Click Funnels: How They Work & How to Create One That Converts

A click funnel is a strategic series of web pages designed to guide potential customers through the buying process. Keep reading to learn more.

A click funnel is a planned series of web pages designed to guide someone from their first click through to becoming a customer.

This could be a landing page with a strong headline, a lead capture form, a thank-you page with an upsell, and maybe a follow-up offer or booking link. Each page in the click funnel has a job: to move a prospect to the next step.

Instead of sending people to a generic homepage and hoping they take action, a funnel gives them a clear, focused path based on their intent. In this guide, we’ll walk through how click funnels work, what to include, and how to build one that helps you turn traffic into results.

A click funnel is a digital pathway that leads your customers through a series of steps, one click and one webpage at a time. In essence, it aims to guide potential customers toward a conversion event like purchasing something, signing up for a newsletter, booking a demo, or making an appointment.

Prime Video’s 30-day free trial is the endpoint of a classic click funnel. The funnel starts with ads on social media, links to a landing page, prompts users to create a free account, and ends with capturing their details.

At its core, a click funnel should aim to reduce the number of choices customers have at each stage. For instance, a business may have 30 different links on its landing pages, 15 options on its blog’s content, five options on its product comparison page, and a single ‘buy now’ button on its checkout page. All of this gradually narrows the scope, avoids confusion, and makes it obvious which action the customer should take next.

The best part about click funnels is that you can improve them with data. By zeroing in on what happens with a customer at each step, you can make alterations that ultimately increase conversion rates, enhance the overall customer experience, and drive revenue growth.

Click funnels and the sales funnel are two distinct concepts. A click funnel refers to a digital, conversion-focused path, usually built around a landing page or ad. A sales funnel is broader, mapping the full customer journey across marketing, sales, and customer support.

You could map a click funnel alongside part of a sales funnel, but they serve different functions and operate at different levels.

A funnel begins broad at the top and narrows toward the bottom, similar to the sales process. Each click should take the visitor from one stage to the next, making the funnel process as frictionless as possible.

It can be broken down into the following four stages.

The funnel process usually starts with a landing page reached through a link from an ad, social media post, or any other of a business’s digital marketing campaigns. Once the user reaches this page, they’ll be met with the core value proposition of the product or service, often along with some key benefits and links to additional content.

Once online visitors click one of the links on your initial landing page, they’ll have the chance to explore additional, more detailed content, such as product feature pages, case studies, and testimonials. The funnel narrows as this bonus content guides customers closer to conversion.

Many businesses also use this stage as a chance to upsell products. Consider a product page that features a button like “choose an extra matching accessory for 15% off your purchase”, for instance.

At this point, you’ve created desire for your product. The next step is to seal the deal with a conversion page. This page should clearly outline the action your user should take, such as making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter, or signing up for a webinar.

Now the key is to limit the number of options available to the prospective customer. Unlike your landing page, which featured various links to different areas of your site, the conversion point is focused on one thing: getting your customer to act.

Once your customer takes the desired action, all that’s left to do is retain them. This part will vary depending on the action. For example, a nurturing email chain is vital if your customers have downloaded gated content, such as an eBook or free template. For product purchases, focus on post-sale support, like how-to guides and loyalty programs.

Tools like Marketing Cloud can automate this entire journey, from first click to long-term customer engagement.

The optimal click funnel varies for every business. What’s important is to be strategic with your link placements and narrow the funnel as the customer gets closer to conversion.

