Top 10 Tips To Turn Your Sales Funnel Into A High-Converting Money-Making Machine
Hey Warriors!
If you're running a dropshipping, eCommerce, affiliate, or other passive income business and you're struggling to get your funnels converting, you may want to try these strategies.
These come straight from the battlefield. I run a direct response marketing agency, and creating sales funnels from scratch, as well as their surrounding infrastructure, is what we specialize in.
That's why I've worked with 100s of entrepreneurs and marketers trying to get sales funnels right, and I've been involved in getting multiple funnels to 6 and 7-figures in a few months.
And these are my top 10 tips based on the most common mistakes I have seen, which are easily fixable and can bring about dramatic improvements in results. I focused this list specifically on those tips which are easy to implement - there are many other things that you could do. Still, these are the simplest that will give you the most bang for your time!
1. Make Sure There Is A Fit Between Your Offer(s) And Who You're Marketing To
When you're excited and busy building your funnel, you may neglect to think through the big picture. But this is super important. The biggest mistake most marketers and business owners make is that they don't sufficiently tailor their offers to their market.
It's no wonder then that their sales funnel isn't getting any conversions. In fact, 42% of all online endeavors fail because of "no market need".
The way to avoid that is to make sure you understand your customer. Identify their pain-points. Identify their frustrations. Identify their deepest desires. And then structure your offers around THAT. They'll be a lot more powerful that way.
2. Make Sure The Way You Spread Your Offers Along Your Sales Funnel Makes Sense From The POV Of Your Customer
To follow on from the suggestion above, position the offers in a way that makes sense for your customer. For example, the first offer needs to be something that requires a relatively small commitment since your customer doesn't trust you yet.
So don't put your high-ticket item on the landing page where you're sending cold traffic. Instead, use a LEAD MAGNET or a TRIPWIRE offer. The former is something they can get for free in exchange for their contact details, and a tripwire is an affordable offer that they can get to start building trust without requiring a massive financial commitment.
Then once they have taken your first offer, ask yourself. What do they need next? And provide THAT offer, not another one. And if you don't have it, then create it. Don't just stick offers in your funnel because you have them made already. The customer journey needs to make sense. Once they buy one of your offers, you need to reveal a NEW problem or pain-point on the next page that the following offer is going to take care of.
If you do just this, you'll see conversions improve at all stages of your funnel.
3. Use This Hero Area Headline Template - Biggest Benefit + Pain Point + Product
The headline in your hero area is the single item most responsible for holding the attention of your viewers. And if you don't keep their attention, they'll close your page and be gone forever, before they get the chance to hand you their money.
That's not what you want. So here's how to avoid it. Inside your hero area, make sure you specify WHAT the BIGGEST BENEFIT is, WHAT PAIN POINT will be solved, and WHAT your PRODUCT is. Let's say you're selling a web scraper that will generate a list of contact details necessary for email marketing. A possible headline could be:
"Collect 1000s Of Emails In Your Niche With 1-Click - Powerful Software Saves Time & Instantly Does Your Prospecting For You!"
Notice how, after you read the headline, you know the most significant benefit (1-click prospecting), the pain-point (saves time, finding prospects), and what the product is (a software).
4. Write Your Copy For Dual Readership
People fall into two categories by and large: those who are very analytical and who will read everything on your page before buying and impulse buyers who will skim read. What percentage of your viewers fall into each category depends upon your market and what you're selling.
But the fact of the matter is that you must make it easy for people to SKIM READ your content. That's why your headlines are super important, and using bold, italics, underline, • bullet points, and CAPS can really help.
So do this: read through just the headlines, bolded words, italics, bullet points, and CAPS on your page. Do you have a good idea about what the offer is, what the prices are, and other vital conditions such as money-back guarantees? If yes, you're good. If no, you're potentially losing half the market, because they feel your copy is just an impenetrable wall of text. So fix it, and you could see your conversion rates jump up by as much as 50%!
5. ALWAYS Use Multiple Testimonials & Any Other Form Of Social Proof
Your main goal when getting prospects to your funnel is to gain their trust. The more testimonials and social proof you have, the better it is. Video testimonials are always preferred over written testimonials, and having pictures for each testimonial is going to make it that much more powerful. How many testimonials should you have? As many as possible!
And don't forget to add other forms of proof. A video demonstration of your product is excellent. An illustration of the results people can achieve. A demonstration of your status as an expert - all these help massively. Do this, and you'll see your conversions skyrocket. Why? Sales funnels are all about trust - once people learn that you're the real deal, they'll hand you their money.
