Do You Need A Sales Funnel For Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketers use many strategies and tactics to generate sales. Sales Funnels are one of the key ways you could grow your affiliate business. It has become one of the effective strategies in affiliate marketing, but do you really need it to be successful as an affiliate marketer?

No. You don’t need a funnel to become a successful affiliate marketer. Many affiliate marketers have made millions without running ads, and neither have they designed marketing funnels. While funnels may not be the magic ingredient for everyone’s success, they could be a magic ingredient for your success.

Funnels are very effective and involve automation. If you are super busy and need to automate stuff, using funnels sounds like the right way to go.

What Is An Affiliate Marketing Funnel?

An affiliate marketing funnel is a set of stages that takes a visitor from prospecting to buying stages. The main aim of an affiliate marketing funnel is to get sales and nothing else.

It may involve different strategies and tactics such as landing pages, email marketing, and ads, but the goal is always to get conversions, make sales, and grow your affiliate business. Funnel marketing is not only a strategy used by affiliates; organizational marketers also use it.

While affiliate marketing funnels are a great way to increase conversions, it isn’t for every affiliate and may depend on your niche, resources, and the products that you sell. To succeed as an affiliate marketer, you need to know that you are a marketer and that your products or services and your niche will determine a lot of your strategy.

Affiliate marketing funnels are used to track a visitor’s progress through a sales process and could be customized to any business needs. Affiliate marketing funnels typically have four steps:

Attention: Your products are not for everyone. You need to understand this as an affiliate. It will save you a whole lot of time, resources, and stress. It will also help you be more focused on those who need your attention so you can attract them.

Benign super-targeted with your marketing will help you save costs and still get quality leads. Your focus at this first stage of the funnel is anyone who has reason to need/want your product.

Interest: As they move down the funnel from the top, you should start creating some interesting them about your product or service. They may have just subscribed to your free lead magnet guide.

They may even be oblivious to your offering. Your goal here is to create awareness about your product and how it can solve their problem.

Desire: Desire is the secret ingredient to getting your leads to buy from you. Without desire, only interest cannot get a person to buy. There is an old sales quote that says people buy with emotions and justify with logic.

So you need to hook them emotionally before they can buy. Using various strategies like testimonials and more can get them to desire the product if they are convinced that others like them are seeing results with your product.

Action: Action is where they buy. It may take more than once to ask for the sale before you finally get it. It is for this reason that affiliate funnels are highly effective. As a human, it would be difficult to follow up on thousands of leads and offer them special discounts that make sense to them.

But through an automated system, you can find which features and benefits each user likes and tailor your marketing to them.

Affiliate marketing funnels can be customized to fit the needs of any business and can be used to track the progress of a visitor through a sales process. Affiliate marketing funnels are an essential part of any affiliate marketing strategy and should be used to track the progress of potential customers through a sales process.

Why Is Affiliate Marketing Funnel Important?

A well-designed affiliate marketing funnel maps out every stage of the client’s decision-making process once they land on the landing page. It also helps clients plan the steps they would like to take during each stage of the affiliate marketing channel.

Sales funnels are a great way to convert leads into customers if they’re done correctly. You can better see the sales process and improve your marketing strategy. A clear sales funnel allows you to focus your efforts and can help you pitch to your audience more effectively.

An affiliate funnel can help you convert potential buyers still on the fence into loyal customers. With this sales funnel, you can track where your customers are stuck between awareness and decision. This enables you to adjust your campaign to suit your customers best.

Best Affiliate Marketing Funnel Builders

1. Systeme.io

Systeme.io is an all-in-one solution that can help you manage your online business. Aurelien Amacker, a tech expert, created a complete marketing platform. His business started as a consulting business, and he now runs a successful online coaching company.

He was frustrated by the number of tools available to him while working on blogs for clients and decided to create his own platform that would allow him to manage all these processes without switching between them. As a result, Systeme.io was launched in France in 2010. It has since been a huge success, with thousands of customers worldwide.

The biggest hurdle to online success for most people is understanding the various tools required to run an effective online business. Unfortunately, many people don’t have the time and the resources to learn how each tool works.

They spend a lot of money on features they don’t use and often experience frustration. This is what makes Systeme.io so valuable.

It eliminates the need to search for (and pay for!) all these platforms and gives you all the marketing tools that you need in one place.