There’s no perfect recipe or one-size-fits-all solution, but successful click funnels feature some combination of the following:

• Landing pages: This is your customer’s entry point, where they arrive after clicking on a link or an ad. The purpose of these pages is to be appealing, to capture attention, and to encourage further action.
• Sales pages/category pages: These are more detailed, informative pages that provide information about your product or services. They should highlight a mix of features and benefits, building interest and making a case for desire.
• Opt-in forms: These are forms where visitors can get something valuable, like an informative ebook or access to discounts. The form will ask them to enter information in exchange, including their email address.
• Call-to-action (CTA) buttons: These prominent buttons guide users to take the next step toward a potential conversion.
• Upsells and downsells: These are additional offers presented after the initial purchase to increase the transaction value, offering customers opportune add-ons.
• Thank you pages: These are confirmation pages that acknowledge the visitor's action and thank them for choosing you as a product or service provider. These small acts build relationships with customers and may also offer further engagement opportunities.
• Email sequences: Away from the website, email sequences can also be part of your click funnel. These automated emails nurture leads, provide added value to prospective customers and encourage conversions.

Implementing click funnels as part of your marketing strategy offers numerous advantages that can significantly impact your business growth. Let’s explore:

The focused approach and careful curation of each step of the online customer journey minimize distractions and encourage visitors to take specific actions. When done well, businesses see a marked increase in conversion rates overall.

Part of your click funnel might include capturing visitor information through elements like opt-in forms. This helps generate high-quality leads, which your digital marketing team can then nurture and target through other marketing campaigns.

In this example, the online fashion retailer The Iconic encourages visitors to subscribe to their newsletter. Visitors get exclusive discounts in return. This strategy generates leads for the business but also lets The Iconic’s marketing team keep customers engaged with regular updates and promotions.

Well-designed click funnels allow you to present relevant information and offer at each stage of the customer journey. Timely messages empower you to improve engagement and build stronger relationships with users who appreciate the relevancy at each stage of the experience.

An example of this could be personalized recommendations within the click funnel based on user browsing history. This offers a tailored, much more meaningful experience to each user, which in turn increases conversions.

Automated emails featuring targeted content help you nurture prospects by addressing their needs and overcoming any objections at critical stages. This careful approach gently pushes them closer to a purchase decision.

Here’s a great example of an email nurturing sequence from Tutero after a user has signed up but has not yet paid for their service.

When a new user signs up to start with Tutero, it provides clear next steps, along with a PDF welcome pack for the user to learn more about getting started, which answers a lot of common questions people might have.

Click funnels aren’t complete at the point of sale. We can also use them to encourage customer retention, encouraging repeat business and building customer loyalty over time. By offering further value like membership programs or upsells post-purchase as part of your click funnel, you can encourage another transaction while cementing a relationship.

The balance, as with many of these steps, is to ensure your digital communication is rooted in adding value rather than merely an attempt to entice further purchases.

With modern tools like Salesforce Marketing Cloud, powered by AI, you can gain access to valuable customer behavior data that will inform further digital marketing strategies.

Understanding how customers interact with each stage allows you to iterate with A/B testing to continually optimize the funnel for better performance.

Scape uses Marketing Cloud to activate customer data and drive engagement. By tracking user behavior across channels, it’s been able to personalize booking journeys, automate follow-ups, and lift monthly revenue by up to 50%.

Click funnels enable the automation of repetitive marketing tasks, such as sending follow-up emails or segmenting leads. This not only saves time but also ensures consistent communication as your business scales.

Once again, marketing tools and funnel builders like Salesforce can help you set up these automated journeys and sequences tailored to your business, proposition, and audience segments.

With the help of these AI-driven tools, you’ll feel the benefit of a much more cost-effective marketing strategy. Salesforce takes a lot of the hard grind away from you, using data to help you target the right audience with relevant messages at the right time.

Of course, this automated funnel builder, along with marketing insights, also frees up some time for you and your marketing team to focus on other business strategies and outcomes.

Let’s see some successful click funnel strategies in action.

Flipkart, an e-commerce platform, has mastered the art of utilising click funnels to convert website visitors into loyal customers. Let's delve into how Flipkart's click funnel operates and why it is highly effective.

At the awareness stage, Flipkart employs ad strategies across various channels. Their campaigns often feature catchy slogans and celeb endorsements to resonate with their audience. Events like “Big Billion Days” sales create buzz and draw significant attention. This is how Flipkart gets customers into its click funnel.

