This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Dotcom Secrets" by Russell Brunson. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What is a sales funnel? What are the benefits of sales funnels over regular websites?
A sales funnel is a type of website designed to guide a customer through a series of steps leading to a purchase. Unlike a regular website, which typically displays a menu with multiple pathways, a sales funnel is structured in a way where each page leads to the next one and nowhere else.
Keep reading to learn how sales funnels work and why they’re superior when it comes to converting customers.
Why Use Sales Funnels?
According to Brunson, high-quality sales funnels are the key to a successful online business. In his book Dotcom Secrets, he highlights two benefits of sales funnels over regular websites:
Reason #1: Sales Funnels Convert Visitors Into Customers
Brunson contends that sales funnels are the most effective way to convert visitors to your website into paying customers. To explain why, let’s contrast funnels with an ordinary business website.
Most websites look like a menu of options: A customer can click to different pages depending on what they’re looking for. However, Brunson argues that this layout is really bad at attracting new customers because complicated websites with a multitude of menu options are confusing and difficult to navigate, even if people already know what they want to buy from you. Unfortunately, when your website confuses your visitors, they’re more likely to leave than put in the hard work necessary to figure things out.
On the other hand, when your website is a sales funnel, you avoid presenting a confusing menu of options. Instead, you show all new visitors the same message about your product and give them one place to click if they’re interested in moving forward. They then enter a series of pages persuading them to make a purchase, each of which links to the next one and nowhere else. This structure prevents visitors to your website from getting lost or confused, and it presents them with a single refined and persuasive message, maximizing the chance they’ll become customers.
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Here's what you'll find in our full Dotcom Secrets summary:
- What separates the million-dollar startups from the unprofitable failures
- Why your company's website should be organized as a sales funnel
- How to attract customers to your site and make a compelling marketing message
