Sales Funnels: A Practical Guide

Understand what a sales funnel is, how the stages fit together, common funnel types and how to design one around a real customer decision.

What a sales funnel does

A sales funnel organizes the steps between first attention and a desired conversion. Online, those steps can include a search result or ad, landing page, lead capture, sales page, checkout, upsell and follow-up.

Think in decisions, not diagrams

Ask what the customer must decide next: pay attention, trust the claim, exchange contact information, buy, upgrade or continue. Each funnel step should make one of those decisions easier.

Common types

Explore lead generation funnels, webinar funnels, product launch funnels and the broader types guide.

Build from the customer backward

Define the final action, objections, proof, information and traffic source. Then create only the steps that have a clear job.