From here, landing pages further encourage exploration with enticing deals to generate further interest and desire. Specially designed landing pages highlight upcoming deals, exclusive offers, and top categories. Observe the special ‘Flipkart Travel’ discount seen behind the login box above.

personalization is a major tool for Flipkart. They leverage user data to display products and categories relevant to individual browsing histories and preferences. As you can see above, there is an immediate pop-up to log in to the site, giving you access as a customer to see your “orders, wishlists, and recommendations.” In other words, your personal, tailored experience.

The log-in box effectively acts as a lead capture form for those who haven’t registered an account yet.

On individual product pages, Flipkart displays helpful information such as prominent reviews and sections such as "Frequently Bought Together" and "Customers Who Viewed This Also Viewed.” These are tactfully displayed to encourage users to explore further related products.

You’ll also see multiple images, 360-degree views, and sometimes videos demonstrating product usage.

This builds trust in Flipkart as a product provider while sharing valuable information about the products themselves. The combined effect gently persuades online visitors to proceed with the purchase.

From there, if you choose to proceed with the purchase, the experience is smooth. Flexible payment options and a facility that allows customers to buy products instantly and pay later remove potential barriers for someone looking to make a purchase.

Post-purchase, customers receive SMS and email updates about their order status, delivery estimates, and any delays.

Overall, Flipkart’s web experience is a fantastic example of an optimized click funnel, where every step is staged to offer a fantastic customer experience that removes friction.

While the bottom line is that the company wants to sell products to make a profit, the key skill in the company’s marketing is that it facilitates the journey by offering value to the customer. It does this through personalization, in-depth info on its various pages, and delivering a seamless experience driven by choices that build trust.

Lazada Malaysia is another example of an ecommerce platform/online store with a highly optimized click funnel.

It’s known especially for huge sales. The marketing strategy is to capitalize on high traffic during the promotional period. Lazada employs many of the same click funnel tactics as Flipkart, but let’s focus on this emphasis on promotional periods.

Prior to sales events like the "11.11 Shopping Festival," Lazada runs extensive advertising campaigns across TV, radio, social media, and online platforms. They then engage users with games and quizzes in the app, offering rewards and vouchers that can be used during the sale.

All of this is extensive work done at the awareness stage of the click funnel, just getting potential customers to engage with the site.

If you click on an ad, Lazada’s marketers then generate interest on landing pages through two key tactics:

• Upcoming deals, flash sales schedules, and exclusive offers appear on landing pages to catch the eye.
• They create urgency through visible countdown timers to the start of sales, building anticipation.

Here’s an example of one of these countdowns below, which helps to create a sense of urgency:

But Lazada doesn’t stop there. There are further opportunities to nudge you toward a purchase, increasing the overall effectiveness of their marketing funnel.

• Users can browse products and add them to their cart before the sale begins, ensuring they don't miss out on limited-stock items.
• Users can get personalized vouchers based on browsing habits to encourage higher spending.
• Lazada hosts live streams where sellers showcase products, answer questions, and offer special deals to viewers.

All of these features help move a user from interest to desire for any given product on Lazada.

Just like Flipkart, Lazada is then at the cutting edge of the action stage, with a simple purchase process based on making things easy for users.

Lazada’s click funnel works during promotional times since it plays significantly on urgency and excitement. Timed sales and countdowns motivate customers to act quickly. Meanwhile, gamification and live interactions keep users engaged and invested in the platform.

Not to be forgotten, Lazada prepares for higher traffic. Your click funnel is only as good as the infrastructure it’s built upon. Lazada’s optimized infrastructure ensures a smooth shopping experience even during peak times. Otherwise, the slow, clumsy user experience would be a frustration for customers, causing them to exit the funnel early.

We’ve spotlighted a few excellent examples to help with understanding click funnels: Lazada, Flipkart, The Iconic, and Tutero. But these guys had to start somewhere. How do you go about creating a click funnel?

