Use This 6-Point Checklist To Instantly Optimise Your Sales Funnel For Maximum Conversions

Just now, I finished writing the fortieth (roughly, in 9 months) end-to-end sales funnel for an 8-figure marketing agency.

It’s only fitting that in this newsletter I drop my 6-point checklist to instantly optimize any sales funnel for maximum conversions.

What is a sales funnel?

A sales funnel is a step-by-step process that guides potential customers from initial awareness of a product or service to the final purchase. It involves stages such as attracting leads, nurturing them with information and offers, and converting them into paying customers.

A typical sales funnel has video or image ads, VSL, an opt-in page, a landing page, a booking page, and a thank-you page. This is followed by an SMS or an email nurture sequence.

The copy we write in every step of the funnel…

Video Ad Script → Ad Copy → Opt-In Page → VSL (Video Sales Letter) → Landing Page → Qualification Page → Booking Page → Thank You Page → SMS/Email Nurture Sequences

… As I said earlier, I wrote forty of these in the last 9 months. So stick to this email till the end, okay? You’ll walk away with big lessons.

Plus, I'll share a straightforward tip that helps me write succinct and clear copy.

🖊️ The Copywriting Tip You Can Use Right Away: Ask SO WHAT? After Each Sentence In Your Copy

Make your copy clear and succinct by asking “So what?“ after each sentence.

Example 1: Our software improves productivity.

Improved Copy: Our software improves productivity. (So what?) It allows you to complete tasks 20% faster, giving you more time to focus on growing your business.

Example 2: This service is affordable and reliable.

Improved Copy: This service is affordable and reliable. (So what?) You save money while getting 24/7 support, ensuring your operations run smoothly without breaking the bank.

Make connection between the perceived and actual benefits of your product for readers — don’t leave it up to them to figure this out.

I share a resource citing editing for clarity at the end of this newsletter.

🧠 Behold: The 6-Point Checklist To Instantly Optimise Any Sales Funnel For Maximum Conversions

There are infinite ways to build on this checklist because optimizing your sales funnel is an ongoing process. Use this checklist as a starting point and continually refine your strategies to achieve maximum conversions.

✅ Ask the right questions in the research phase

Acton Tip: Conduct client and customer interviews where you can steer the conversation based on their previous answers. With practice, you’ll learn where to probe and poke to get the desired message.

✅ Stick to your unique mechanism in the offer development and strategy phase

Action Tip: It’s easy to sway looking at a dozen different data points collected in your research phase, but keep in mind that your offer should be structured around your differentiation factor. What can your product do that no one else can?
Remember there are more than ways to differentiate from the competition — think beyond pricing and look into delivery.

✅ Keep your prospect at the forefront in the copywriting phase

Action Tip: On the top of your document describe your one reader or prospect in a single line. Tie back each sentence to that avatar. You’re only speaking to your ideal avatar.

✅ Use consumer psychology insights in the designing phase

Action Tip: Apply color psychology to evoke specific emotions. Use blue to convey trust and calm, or red to create excitement and urgency. Ensure your design is visually appealing and easy to navigate. Place buttons prominently where users can easily find them, and use images that support your message and brand.

✅ Test the right elements (not all the elements) in the testing phase

What to test: Facebook ad images vs. videos, ad headlines, optin-page headlines, landing page headlines, image placement, button copy, color, and placement.

✅ Refine and improve in the optimization phase

Action Tip: Analyze user behavior data to understand how visitors interact with your funnel. Use heatmaps and session recordings to see where users are engaging most and least. Implement changes based on data-driven insights — not at a whim. Feedback from customers can also point to areas for improvement.

To recap:

Remember, it’s easier to tweak a current campaign than to run a new one. And it goes without saying: add social proof in every step of the funnel.

There’s research on how social proof plays out in real life.

Hotel Towel Experiment—The Influence of Social Norms:

In 2014, a study was conducted in hotel rooms that revealed an interesting finding: guests were much more likely to reuse their towels when they were told that most previous guests had done the same.

This straightforward application of social proof—a psychological concept where people follow the actions of others—led to a significant increase in towel reuse. It shows how a simple message can effectively influence behavior by leveraging the power of social norms.

How can small to medium-sized businesses use this info to boost their conversions?

Make sure to prominently feature customer reviews, video or written testimonials, and case studies on your website and in your marketing materials.

✨ I’m Writing A Guest Post For Moz Blog These Days — And Guess Who’s Procrastinating?

I took my own advice here.

Procrastination can feel like a huge barrier, but it’s often a sign that you’re overwhelmed by the size of the task.

Here’s what I did to get started: I batched the guest-post writing for later in the evening when there were minimum distractions. I sat down with 90-minute timer each time and my goal was small: Just explain one step one the framework. There are 7 steps in total.

And I’m much far along than I was a week ago.

Remember, action beats inaction. Take that first step, no matter how small.

📚 A Book Recommendation…

This week’s book recommendation is Atomic Habits by James Clear. I actually struggled to complete this book because I wasn’t convinced that small changes can lead to big results.

It’s easier to avoid doing anything because it’s so damn hard anyway. Turns out, I was making things challenging for myself as an excuse to not do them anyway.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, you justify inaction because everything is challenging (at first).

I mean, you’d be a fool not to take action if it were easy, right? So you set yourself up for failure with 90ish day hard challenges when easier more effortless ways of behavior change have been lying around for decades.

This book dives deep into how small, consistent habits can lead to remarkable results over time. It emphasizes the power of incremental improvement and how making tiny changes to your daily routines can compound into significant personal growth.

Think about it this way:

if you improve by just 1% each day, by the end of the year, you’ll be 37 times better than you were at the start. If you want practical strategies to build good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to extraordinary results, read this best-seller!

How did you find today’s newsletter?

Reply to this email and let me know what stood out to you the most!

About The Founder…

Hi. 👋 I’m Hira, A Copyhackers certified SaaS conversion copywriter.

I raised $200K+ for multiple campaigns in partnership with two different agencies last year.

Currently, I write end-to-end sales funnels and product marketing features for 8 to 9 figure marketing agencies and enterprises.

Check out my guest post in The Copywriter Club, and scroll through the insights I shared on Hubspot’s 2024 Social Media Marketing Trends Report.

Don’t forget to peek through my website, maybe you’ll find a podcast episode that you like!

P.S. Here’s the 7-sweeps of clarity resource.