouraging them to explore. Its library of pre-built templates will allow you to build professional email campaigns in minutes without coding skills.
- Track and optimize your click funnel. After completing all the above steps, continue to monitor your click funnel. This way, you’ll be able to identify issues and resolve them for even better performance and increased conversions. By optimizing the stages of your click funnel, you can achieve even greater results.
Now that you understand how to develop an effective click funnel, it’s time to look at some examples. These will inspire you to create a click funnel that helps you achieve your business goals more efficiently.
Examples of Click Funnels
Click funnels vary based on the conversion goal, industry, and your business. We’ve prepared some great click funnels driving conversions. So, let’s explore.
HubSpot
HubSpot effectively uses lead magnets on its landing pages to drive conversions. When users search for marketing-related information, they often find HubSpot’s free resources, such as marketing reports in PDF format. To access them, visitors provide their email addresses, allowing HubSpot to capture leads and grow its mailing list. This strategy enables the company to share valuable content and personalized offers directly with subscribers—without relying on paid ads.
Rhode
Rhode’s products are widely promoted by opinion leaders on social media. After viewing this sponsored content, people become aware of the brand and visit its Instagram account before heading to the website. On the site, this cosmetics company invites users to subscribe to its email newsletter to receive updates on enticing offers, discounts, and product launches quickly. The primary goal is to convert site visitors into subscribers and share email campaigns with them. When the messages are tailored to leads’ needs, they can drive purchases.
Spotify
Free Spotify users frequently hear ads promoting Spotify Premium and its benefits. Frustrated by interruptions and limited song selection, many take advantage of the one-month free Premium trial—available only to first-time users. If they find the experience worthwhile, they simply click “Get Started” to subscribe, and a significant percentage continue with a paid plan.
Apple Music
Once prospects consider signing up for Apple Music, they will be provided with a special offer. The company lets its new subscribers listen to millions of songs ad-free using the service. This attractive offer helps this business convert prospects into customers quickly. The convenience of ad-free listening and unlimited skips for a month encourages more users to sign up for the free trial.
Innisfree
Prospects can find out about Innisfree from ads on social media networks. After potential customers get interested, they visit the brand’s website. While exploring the products, they can find out about the company’s rewards program. By offering 100 points for signing up for the brand’s email newsletter, Innisfree encourages prospects to provide their email addresses to unlock enticing offers and various perks.
Overall, establishing a click funnel is essential for reaching online prospects and prompting them to take the desired action. By creating a clear structure for customer interactions, you enhance your chances of success and achieve your business goals more quickly.
Last Updated: 18.03.2025
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