I’m begging you to NOT do something. Don’t do this thing – if you value simplicity and clarity.
What is that thing, I hear you cry?
Well, it’s…..Google “what is a sales funnel?”
Don’t do it!
Buuut….I’m sure you decided to ignore what I said and went ahead and did that anyways (naughty you!)
If you DID decide to Google it….you will find the following…
…lots of jargon…imprenetrable lingo…acronyms…corporate speak…pointless infographics…and likely have left none the wiser what a “sales funnel” actually is.
So my aim here is to make the complex “simple” and make it human (because that’s what sales is ultimately, just relationships..)
A sales funnel is simply:
A process (or journey) whereby a prospect with little to no buying temperature….or…knowledge of you or your brand….becomes a paying customer.
That’s it.
Nothing mystical.
Nothing complicated.
You find someone out there in the bad bad world (online or offline, doesn’t matter), get their attention….and over time…take their “buying temperature” from low to non existent…to being a paying customer or client.
Or EVEN simpler….(my “explain it to me like I’m a toddler” version..)
Get attention.
Do something with it.
Very simple. Notice how talk of KPIs, jargon…or corporate marketing speak is missing?
A funnel could look like:
- Ad → Landing Page → Checkout → Thank You
- Podcast → Lead Magnet → Email Sequence → Offer
- SEO Article → Email Course → Webinar → High-Ticket Application
And…as I have mentioned above…it doesn’t even have to be online.
It’s just that online is how we typically do marketing these days – but a funnel can begin anywhere you are able to command attention.
It could begin with you delivering a key note speech on fly-fishing, finishing with you telling people to go to your landing page where they can download your FREE guide, “10 Secret Hacks The Government Doesn’t Want You To Know About Fly Fishing”.
Or it can be a print ad, radio ad, anywhere and everywhere you can command attention.
Remember – get attention, do something with it.
A normal website is like a supermarket:
People wander, browse, poke around, get distracted, and leave.
A funnel is like a guided tasting tour:
Someone walks you through every single step, one clear action at a time.
And because funnels remove confusion and force direction?
They convert better. Way better.
Funnel Example (Simple Version)
Step 1: Landing Page
→ “Download the FREE Money Saving course”
Step 2: Email Follow-up Sequence
→ “Here’s value, stories, trust, and authority.”
Step 3: Sales Page
→ “Here’s the offer.”
Step 4: Upsell
→ “Want fries with that?”
And the customer says “yes” because the steps make sense.
Instead of hitting them with an offer right out the gate, you are taking the time for them to get to know you, show what you are made of, how you do business, how you think…entertain…then you put the offer in front of them…AFTER that relationship has been established.
If you want to see what high-performing funnels look like:
🔥 Grab the Funnel Swipe File – 200+ real funnel examples you can legally steal ideas from.
CHAPTER 2 – WHY FUNNELS WORK (THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HIGH CONVERSION)
Funnels tap into human psychology.
Here’s why they work so incredibly well:
1. Fewer Distractions = Higher Conversions
A funnel removes:
- menus
- sidebars
- unrelated links
- competing CTAs
- shiny objects
- social media icons
- …and anything that ISNT related to your “most wanted response” (whether its an optin, sale, phone call etc)
When there’s only one path (your ”most wanted response)”, more people follow it.
Ever been in a restaurant with hundreds of items on the menu?
Like me…I bet you couldn’t choose what to eat, even though there was an abundance of options on offer (Barry Schwartz describes this well in his seminal work, the Paradox of Choice..), how having too many options makes it harder for us to decide to do anything.
Now – contrast that with a restaurant menu that’s lean, stripped down, offers a smaller number of choices.
Well, a funnel operates along similar lines..
It removes all the noise, all the fat, friction and the fluff….and it gets straight to the offer.
- Humans Love “Default Paths”
Netflix autoplay.
Amazon one-click.
GPS directions.
People follow the simplest next step.
