Lesson 4- Setting up a Sales Funnel
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Workshop Scenario:
Please think of yourself in the following scenario as you complete this workshop.
You recently signed up to be an ambassador with 24/7 Teach because you’ve heard about affiliate marketing and you know it can be incredibly lucrative. You have a job, but you want to explore affiliate marketing for some side income– especially since you’ve heard it only takes a few hours a day.
You are familiar with 24/7 Teach and believe in the value they offer, so it’s the perfect place to start. You have no marketing background, so you decided to take this training to give yourself the best chance for success.
In the previous lesson, you set up your domain name and email, and decided on a niche to market to within 24/7 Teach. Next, it’s time to set up your sales funnel to start generating leads.
Your objective for today is:
Apply practical, hands-on activities, resources, and newly acquired skills such as building a sales funnel.
Important Questions to Consider While Reading:
In order to be successful in this lesson, you must be able to answer this important question.
What is a sales funnel, and which funnel system could be the most effective for your business?
Lesson 4: Setting up a Sales Funnel
4.1) What is a sales funnel?
Sales funnels are a crucial component of any successful sales strategy. They allow businesses to guide potential customers through a structured process that leads them from initial awareness to eventual conversion. In this lesson, we will explore what sales funnels are and how they work, with a particular focus on leads and funnel pages.
Leads
Leads are the lifeblood of any sales funnel. Without leads, there can be no funnel. In the context of sales, a lead is someone who has shown interest in your product or service in some way. This could be through filling out a form on your website, subscribing to your email list, or attending a webinar. Essentially, a lead is anyone who has provided you with some contact information and expressed some level of interest in what you have to offer.
Once you have identified a lead, the goal of the sales funnel is to nurture that lead and guide them through the different stages of the funnel. This typically involves providing them with valuable information, addressing their pain points and objections, and demonstrating how your product or service can solve their problems. As leads move through the funnel, they become increasingly engaged with your brand and more likely to make a purchase.
Funnel pages
Funnel pages are the various pages that make up the sales funnel. These typically include landing pages, opt-in pages, sales pages, and thank-you pages. Each of these pages serves a specific purpose and is designed to guide leads through the funnel in a particular way. Let’s explore them in more depth:
Landing pages are the first page that a lead sees when they arrive at your website. They are designed to capture the lead's attention and encourage them to take a specific action, such as filling out a form or clicking a button. Landing pages are often used in conjunction with paid advertising campaigns to maximize their effectiveness.
Opt-in pages are designed to encourage leads to subscribe to your email list or other marketing communications. These pages typically offer some sort of incentive or lead magnet, such as a free e-book or access to exclusive content, in exchange for the lead's contact information. For example; As an ambassador for 24/7 Teach, you can offer them a 7-day free workshop and then continue to email them about more opportunities.
Thank you pages are where leads are redirected after they make a purchase or complete some other desired action, such as filling out a form. These pages typically thank the lead for their action and provide them with additional information or resources to further engage with your brand. These pages should include a link to a bridge page where you will try to make a sale. You might say “Ready to get started now? Click here!” and redirect them to the bridge page.
Bridge pages are designed to captivate the visitor's attention and engage them with compelling content, such as informative articles, product reviews, videos, or interactive elements. They offer a “bridge” between the opt-in page and the affiliate offer (or the sales page). By delivering valuable information and establishing credibility, the bridge page increases the likelihood of the visitor taking the desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service.
Sales pages are where the actual selling takes place. These pages are designed to persuade leads to make a purchase by highlighting the features and benefits of your product or service, addressing common objections, and providing social proof in the form of customer testimonials and case studies.
Check out an example sales funnel HERE! (The landing page for this funnel was created separately with a free GoDaddy website and can be found HERE.)
There are several sites that marketers use to set up their funnels, but two of the mainly used sites are Systeme.io and Clickfunnels.com. These are the two that we will be focusing on for this training.
4.2) Systeme.io
How to set up
Here is a step-by-step guide for setting up a sales funnel using Systeme.io:
(If you’d rather watch a video tutorial, we’ve included one here.)
Sign up for Systeme.io: Visit the Systeme.io website and sign up for an account. Once you have created an account, you will be taken to the dashboard.