6. ALWAYS Include A 14, 30, or 60-Day 100% Money Back Guarantee If Possible
Some people are skeptical about money-back guarantees. But if you're not out to screw people over, you shouldn't be. If you're offering a physical product, request that the customer send you back the product (if possible) in exchange for their money back.
And if you're offering a digital product, you can stop their access to the product if possible, and if not, just give the money back.
In the end, most people will not ask for their money back if they have benefited from your product. Why? We're just built to reciprocate - if you do good for someone, they will tend to do good for you.
There are exceptions, of course. But they're not the rule. And a money-back guarantee will effectively tell people that you're not going to screw them over. It will tell them you REALLY believe in your product, and therefore they should believe too. And it's a way to gain their trust. Trust me, it will do wonders for your conversion rates. Just give it a try
7. If Possible, Include A Video Demonstration Of Your Product (And Always Include Pictures)
Nothing shows a product as well as seeing it in action. And since for many seeing is believing, this is the fastest way to convince them to hand you their money.
I've seen literarily hundreds of marketers struggle with their conversion rates because they weren't showing the product they were trying to sell in action. If you're an affiliate, it's 10x more effective to order the product you're trying to sell and review it in action, on video.
And if you're a dropshipper or eCommerce seller, you can use video to give people a taste of what your product is like. If it doesn't make sense to have a video, then use many pictures. Make sure that customers have a clear, vivid idea of what your product is and what it does.
8. Don't Forget To Include A Bullet Point List Of BENEFITS
It sounds trite to say, but I've seen so many landing pages not have one. A simple list of bullet points can make it very clear and easy to understand for any viewer what benefits they can expect out of purchasing your product.
Make sure your list focuses on BENEFITS, and not product FEATURES. There is a difference between the two. "This whey powder has the highest concentration of protein you can find anywhere on the market" -> what's that? A feature.
A benefit would look like this: "With a single scoop, you can have as much protein as lean chicken breast, tuna, and steak combined - no more struggling to get the protein you need to build that sexy lean muscle!"
9. Include Multiple CTAs, and Include A Pop-Up CTA In Case The Viewer Tries To Close The Page
The worst thing on a landing page in a funnel is not being able to find the CTA button and make the purchase. You don't want to make it difficult for your customers to buy. And yet, time and time again, even with experienced marketers, I've seen this mistake. We often get caught up in how good the page looks, and forget the basics.
So make sure that you spread out your CTAs such that the user doesn't have to scroll a long way to reach one. This makes it possible to take action from literarily anywhere on the page, and it will increase your conversion rates.
Also, if possible, include a pop-up that appears when the viewer goes to close your landing page (the first page in your funnel). Make the pop-up INSTANTLY draw the attention of the viewer. Use bright, powerful colors, like red. And give then an irresistible offer. Maybe provide access to a limited time discount, or try to get their email with a lead magnet. It will help you get your foot in the door at the last minute.
10. Don't Leave Money On The Table - ALWAYS Re-market With Email
If you're not using email marketing on the backend, you literarily have no clue how much money you're leaving on the table. It's a HUGE amount. In fact, if you're dropshipping, you're never going to get your profit margin up to the desired 40-50% without email marketing. Most dropshippers make very little on the frontend.
But if you add a well-thought-out email marketing campaign, you can literarily get a HUGE return. We've very frequently seen a 3:1 or higher return on the email marketing campaigns we've run. And we've taken multiple dropshippers and eCommerce sellers to 40-50% profit margins through a robust automated backend.
So that's it! Which are your favorite tips? Which have you tried, and how much have your conversion rates improved? Do you have any other tips to share?
BONUS: Also try this... Use Direct Response Copy in Your CTA Buttons
And one more tip that could have a HUGE impact. We've found that conversions have improved in some cases by as much as 64% by tinkering just with the copy of your CTA buttons. Here's our formula for a high-converting CTA button:
PAIN-POINT + PRODUCT + REASON TO ACT NOW
Your CTA needs to tell prospects that your product will solve their biggest pain-point, and give them a reason to take action right away. Say you're selling a weight loss course. Here's how that may work: "Secure One Of The Last Seats To Start Losing Weight & Start Feeling Great Now"
The CTA tells them what they're getting, "secure a seat" to your course, what pain-point they'll solve "being overweight and feeling bad" and gives them 2 reasons to act right away "start feeling great now" + "secure one of the last remaining seats".
