Do I really Need a Website?
I have seen a few posts and questions about sales funnels and in particular - ClickFunnels. In an effort to save some of you from shiny object syndrome, I thought I would clarify a few points.
I'm not just giving some random opinions here - I actually work with various technology for my clients. The biggest problem I see with my clients is them buying tools they don't need and wasting money.
Now, many people who are avid ClickFunnels (CFs) users, will try and tell you that you don't need a website - all you need is CFs. They would be wrong!
It's not that they are trying to give you bad information. They just don't know any better.
Firstly, you need to understand what a sales funnel is.
Simply put, a sales funnel is the process your customer goes through.
It can be as simple or complicated as you like.
From the first time someone hears about you until the moment they buy from you, they are passing through different stages of your sales funnel.
This process might differ from one prospective customer to the next depending on their buying personas, your niche and the types of products and services you sell.
You can design your sales funnel with as many stages/steps as you want.
Bare Necessities
When you are first starting out, you only need the bare minimum while you are learning.
These should be your only startup expenses:
WA
Domain
You don't even need to pay for an autoresponder at first - you can get MailerLite for FREE until you reach 1,000 subscribers.
You can even create your own nice looking squeeze pages on your website with a free plugin called Elementor.
Use the HTML element in the page builder to paste your form code from your autoresponder.
What about building a sales funnel?
As I mentioned earlier - what CFs does is simplifies building a sales funnel. BUT it can be done on WP as well.
You will create your squeeze page to offer your freebie in exchange for their name and email.
In your autoresponder, you can add a link to send the subscriber to once they have opted in. This will be a 2nd page you create.
It will be your thank you page but it can also be used for your upsell as well.
At the top of the page you say thanks for downloading my book (or whatever you choose to write here). Then below that text you can offer something for them to buy. Usually a low dollar price works best - under $20. Make sure it is an item that makes sense - it would be something that could easily be seen as 'the next step'.
For example: your freebie is how to make a birdhouse (instructions), your upsell could be a kit with all the parts they need to make constructing said birdhouse easier.
This process works especially well if all the products you are selling are your own digital products. You would be able to add multiple upsells.
How Do I Do That?
I'm glad you asked. :)
In PayPal you will create your buy button. In the last section of creating your button there is a place to paste a link to send the buyer to once they have purchased.
So you create another page on your site for the 2nd upsell and link that to you PayPal button for the Birdhouse kit.
On this page you say something like - Thank you for buying our Birdhouse Kit, it will save you loads of time in finding the parts you need to make a beautiful birdhouse!.Because you found the kit super helpful - I think you would really appreciate our special on bird feed! Then go on to tell them about why your special on bird feed is so fantastic!
It is a little more work than using paid software but as I said - you don't NEED to pay for other services until you start making some money.
Don't have more going out then in!
Questions??
Recent Comments
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Thanks for this informative post, never heard of Mailerlite & Elementor. I don't understand what you mean here 'Use the HTML element in the page builder to paste your form code from your autoresponder'
You're welcome Kav. :) When using any page builder you use what is called 'elements' to build your pages. Most are drag and drop function. One element is called an HTML element. It is similar to your text tab in WP. You copy your form code from your autoresponder and paste it in the element. :)
Nice post, thanks for the MailerLite and Elementor - did not know.
As for ClickFunnel - they promote the different approach to business.
And in this sense it is very interesting - Abandon Your Website Now For Your Business To Survive - is catchy.
And they prove that for business (even for individual enterpreneurs) there approach works:
you may pick up a product (several) and promote products as usual ads with paid and free Social Networks traffic (YouTube, FB, Twitter).
And in this sense you do not need authority site, because you do not care about "search in Google".
Does this approach work in general? I bet it is.
Is it easy to implement? Yes.
Will it make money "for me" - the same question as with authority sites - persistence, dedication... you name it
I am not promoting CF. Just like to research all possible options.
Thanks for your post Angela.
I can't disagree with you and I wasn't trying to discount CFs. On the contrary - I use it myself and love it. What I'm saying though is that there are ways to achieve what you need in other ways while you are building your business.
Many people will spend money on tools they really can't afford just because it looks great.
If you have the budget for it, it definitely makes building and implementing your sales funnel much easier. I would caution against getting the full suite at the the moment though as they are having a few glitches. Best to get the $97 plan and connect to your own autoresponder.
I also agree, if you are doing paid ads and not doing SEO and keyword research then you don't need to worry about a website.
However - WP is still better for building a membership site and your own affiliate area if that is something that interests you.
I am building an authority site using WA approach and everything I have here... but I am going to try to using "a no website" CF approach.
I think it is a good idea to try the "opposite" to WA approach and compare for myself.
Besides, writing great content takes more time than running a landing page-PLR-direct affiliate link.
I am curious if it will work for me :)) definitely will try.
And one question to you. You say you use CF?
Do I understand correcltly that they have a built-in autoresponder (not included in $97, I know that).
And the second question.
Do you think it is OK if I create a few sited here with Site-Rubix, but will use them not as authority sites but as one-page promotional?
Thank you very much, Angela
They do have a built in autoresponder called Actionetics but as I said it has been very glitchy for a while now. To make sure everything works as it should (ie your emails are delivered) then I would recommend using your own autoresponder such as MailerLite.
I do use CF. I have many of my own products and CF makes it super simple to create an easy flow and take payments.
I don't see any reason you couldn't use the siterubix like you want. Since it is free with your membership here at WA, it is a great way to test out new ideas without spending a lot of money.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for your replies.
Now I know what I will do (in lime with WA authority approach, of course)!
Thanks
Very well put. I use all my content as sales funnel. if I can provide a need or rectify a problem, that is my sales funnel. It works the same way as if I am selling a product. The only thing is that my product is education on how to make money online.
It doesn't matter to me if I don't collect an email, once I am creating quality content, my audience will bookmark my website and keep coming back. That is the greatest sales funnel one can create.
So to answer your question, yes you need a website, and that website is set up based on your audience. You explained building sales funnel in a very simple process, which is compelling, especially the thank you page. The other website that I am building, I will use that strategyThank you for this post.
Sorry if the headline was confusing. I wasn't asking if I need a website. It is a question asked by many and many who use the ClickFunnels software try and tell people they don't need one.
I have been doing this for 3+ years now. I'll be the first to tell anyone - you need a website! lol
Yes, I know, I was answering people who ask the same question. It was just weeks when someone approach me about click funnels and upsell. Some top marketers believe that is the way to have success online. I never knew the process until your post. Thanks again.
Great Angela. The most important part of a click funnel is the call to action CTA usually found on a landing page that "makes the sale"
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Thanks, Angela. This is very useful and informative.:)
My pleasure Vera :)