Create a Funnel: Click on “Funnel” and then “Create.” Name your funnel based on what you plan to market.
Create a landing page: Next, you need to create a landing page to promote your product. In the dashboard, click on the "Pages" tab and then click on "New Page." Select "Landing Page" as the page type and choose a template. Customize the template with your own text, images, and branding. This step can be ommitted and you can skip right to the opt-in page. Many marketers do not have a landing page right away.
Create an opt-in form: To capture leads and build your email list, you need to create an opt-in form. In the dashboard, click on the "Forms" tab and then click on "New Form." Choose "Opt-in Form" as the form type and select a template. Customize the template with your own fields and branding.
Create a thank-you page: After someone fills out your opt-in form, they should be redirected to a thank-you page. In the dashboard, click on the "Pages" tab and then click on "New Page." Select "Thank You Page" as the page type and choose a template. Customize the template with your own text, images, and branding. Often times, a thank you page has a link on it to the bridge page.
Create a bridge page: Remember; the primary purpose of a bridge page is to pre-frame and warm up the visitor by providing relevant information, building trust, and addressing any concerns or objections they may have before directing them to the affiliate offer. There should be a link to your affiliate offer.
Create a sales page: Once someone has opted in, you need to sell them your product. In the dashboard, click on the "Pages" tab and then click on "New Page." Select "Sales Page" as the page type and choose a template. Customize the template with your own text, images, and branding. Include a call-to-action button that links to your checkout page.
Set up a workflow: With Systeme.io's intuitive interface and customizable features, businesses can design and implement workflows tailored to their specific needs. Workflows in Systeme.io act as a blueprint, outlining the sequential steps and actions required to accomplish a particular task or achieve a specific goal. Watch the video tutorial to see exactly how to do this.
Set up your email automation: Systeme.io offers email marketing automation features, allowing you to automatically send follow-up emails to your leads. We will get more into email automation in the next lesson.
Test your Funnel: Go through your funnel as a viewer. Make sure all links, buttons, and forms are working.
Publish your funnel: Once you have created all of your pages and set up your automation, it's time to publish your funnel. In the dashboard, click on the "Pages" tab and then click on the "Publish" button for each of your pages. Test your funnel to make sure everything is working properly.
That’s it! Follow these simple steps to get your sales funnel set up with systeme.io and begin generating leads.
4.3) Clickfunnels
How to set up
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to set up a sales funnel using ClickFunnels:
(If you’d rather watch a video tutorial, we’ve included one here.)
Sign up for a ClickFunnels account: Visit ClickFunnels.com and sign up for a free trial or choose a paid plan that suits your needs.
Create a new funnel: Once you are logged in, click on the "Build Funnel" button, select "Create New Funnel", and choose the type of funnel you want to create, such as a sales funnel, opt-in funnel, webinar funnel, or membership funnel.
Choose a template: ClickFunnels offers a wide range of pre-built funnel templates that you can choose from. Select a template that fits your business needs and customize it to match your brand.
Customize your funnel: Once you have selected a template, use the ClickFunnels drag-and-drop editor to customize your funnel. Add or remove pages, edit text, images, and videos, and configure your funnel settings.
Set up your funnel steps: Configure the funnel steps to guide your visitors from the first page to the final conversion page. Set up landing pages, opt-in pages, order forms, and checkout pages, depending on the type of funnel you are creating.
Set up email automation: Use the ClickFunnels Actionetics feature to set up email automation and follow-up sequences. Create email sequences to nurture your leads and increase your chances of making a sale. We will get more into email automation in your next lesson.
Set up a workflow: Setting up a workflow in ClickFunnels.com is the key to building efficient and effective sales funnels that drive conversions and boost your online business. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, ClickFunnels.com empowers marketers and entrepreneurs to create a seamless customer journey from start to finish. Be sure to watch the video tutorial on setting up email marketing in order to see how to effectively put together a workflow.
Publish your funnel: Once you have customized and configured your funnel, publish it to make it live. ClickFunnels provides you with a unique URL for your funnel, which you can use to promote your funnel and drive traffic to it.
Test your funnel: Before launching your funnel, test it to make sure everything works as expected. Check the pages, the opt-in forms, the payment gateway, and the email sequences to ensure that they are all functioning correctly.