Any marketer worth their salt knows everything stems from knowing your audience. You need to understand your potential customers' needs, preferences, and pain points.

You can use analytics tools like Google Analytics or Salesforce CRM to gather insights.

Determine what you want to achieve — whether it's lead generation, sales, or sign-ups. Defining your goals will also help when it comes to measuring success. Are you just looking to see an increase in profit, or is a bigger subscriber list more valuable to you over time?

You can find detailed advice on landing page design elsewhere. For our purposes, remember three key principles:

• Communicate what you offer and why it's beneficial. A clear value proposition is vital.
• Use compelling headlines, images, and videos as engaging content.
• Include signup forms to capture visitor information.

Populate your sales pages with credible, detailed information about your product or service. You can do this through customer reviews and success stories. A key aspect of these pages is your CTA buttons. Encourage the next step with clear and prominent calls to action that the customer can’t miss.

Offer additional products or services to increase transaction value. A good example of this is our Salesforce Marketing Cloud page. On the Salesforce page, people can watch a demo and explore how AI can help.

The page also has a dedicated section that educates customers about Salesforce's products. This section allows customers to customize and explore potential add-ons that may result in an upsell.

Automate follow-up emails to nurture leads and encourage conversions. You can get to grips with Salesforce Marketing Cloud’s capabilities to set up these email sequences for you.

Before launching, it's always a good idea to use A/B split testing to experiment with different versions of landing pages to see what performs best on each page variation.

Once you’re happy, go ahead and launch. Use paid search, social media, and content marketing to drive visitors to your funnel. Affiliate programs and influencers are another option to leverage and expand your reach.

The work never stops. Keep iterating and improving your landing pages to ensure your click funnels are as efficient as they can be.

Tracking metrics like conversion benchmarks and bounce rates gives you an idea of funnel performance. Review these metrics regularly to see where there might be room for improvement and where you can optimize your funnels.

As you create your click funnel, it’s important to avoid some common pitfalls we can all get suckered into if we’re not careful.

• Don’t overcomplicate the funnel. It’s easy to get carried away planning vast networks of pages to cover every potential customer journey. We’re not saying that can’t work. Yet, the principle of keeping things simple is important to avoid confusing potential customers.
• Avoid weak CTAs. Ensure your calls to action are clear, concise, and compelling. The visitor should be in no doubt about where their click will take them, and it should also be clear where they are expected to click.
• Don’t ignore mobile. Make sure your funnel works seamlessly on mobile devices as well as desktops. The trend is moving toward mobile use, and a bad mobile experience will simply turn off visitors who can easily head elsewhere.
• Don’t skip testing. Regularly perform A/B tests to optimize performance. It’s a key step. You may come across significant issues you need to fix or minor adjustments to improve efficiency. Either way, the result will be a better click funnel for having put in the effort.

Click funnels are getting an overhaul with the more widespread use of agentic AI. Instead of following a fixed sequence, agentic AI can adapt the funnel on its own based on real-time data.

For example, if a customer lingers on a pricing page, an AI agent can trigger a tailored message, suggest the most relevant product, or start a personalized email journey without manual input. These agents can also adjust timing, content, and channels based on how likely someone is to convert.

This change makes the funnel more dynamic and personalized at every step. Tools like Agentforce give businesses the ability to build these kinds of journeys at scale, helping teams act faster and bring more customers down the sales pipeline.

Click funnels are a practical way to guide people through a digital journey, from the first click to the final action. When done well, they remove distractions, keep people engaged, and make it easy for people to take the next action.

With Salesforce Marketing Cloud, you can take it up a notch. You’ll be able to build funnels that respond to what each person is doing in real time, send the right message at the right moment, and use AI to personalize every step based on behavior, preferences, and past interactions.

Want to see how it works? Watch a demo of Marketing Cloud and see how intelligent funnels can help you increase sign-ups, reduce drop-off, and turn interest into action.