Funnels build that simple next step.
3. Small Micro-Yeses Lead to Big Yeses
Click button → enter email → read emails → click again → buy.
Each mini commitment strengthens the next one.
4. Funnels Deliver the Right Message at the Right Time
This is the whole magic of funnel staging.
Cold traffic needs education.
Warm traffic needs proof.
Hot traffic needs an offer.
Funnels control the sequence so the customer always hears the right thing right when they need it.
5. Funnels Build Trust Before Asking For Money
This is where nurture sequences shine.
If you’ve ever bought something from someone you feel you “know,” you felt this.
Think of it like this – would you ask for someone’s hand in marriage after one date (well, some of you might..)
But in general…no.
You would take time to get to know each other, to build trust, to deepen that relationship etc
And then maybe…one day on a
Business is the EXACT same.
People buy from those whom they trust, like, and gel with. Its just another relationship at the end of the day, no different to any other.
So why would you treat it any differently?
Want to study funnels that use psychology brilliantly?
🔥 Check out our “Funnel Swipe File” – organized by industry, niche, and funnel type.
Clueless as to what a well designed funnel should look like? Get inspiration instantly.
CHAPTER 3 – THE 4 STAGES OF EVERY SALES FUNNEL
No matter the niche, product, or price point, all funnels follow four stages:
1. Attention (TOFU)
This is where it all kicks off, the entry point
Traffic sources:
- Ads
- SEO
- Social media
- YouTube
- Podcasts
- Word of mouth
- Print media like newspaper ads, direct mail
- TV/radio advertisements
- Or even a real life event (eg speaking from the stage)
Goal:
Get attention. Do something with it.
2. Interest (MOFU)
This is where they officially enter your world for the first time, usually the optin page.
They learn how you might be able to solve their problems, who it is you serve, and what you got for them.
Goal:
Get the prospect to raise their hand and say, “I’m interested, tell me more..”
3. Decision (BOFU)
The relationship building starts. In modernity, this will almost be exclusively email but not limited to…direct mail works, or any medium that will allow you to regularly communicate with your prospect.
You will place offers in front of your prospects – using sales page, webinars, VSL (Video Sales Letters), other offers of potential interest.
Goal:
Convert.
4. Action (Post-Purchase)
This is where the money is made.
- Upsells
- Downsells
- Cross-sells
- Recurring offers
- Retargeting
- Retention
- Reactivation
Goal:
Maximize lifetime value.
Want to see great examples of each?
🔥 Explore the Funnel Swipe File – categorized by Attention/Interest/Decision/Action.
CHAPTER 4 – THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF ANY FUNNEL
Funnels are made up of components.
Think of them like Lego blocks.
Here are the key ones:
1. Landing Pages (aka “Optin Page/Squeeze Page”)
The gatekeepers.
Designed with ONE goal – to get your prospect’s contact details (phone number, email address, physical address etc).
Remember the goal – to get your prospect to raise their hand, and say “I’m interested, I like the cut of your jib…tell me more..”
..but no selling. That comes later…(patience, young Padawan!)
2. Lead Magnets
Give value → earn trust → collect email.
Examples:
- checklists
- guides
- templates
- cheat sheets
- quizzes
- mini courses
- …and anything of real world, tangible value that you would ordinarily charge money for
3. Email Follow-Up Sequences
The “engine room” of your funnel. Where the real work gets done. Where the relationship between you and your prospect gets built.
Where trust, education, and sales messages happen.
4. Sales Pages
Long form or short form – but clear, persuasive, and benefit-driven….where you ask your prospect to take action.
5. Checkout Pages
Where often funnels lose money.
This is where design clarity matters a lot.
Not to mention having a mechanism to get their details should they abandon the page etc
6. Upsells & Downsells
AKA: “Would you like fries with that?”
These can double your average order value.