If you're running a dropshipping, eCommerce, affiliate, or other passive income business and you're struggling to get your funnels converting, you may want to try these strategies.
These come straight from the battlefield. I run a direct response marketing agency, and creating sales funnels from scratch, as well as their surrounding infrastructure, is what we specialize in.
That's why I've worked with 100s of entrepreneurs and marketers trying to get sales funnels right, and I've been involved in getting multiple funnels to 6 and 7-figures in a few months.
And these are my top 10 tips based on the most common mistakes I have seen, which are easily fixable and can bring about dramatic improvements in results. I focused this list specifically on those tips which are easy to implement - there are many other things that you could do. Still, these are the simplest that will give you the most bang for your time!
1. Make Sure There Is A Fit Between Your Offer(s) And Who You're Marketing To
When you're excited and busy building your funnel, you may neglect to think through the big picture. But this is super important. The biggest mistake most marketers and business owners make is that they don't sufficiently tailor their offers to their market.
It's no wonder then that their sales funnel isn't getting any conversions. In fact, 42% of all online endeavors fail because of "no market need".
The way to avoid that is to make sure you understand your customer. Identify their pain-points. Identify their frustrations. Identify their deepest desires. And then structure your offers around THAT. They'll be a lot more powerful that way.
2. Make Sure The Way You Spread Your Offers Along Your Sales Funnel Makes Sense From The POV Of Your Customer
To follow on from the suggestion above, position the offers in a way that makes sense for your customer. For example, the first offer needs to be something that requires a relatively small commitment since your customer doesn't trust you yet.
So don't put your high-ticket item on the landing page where you're sending cold traffic. Instead, use a LEAD MAGNET or a TRIPWIRE offer. The former is something they can get for free in exchange for their contact details, and a tripwire is an affordable offer that they can get to start building trust without requiring a massive financial commitment.
Then once they have taken your first offer, ask yourself. What do they need next? And provide THAT offer, not another one. And if you don't have it, then create it. Don't just stick offers in your funnel because you have them made already. The customer journey needs to make sense. Once they buy one of your offers, you need to reveal a NEW problem or pain-point on the next page that the following offer is going to take care of.
If you do just this, you'll see conversions improve at all stages of your funnel.
3. Use This Hero Area Headline Template - Biggest Benefit + Pain Point + Product
The headline in your hero area is the single item most responsible for holding the attention of your viewers. And if you don't keep their attention, they'll close your page and be gone forever, before they get the chance to hand you their money.
That's not what you want. So here's how to avoid it. Inside your hero area, make sure you specify WHAT the BIGGEST BENEFIT is, WHAT PAIN POINT will be solved, and WHAT your PRODUCT is. Let's say you're selling a web scraper that will generate a list of contact details necessary for email marketing. A possible headline could be:
"Collect 1000s Of Emails In Your Niche With 1-Click - Powerful Software Saves Time & Instantly Does Your Prospecting For You!"
Notice how, after you read the headline, you know the most significant benefit (1-click prospecting), the pain-point (saves time, finding prospects), and what the product is (a software).
4. Write Your Copy For Dual Readership
People fall into two categories by and large: those who are very analytical and who will read everything on your page before buying and impulse buyers who will skim read. What percentage of your viewers fall into each category depends upon your market and what you're selling.
But the fact of the matter is that you must make it easy for people to SKIM READ your content. That's why your headlines are super important, and using bold, italics, underline, • bullet points, and CAPS can really help.
So do this: read through just the headlines, bolded words, italics, bullet points, and CAPS on your page. Do you have a good idea about what the offer is, what the prices are, and other vital conditions such as money-back guarantees? If yes, you're good. If no, you're potentially losing half the market, because they feel your copy is just an impenetrable wall of text. So fix it, and you could see your conversion rates jump up by as much as 50%!
5. ALWAYS Use Multiple Testimonials & Any Other Form Of Social Proof
Your main goal when getting prospects to your funnel is to gain their trust. The more testimonials and social proof you have, the better it is. Video testimonials are always preferred over written testimonials, and having pictures for each testimonial is going to make it that much more powerful. How many testimonials should you have? As many as possible!
And don't forget to add other forms of proof. A video demonstration of your product is excellent. An illustration of the results people can achieve. A demonstration of your status as an expert - all these help massively. Do this, and you'll see your conversions skyrocket. Why? Sales funnels are all about trust - once people learn that you're the real deal, they'll hand you their money.
