Whether you are planning to build your first sale funnel or already have, learning from the best is the quickest way to improve your business. By studying those businesses that have already made it, you will gain insights to optimize your sales funnel strategy.
The best sales funnel examples that work include Netflix, Groupon, Mixergy, Basecamp, Mailshake, and ConvertKit. These sales funnels use the four funnel stages to move their leads through the customer journey. By taking specific actions at each stage, they can convert more leads in the end.
This post will review the sales funnel stages and discuss the best sales funnel examples. The most effective funnels capitalize on each stage and offer value to their customers along the way. Let’s get started!
Important Stages That Make These Sales Funnels Work!
A sales funnel maps the stages that potential customers pass through as they transition into paying customers.
A typical sales funnel has four stages. Each stage shows the necessary steps marketers need to take to propel customers to the next level.
The stages are:
1. Awareness
This is where a lead learns about the existence of your brand for the first time.
Awareness is created through marketing activities such as making podcasts, hosting webinars, and blogging.
Normally, prospects have a problem, and when they see your informative content, they develop interest.
2. Interest
In this second step, leads develop interest and start exploring possible solutions.
At the same time, marketers start nurturing their newly-acquired leads through relationship building.
Email marketing is the most common form of lead nurturing used here.
3. Desire
Having developed a relationship with your leads, they are now thinking about buying from you.
Therefore, this is your chance to show them how you can solve their problem through your product or service.
For example, you could offer a 30-day free trial of your product.
4. Action
At this point, prospects have decided to buy hence closing the sale.
However, you may nudge them to purchase more by giving them a one-time, time-sensitive offer.
6 Best Sales Funnels Examples That Are Immensely Successful
While an outline for creating a sales funnel can guide you, great sales funnel examples will inspire you.
Besides, these examples will make it easier for you to get started.
That said, let’s look at the best sales funnel examples that have helped businesses boost their sales.
1. Netflix’s Sales Funnel
How Netflix’s Sales Funnel Works?
Netflix is a popular video streaming service that subscribers use to watch TV shows, movies, documentaries, and more.
The service thrives on word-of-mouth referrals, influencer marketing, and a simple checkout process that moves prospects through the funnel.
Awareness: Netflix is now a famous brand that relies on advertisements on social media, podcasts, TV, etc., to raise awareness.
It also thrives on influencer marketing by encouraging prospects to stream their favorite TV shows and movies.
Interest and decision: Primarily, Netflix nurtures its leads through public relations, where they share the shows that are available for streaming.
By doing so, they spark curiosity and prompt leads to join and learn more about the shows.
Action: Netflix gives its prospects a taste of the most expensive plans, so leads can know what to expect.
They also offer a 30-day free trial, after which users will be billed for the following month. To ensure you are not charged unwillingly, Netflix sends users an expiry reminder three days ahead of time.
Why Netflix’s Sales Funnel Works?
Netflix’s funnel works because it taps into multiple sources of attracting traffic, thus making it go viral.
It also takes advantage of the excitement generated around the shows and movies it hosts.
Subsequently, the platform attracts massive interest and draws many leads into its funnel.
Another reason is the site’s simplicity which enables users to navigate easily and find what they are looking for.
In addition, Netflix is risk-free if you want to opt-out. They allow their users to cancel at any time to help them avoid next cycle billing.
2. Groupon’s Sales Funnel
How Groupon’s Sales Funnel Works?
Groupon is a coupon database that hosts a collection of discounts available in a given area.
The service targets locals and tourists that are looking to save some bucks.
Prospects pass through Groupon’s funnel with help from referrals, email marketing, online searches, re-marketing, and rewards.
Awareness: Leads learn about Groupon through referrals from friends or find it when they search for deals.
Referrals work well since referrers earn $10 for each person referred. Affiliates also earn a 10% commission.
Interest: Groupon cultivates interest mainly through email marketing.
They collect email addresses through the email opt-in pop-up that appears when you visit the site for the first time.
Once they capture the leads’ addresses, they send them offers based on their interests.
Decision: Prospects can see a variety of coupons displayed on the site once they visit.
They can also perform a quick search to view all the coupons available.
Action: Once prospects find the deals they want, Groupon allows them to add their products to the cart and pay for them.
Moreover, Groupon allows members to finalize their decision by making a purchase on the Groupon app.
After the purchase, Groupon sends follow-up emails to its customers with offers based on their purchase history.
By following up, they increase customer retention rates.
Why Groupon’s Sales Funnel Works?
The strongest aspect of this funnel is the email list. The email opt-in pop-up captures visitors’ addresses on arrival.
Afterward, Groupon sends interest-based offers to the members to get them to come back for more.
Another reason they are successful is because Groupon has defined its target audience. For instance, they have a specific audience that is mainly made of women.
This knowledge enables them to cater to the needs of the group.
Finally, the funnel makes it easy for prospects to find deals they want and purchase them from inside the app. As such, the funnel is free from friction.
3. Mixergy’s Sales Funnel
The Stages Of Mixergy’s Sales Funnel and How It Works?
Mixergy is a digital seller of online courses and interviews. They are geared towards empowering entrepreneurs to start and scale their businesses.
Mixergy utilizes social media ads, influencer marketing, email campaigns, and free offers to push leads down their sales funnel.
Awareness: Mixergy creates awareness through influencer marketing by offering courses and interviews with proven entrepreneurs.
They also market their brand through social media and paid adverts.
Interest: To arouse the interest of the potential leads, Mixergy offers each person nine free interviews.
In exchange for the free interviews, leads must provide their email addresses, which adds them to the email list.
Decision: Mixergy then goes on to nurture its leads through email marketing. They share valuable educational content alongside their interviews and courses.
This enables prospects to decide if the products offered can help solve their problems.