Monitor your funnel performance: Once your funnel is live, use the ClickFunnels dashboard to monitor your funnel performance. Track your conversion rates, page views, and other metrics to identify areas for improvement and optimize your funnel for maximum success.
That’s it! Follow these simple steps to get your sales funnel set up with clickfunnels.com and begin generating leads!
Don’t forget to use the brand colors of the company you’re promoting in your sales funnel!
We’ve included the brand colors of 24/7 Teach here. Save them somewhere so you can easily copy and paste them into the color changing tool in your funnel builder.
Help with Funnel Page Setup:
4.4 Common Troubleshooting Tips
Systeme.io
Having trouble setting up your funnel? Don't worry, we've got you covered! Here are some common troubleshooting tips to help you navigate through any challenges you may encounter:
DNS Record not validating: Systeme.io has created an update where you can take out the domain part of your DNS name. For example, if the name is _52d0c241397dc2952dde3e77532c4480.247teachaffiliates.com, then you can just paste _52d0c241397dc2952dde3e77532c4480 into the DNS name, and leave off the 247teachaffiliates.com part. This may fix your issue.
Double-check your settings: Make sure you've correctly configured all the necessary settings within systeme.io. Check your funnel settings, email integrations, payment gateways, and any other relevant configurations to ensure everything is properly set up.
Test your links: If your funnel isn't working as expected, it's crucial to test your links. Check that all your links are functioning correctly and leading to the right pages. Sometimes, a simple typo or an incorrect URL can cause issues, so be thorough in your link verification.
Clear your cache and cookies: If you're experiencing display or functionality issues within systeme.io, clearing your browser's cache and cookies can often resolve the problem. This helps ensure you're accessing the most up-to-date version of the platform.
Reach out to systeme.io support: If you've tried everything and are still encountering difficulties, don't hesitate to contact systeme.io support. They have a dedicated team of experts who can provide personalized assistance and guide you through any technical issues you may be facing.
Check for systeme.io updates: Occasionally, systeme.io releases updates to improve functionality and address bugs. Make sure you're using the latest version of the platform by checking for updates or notifications from systeme.io.
Review systeme.io documentation and tutorials: Systeme.io provides comprehensive documentation and tutorials to help users troubleshoot common issues. Take advantage of these resources to gain a better understanding of the platform's features and resolve any challenges you encounter.
ClickFunnels.com
Double-check your funnel settings: Make sure all the necessary settings, such as your domain, payment gateways, and email integrations, are correctly configured. A small oversight can sometimes cause big issues, so give everything a thorough review.
Test your funnel steps: Take the time to test each step of your funnel to ensure that everything is functioning as expected. Go through the entire process as a user would and identify any glitches or errors along the way.
Check your integrations: If you've integrated other tools or platforms into your funnel, such as email marketing software or CRM systems, verify that the connections are set up correctly. A misconfiguration here can disrupt the flow of data and prevent seamless automation.
Clear your cache and cookies: Sometimes, caching issues can interfere with the proper functioning of your funnel. Clearing your cache and cookies can help resolve any temporary conflicts and ensure that you're seeing the most up-to-date version of your funnel.
Contact ClickFunnels support: If you've exhausted your troubleshooting efforts and still can't find a resolution, don't hesitate to reach out to ClickFunnels' support team. They have a dedicated team of experts who can assist you in resolving technical issues and answering any questions you may have.
Remember, setting up a funnel can be complex, and hiccups are normal. Stay patient, persistent, and utilize the available resources to troubleshoot and overcome any obstacles. With a little troubleshooting know-how and support, you'll be on your way to building successful and profitable funnels in no time!
Closing Assessment:
Select the Assessment button below to answer the following questions:
Which funnel site do you plan on using and why?
What specific questions about funnels do you have that were not answered in this lesson?
Discussion Question:
1. Please answer the following question in the comment section below and interact with learners from around the world.
Using the video walkthroughs above, go set up your funnel! Tell us about your experience below.
2. Please read and reply to other learners’ answers in the forum. Your replies should offer new substantiated ideas or thoughtful questions.
Next Steps
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Next Steps |
Course Created by: Samantha Nally, Laura Campion, Jan Deniece de los Reyes, and Rimandeep Kaur
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