6. ALWAYS Include A 14, 30, or 60-Day 100% Money Back Guarantee If Possible
Some people are skeptical about money-back guarantees. But if you're not out to screw people over, you shouldn't be. If you're offering a physical product, request that the customer send you back the product (if possible) in exchange for their money back.
And if you're offering a digital product, you can stop their access to the product if possible, and if not, just give the money back.
In the end, most people will not ask for their money back if they have benefited from your product. Why? We're just built to reciprocate - if you do good for someone, they will tend to do good for you.
There are exceptions, of course. But they're not the rule. And a money-back guarantee will effectively tell people that you're not going to screw them over. It will tell them you REALLY believe in your product, and therefore they should believe too. And it's a way to gain their trust. Trust me, it will do wonders for your conversion rates. Just give it a try
7. If Possible, Include A Video Demonstration Of Your Product (And Always Include Pictures)
Nothing shows a product as well as seeing it in action. And since for many seeing is believing, this is the fastest way to convince them to hand you their money.
I've seen literarily hundreds of marketers struggle with their conversion rates because they weren't showing the product they were trying to sell in action. If you're an affiliate, it's 10x more effective to order the product you're trying to sell and review it in action, on video.
And if you're a dropshipper or eCommerce seller, you can use video to give people a taste of what your product is like. If it doesn't make sense to have a video, then use many pictures. Make sure that customers have a clear, vivid idea of what your product is and what it does.
8. Don't Forget To Include A Bullet Point List Of BENEFITS
It sounds trite to say, but I've seen so many landing pages not have one. A simple list of bullet points can make it very clear and easy to understand for any viewer what benefits they can expect out of purchasing your product.
Make sure your list focuses on BENEFITS, and not product FEATURES. There is a difference between the two. "This whey powder has the highest concentration of protein you can find anywhere on the market" -> what's that? A feature.
A benefit would look like this: "With a single scoop, you can have as much protein as lean chicken breast, tuna, and steak combined - no more struggling to get the protein you need to build that sexy lean muscle!"
9. Include Multiple CTAs, and Include A Pop-Up CTA In Case The Viewer Tries To Close The Page
The worst thing on a landing page in a funnel is not being able to find the CTA button and make the purchase. You don't want to make it difficult for your customers to buy. And yet, time and time again, even with experienced marketers, I've seen this mistake. We often get caught up in how good the page looks, and forget the basics.
So make sure that you spread out your CTAs such that the user doesn't have to scroll a long way to reach one. This makes it possible to take action from literarily anywhere on the page, and it will increase your conversion rates.
Also, if possible, include a pop-up that appears when the viewer goes to close your landing page (the first page in your funnel). Make the pop-up INSTANTLY draw the attention of the viewer. Use bright, powerful colors, like red. And give then an irresistible offer. Maybe provide access to a limited time discount, or try to get their email with a lead magnet. It will help you get your foot in the door at the last minute.
10. Don't Leave Money On The Table - ALWAYS Re-market With Email
If you're not using email marketing on the backend, you literarily have no clue how much money you're leaving on the table. It's a HUGE amount. In fact, if you're dropshipping, you're never going to get your profit margin up to the desired 40-50% without email marketing. Most dropshippers make very little on the frontend.
But if you add a well-thought-out email marketing campaign, you can literarily get a HUGE return. We've very frequently seen a 3:1 or higher return on the email marketing campaigns we've run. And we've taken multiple dropshippers and eCommerce sellers to 40-50% profit margins through a robust automated backend.
So that's it! Which are your favorite tips? Which have you tried, and how much have your conversion rates improved? Do you have any other tips to share?
BONUS: Also try this... Use Direct Response Copy in Your CTA Buttons
And one more tip that could have a HUGE impact. We've found that conversions have improved in some cases by as much as 64% by tinkering just with the copy of your CTA buttons. Here's our formula for a high-converting CTA button:
PAIN-POINT + PRODUCT + REASON TO ACT NOW
Your CTA needs to tell prospects that your product will solve their biggest pain-point, and give them a reason to take action right away. Say you're selling a weight loss course. Here's how that may work: "Secure One Of The Last Seats To Start Losing Weight & Start Feeling Great Now"
The CTA tells them what they're getting, "secure a seat" to your course, what pain-point they'll solve "being overweight and feeling bad" and gives them 2 reasons to act right away "start feeling great now" + "secure one of the last remaining seats".
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