Thanks to ClickFunnels, just about anyone can build a sales funnel with potential to drive traffic and build a revenue stream.
However, how do you make the jump from “newbie” status and get your funnel playing in the big leagues?
Funnel consultants know the drill when it comes to beefing up their funnels: consider this three-pronged strategy as your starting point.
Truth be told, a sales funnel can be built in a matter of minutes.
However, a sales funnel that sells takes some serious legwork.
That being said, the elements of a successful funnel aren’t a secret: however, the money-making potential of your funnel does depend on a few key factors:
#1 – Your Niche
Whether you’re working in the real estate market or want to build a funnel for a doctor’s office, deciding on a niche within your industry is absolutely crucial to the success of your funnel.
Rather than looking at the big picture, start by dominating markets and keywords with little competition and then scale your efforts.
#2 – Your Homework
Funnel builders tend to shoot themselves in the foot when they build their funnels and then try to figure out their market.
You should know your audience like the back of your hand; likewise, you should know exactly what’s working and what’s not regarding how to market your funnel based on your previous advertising efforts and A/B testing.
#3 – Your Sales Strategy
Passive income is the ultimate dream of modern marketers; however, building and scaling your funnel is an active process.
You can’t hope to scale your funnel without a foolproof marketing and outreach strategy in place.
Overwhelmed? Don’t be.
Fortunately, all three of these factors are in the palm of your hand.
You have complete control over which niche you target, how you research the in’s and out of appealing to your audience and how to eventually scale your efforts.
Certified funnel consultants have the ability to tackle just about any niche and craft a killer funnel around it.
Real estate, dentistry, self-help, you name it. It doesn’t matter if you own a construction company in Boise or a tech company in Toronto: if there’s a niche, there’s potential for a funnel to dominate that niche.
But how?
How do we take our sales funnels to the next level?
How can we hope to overtake our niche and outsell our competitors?
It’s time to take your funnel out of the minor leagues and into the majors.
Ever wonder how funnel consultants take seemingly unknown sites and turn them into funnels which practically print money?
First, Crunch the Numbers
Due diligence and research is obviously important to any business, and funnel-building is no exception. For starters, funnel builders need to understand…
- What appeals to potential visitors regarding content and marketing
- How visitors behave once they’ve landed on the site housing the funnel
- Best practices within their niche regarding offers, deals, and marketing message
Crunching the numbers for your sales funnel to determine its potential comes down to two elements: expectations and goals.
In other words, don’t get too ahead of yourself. If you’re looking to figure out where your funnel is going, you’re going to need to understand where your site has been regarding traffic, advertising and user behavior.
By doing your homework and managing your expectations, you’ll be able to craft a realistic blueprint regarding what your funnel is capable of.
So, what expectations are we talking about? What numbers are essential to building your funnel?
Traffic
First and foremost, you need to figure out how much traffic your site is pulling in before launching your funnel.
Furthermore, you should also understand what percentage of your visitors represent quality traffic versus junk traffic.
By having a solid understanding of your site’s typical visitor count and behavior (think: bounce-rate and landing page optimization, where visitors typically click, how they exit the site and so on), you can realistically consider the financial potential of your funnel.
For example, if you predict 20,000 unique visitors per month, you can begin calculating “what-if” revenue based on various conversion rates (it’s better to low-ball your estimations with a 2% rate, for instance) and manage your expectations accordingly.
Advertising – Consider your existing advertising campaigns, whether they be on Facebook or native ads, and determine what’s worked in the past and what hasn’t.
If you have a killer ad on Facebook that’s converting like crazy, for example, you can integrate the elements of that ad (headlines, copy, design) into your new funnel.
Reach – While you should start small regarding your expectations, you should also keep the future of your funnel in the back of your mind.
Keep in mind the potential reach of your funnel regarding traffic and audience, including your ability to scale once your funnel has taken off.
For example, consider candidates for expert outreach or potential partners for a JV down the road.
Marketing – Look into your competition and the kind of numbers they’re seeing from their funnels.
Ideally, you’ll be able to use the best practices within your industry to create a funnel that’s at least strong as your neighbors’.
What seems to be working in your space?
What marketing have you A/B tested in the past?
How can you take what the competition is doing and do it better?
By understanding what to expect based on what you already know about your site, industry and target audience, you can realistically set goals for you funnel upon launch.
As an aside, bear in mind that it never hurts to be conservative regarding your conversion and click-through rate estimations.
In short, make sure that decisions for your funnel are driven by data rather than your gut and plan accordingly.
Make Your Design Count
Granted you’ve done your homework, the back-end of your funnel should be solid; however, what about the face of your funnel?
It’s no secret that design can either make or break your sales funnel.
How can we figure out if our funnels look as good as it converts?
Consider first and foremost that weak funnels…
Take Forever to Load – Considering that 40% of visitors will bounce from a site that takes more than three seconds to load, you can’t afford to boast a bulky funnel.
Lack Congruence – It’s essential that your funnel’s message, copy, and design are consistent with your existing branding.
If a user enters your funnel via Facebook and feels like they’ve stumbled on the wrong site because of an inconsistent color scheme or marketing message, their confusion will ultimately lead them to bounce.
Don’t Pop – Your funnel shouldn’t look like it came straight out of 1999.
To catch the attention of your visitors, you’re going to need to turn up the sexy in your sales funnel. For starters, consider HD images, bold fonts and eye-popping colors (in line with your own branding).
It never hurts to consult a designer or copywriter if you’re concerned about whether or not your funnel is up to snuff.
When in doubt, keep in mind what’s worked in the past.
It’s better to have a funnel that’s loud regarding design rather than something dull and drab.
Scale (and Scale, and Scale Some More)
While sales funnels can’t simply be copy-and-pasted from niche to niche, a successful funnel can be scaled across multiple markets with the proper tweaks.
Once your funnel has proven its worth and becomes profitable, it’s time to consider scaling.
However, where do we start when it comes to unlocking a funnel’s full potential?
Ask Yourself: Which Traffic Networks Would Work? – To properly scale your funnel, consider traffic that you aren’t currently targeting which has the potential to convert.
Consider related niches or similar markets regarding demographics and reach.
For example, a successful funnel in the dentistry niche could potentially work across other medical fields such as cosmetic surgery and so on.
Bump Up Your Budget – If your funnel is stable regarding revenue, consider ramping up your budget as means of scaling.
Instead of spending wildly at first, start with a small injection of cash and see if your funnel’s revenue responds accordingly.
Find a Partner in Crime – The benefits of JVs are obvious, especially when it comes to scaling your funnel.
From uncovering new traffic sources and affiliates to giving your funnel additional exposure, JVs represent the ultimately means of getting your funnel in front of new customers.
Regardless of who you decide to partner with, ensure that it’s someone you trust and that you have something to offer their traffic in return.
Has Your Funnel Reached the Big Leagues?
Scaling up and cashing out is the dream of every funnel builder; however, the steps to get to that point require some intense research and strategy.
Much of a funnel’s potential can be determined pre-launch as you study your traffic, determine your design and work to dominate your niche.
Regardless of your industry, make sure that your decisions are driven by data rather than instinct to ensure that you’ll never be disappointed by your funnel’s performance.
What do you think is the ultimate step to reaching the big leagues with your funnel? If yours isn’t quite there, what’s holding you back?