7. Thank You Pages
Perfect for:
- onboarding
- social proof
- referrals
- summarising what has happened and what has been purchased
- surveys
- next steps
8. Tracking + Analytics
What gets measured improves.
9. Automation + Tagging
CRMs, segmentation, email logic – the stuff that scales.
CHAPTER 5 – THE MAIN TYPES OF SALES FUNNELS
Here’s a simple list with short explanations:
1. Lead Generation Funnels
Goal: collect emails and build trust.
2. Tripwire Funnels
Low-ticket offer upfront → upsells → profit.
3. Webinar Funnels
Perfect for education-heavy offers.
4. VSL (Video Sales Letter) Funnels
A video pitch → immediate offer.
5. High-Ticket Application Funnels
For coaches, consultants, agencies.
6. E-commerce Funnels
Pre-sell pages, upsells, bundles.
Want real examples of each type?
🔥 Check out our “Funnel Swipe File” – 200+ funnels categorized by type, niche, and builder.
CHAPTER 6 – FUNNELS VS WEBSITES – WHICH IS BETTER?
Here’s the simplest way to understand it:
A website is a catalogue. It gives a very general, broad overview of what your business is about.
A funnel is a laser guided sales pitch.
Websites are great for:
- branding
- blogging
- SEO
- resources
- content
Funnels are great for:
- acquisition
- conversions
- direct response
- ads
- building your list
You need both – but funnels make the money.
Too many businesses try to use their website to make the money, only to end up frustrated instead.
This was something I experienced years ago as a newly minted web designer, businesses would hire me to build a website, then some time would pass with no few to little sales, and they wonder why.
Well, because its not been focused to do so…
CHAPTER 7 – WHAT MAKES A “GOOD” FUNNEL? (YOUR 10-POINT SCORING SYSTEM)
This is where BestSalesFunnels.net stands out.
Your scoring system is a huge differentiator.
Here are the 10 main criteria that make a funnel convert:
- Headline clarity
- Value proposition strength
- Page layout / visual hierarchy
- CTA clarity & placement
- Social proof
- Offer structure (bonuses, guarantees, scarcity)
- Mobile responsiveness (new criterion)
- No distracting links
- Colour psychology & design cohesiveness (new criterion)
- Not over-designed / not cluttered
Each criterion is explained in your funnel reviews.
Want to see this scoring system in action?
🔥 Explore the Funnel Swipe File – every funnel is professionally rated using these 10 criteria.
CHAPTER 8 – HOW FUNNELS FIT INTO MODERN MARKETING (THE ECOSYSTEM VIEW)
Funnels don’t live in isolation.
They’re supported by:
Traffic
Paid ads, SEO, social, referral, affiliates.
Content
Blogs, YouTube, email value.
Email marketing
The glue that holds the funnel together.
Retargeting
The “recapture” system that saves lost conversions.
CRM & automations
Tagging, segmentation, personalization at scale.
A funnel isn’t a “page.”
It’s an ecosystem.
And you’re building the site that teaches this ecosystem properly.
CHAPTER 9 – THE 10 MOST COMMON FUNNEL MISTAKES (AND HOW TO AVOID THEM)
These are the classic pitfalls beginners fall into:
- Building a funnel without a clear offer
- Bad headline
- Too many CTAs
- Overdesigned pages
- Weak social proof
- No mobile optimization
- No upsells
- Poor copy. Does your copy understand the “conversation inside your customers head”, address their worries, desires, hopes, fears etc
- No retargeting
- No tracking
- Expecting the funnel to work without traffic
Every failed funnel fits into one of these.
To avoid them:
🔥 Study high-performing funnels in the Funnel Swipe File – see exactly what works (and why).
CONCLUSION – YOU NOW HAVE A SOLID FUNNEL FOUNDATION
You now understand:
- What funnels are
- Why funnels convert
- How funnels work
- The psychology behind them
- The stages of funnels
- The components
- The types
- The difference between funnels & websites
- What makes a funnel “good”
- The mistakes to avoid