Action: Mixergy has a clear call to action that nudges prospects to “Click To Get Them Now.”
After clicking on the CTA, prospects can view and pick from various courses and interviews.
They can then pay for their choice and complete the buying process.
Why Mixergy’s Sales Funnel Works?
Mixergy’s sales funnel works because it leverages the benefits of influencer and email marketing.
Since leads do not buy at once, email marketing helps Mixergy keep nudging the leads until they are ready to convert.
Their influencers are top-performing entrepreneurs who already have a following.
By airing these entrepreneurs’ courses or interviews, Mixergy attracts the influencers’ followers too. In turn, this increases the number of leads joining the funnel.
4. Basecamp’s Sales Funnel
How Basecamps Sales Funnel Works?
Basecamp is a popular remote team organization and project management tool that helps teams stay ahead of their projects.
Basecamp attracts its leads through search engine optimization, referrals, and public relations. First, the leads are directed to Basecamp’s landing page.
From there, the leads move through the funnel using newsletters, free trials, case studies, guides, and educational content.
Awareness: Basecamp creates brand awareness by sharing blog posts and books that address the challenges of managing remote teams.
Interest and decision: Basecamp then shares guides with its leads.
These guides enlighten the prospects about remote team management best practices.
The guides also teach prospects about effective project management using basecamp’s software.
Basecamp also provides social proof in the form of testimonials and account growth statistics. This helps build trust and prove that they are the best at what they do.
Action: Basecamp offers its prospects a free 30-day trial to give them a taste of what to expect.
They also share educational content and actionable tips to build trust. By using these strategies, prospects are more inclined to buy.
Why Basecamp’s Sales Funnel Works?
Basecamp’s sales funnels work because it provides value throughout every stage.
In addition, Basecamp takes its time to educate its prospects about their software and how it can solve their problems.
Another reason is that it fosters trust by showing its audience that it is a tried and tested tool.
Therefore, leads choose to stay, knowing they will get value from their purchase.
Moreover, the simple design and free trial reduce friction, thus encouraging more leads to convert.
Once leads test how the tool works, they often purchase the paid plan.
5. Mailshake’s Sales Funnel
How Mailshake’s Sales Funnel Works?
Mailshake is a tool designed for generating leads. It helps businesses to attract, qualify and convert leads on autopilot.
Mailshake uses blog posts and affiliate marketing to generate traffic.
It also uses webinars, product descriptions, and demos to get leads to move along its sales funnel.
Awareness: Mailshake uses affiliate marketing and educational blog posts to get people to learn about their brand.
These two strategies enlighten leads about solving lead generation challenges.
Interest: To arouse lead interest, Mailshake hosts webinar sessions.
During these sessions, Mailshake teaches its prospects how they can solve their lead generation problems using their platform.
Similarly, prospects are taught how they can scale their lead generation results.
Decision: Mailshake categorizes its product descriptions into segments such as sales, public relations, and link building.
When leads visit Mailshake’s website, they can explore what Mailshake can do for them. Subsequently, their specific needs and goals are addressed.
Action: Moving on to the last stage, Mailshake allows its prospects to sign up for a one-on-one demonstration.
During this demo, prospects are taken on a tour that shows the products that may suit their needs.
Then, to further convince them to make a purchase, Mailshake helps the prospects select a viable user plan.
Why Mailshake’s Sales Funnel Works?
Mailshake’s sales funnel converts well because it targets prospects individually based on their needs and goals.
This is achieved through the use of blogs and webinars that are tailored to meet the needs of particular target markets.
The use of one-on-one demos and segmented product descriptions enables the sales team to address the needs of their specific audience.
In the end, more leads convert because their individual needs have been met.
6. ConvertKit’s Sales Funnel
How ConvertKit’s Sales Funnel Works?
ConvertKit is designed to make it easy for bloggers and marketers to build landing pages and create sign-up forms and emails.
It generates traffic through informative blog posts, affiliate marketing, and video marketing.
Leads move through the sales funnel with the help of free trials, webinars, and case studies.
Awareness: People become aware of ConvertKit through educational blog posts and webinars.
These strategies teach their leads how to attract and convert traffic. Besides, ConvertKit recruits existing customers into its affiliate program to reach more leads.
Interest: ConvertKit arouses interest in its leads by teaching them how to build an audience.
They also encourage the leads to take action based on what they learn.
Decision: ConvertKit offers a limited free version of their tool to help prospects learn how it works.
Therefore, prospects get to decide if the tool is helpful to them.
They further convince their leads that they are the best in email marketing through case studies and testimonials.
Action: The free trial gives prospects confidence and knowledge of what to expect.
In addition, ConvertKit gives prospects educational content that teaches them about the tool’s features and functionality.
Subsequently, free testing and education motivate prospects to purchase the tool.
Why ConvertKit’s Sales Funnel Works?
ConvertKit’s sales funnel works because it leverages the power of affiliate marketing by empowering its existing customers.
Nothing convinces a customer better than word of mouth from a current user.
Another reason is that they offer a free version of its tool to give its prospects a glimpse of what to expect. This gives them the confidence to buy.
Furthermore, Convertkit segments its audience and gives them relevant content in the form of case studies.
As such, creators and bloggers get content that relates to their respective market segments.
Finally, ConvertKit is an all-in-one lead generation tool that enables its customers to grow their email lists, boost conversion rates, and generate more sales.
Wrapping up
Creating a working sales funnel takes a lot of work and patience. You will need to make regular changes until you start seeing results.
Studying what others have done with their funnels is the quickest way to build converting sales funnels.
The above sales funnel examples have been proven to convert highly because of their creators’ strategies.
By studying them, you may find some inspiration to build and improve your sales funnel using tried and tested methods!
With the above examples to inspire you, you can now build a working sales funnel.