System.io offers many features, including a sales funnel creator, an email manager, the ability to create and implement your own marketing strategies and affiliate programs, as well as the ability to set up marketing automation rules across all your digital marketing channels.

Systeme.io, a reliable and robust platform, was designed with simplicity and ease in mind. It will allow you to quickly scale up your online business, giving you an edge in today’s highly competitive marketplace.

This Systeme.io review has all the features that we have examined and how they can help you set up sales and marketing channels for your products and services in minutes – regardless if you have any prior experience – and not just that.

You can also email your subscribers, host webinars, and create membership websites. Systeme is suitable for beginners, but it can also be useful for experienced marketers and businesses of any size. Systeme is a better alternative way to integrate software systems than trying to do it individually while saving some bucks in the bank.

2. Click Funnels

Clickfunnels is currently the top-ranked sales funnel software and is very popular among affiliate marketers. Clickfunnels simplify acquiring sales leads, hosting webinars, selling tons of products, and creating email campaigns. There are many templates available.

If the objective of your funnel is to promote affiliate marketing products, you want as many leads as possible. In this case, you would choose leads. You can also capture their information and follow up by email to convert them. However, the funnel-building process is more complicated than Systeme.io and offers a poor user experience.

Clickfunnels is more difficult to use and is geared towards experienced entrepreneurs who have built funnels before. However, plenty of training is available to help you understand the process. The downside to Clickfunnels is that it’s limited to creating funnels.

If you want to use Clickfunnels, you need to do pay-per-click advertising. It’s not something I recommend. You’ll likely spend your entire life trying to rank a Clickfunnel URL. Clickfunnels doesn’t give free domains.

Therefore, you will have to use the default yourname.clickfunnels.com domain or purchase a premium one.

3. Kartra

Kartra is an all-in-one funnel builder that helps online businesses make their ventures more attractive to customers. It also makes it easier to manage the business through the software offered by Kartra.

This puts Karta in direct competition with Infusionsoft and Kajabi, even though it also serves as an alternative for Systeme.io and Clickfunnels. Online businesses can be successful if they have a good funnel system. This includes features such as email marketing, listing, contacts, and landing pages.

This is possible only if you have a sales funnel builder who will manage your online business’s operations and keep track of all records. Are you too busy to manage the various businesses or software hired? You don’t have to worry about it. Instead, choose the Kartra pricing plan that suits you best and let the company do the rest.

They will not only manage your online business but will also treat it as their own. Kartra is much cheaper than buying all software from separate software vendors. Kartra offers several pricing plans. You can review and analyze the Starter, Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans to find the one that suits your business best.

After comparing the costs of Kartra and which plan offers you the most features, you can then choose your plans. Kartra is an asset to your business. It will help you achieve an all-in-one plan that will cover many of your online business needs.

Kartra may be easy to use but not for everyone. If your business already has a solid setup, adding Kartra to your sales process might not be a problem.

Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken!

Kartra is for entrepreneurs who don’t have the time or budget to hire developers to build a successful online business. This is for those who want to spend more time-solving software problems and closing sales.

Kartra is also available for people looking for an alternative to other large-name marketing platforms like ClickFunnels or Leadpages. Although Leadpages is the best landing page builder available, it’s expensive for its worth. To have a closer look at Kartra and its many features, click here.

4. GrooveFunnels

GrooveFunnels, a new marketing platform, aims to be all-in-one for sales and marketing tools. It lets you create funnels for land pages, webinars, and e-mail campaigns.

Drag-and-drop editing is possible with the platform. In addition, GrooveFunnels has many templates that marketers can use to create different types of affiliate products.

How To Make A Funnel For Affiliate Marketing

Step 1: Create Your Systeme.io Free Account

The first thing is to sign up for Systeme.io to create a sales funnel with Systeme.io. Then, go to this page, click on “create a free account” at the top, and follow the easy steps.

Step 2: Create New Sales Funnel

After creating your account, you can click on “create new.” You will only find this option once you click the “menu” option at the top left of the dashboard, where you will find “Funnels.” Click on it and click “Create New” at the top left of the page.

You will be asked to;

  • Name your funnel
  • Choose the purpose of the funnel
  • Select the currency for your funnel

You can choose any one of the four options for the type of funnel you want. But ultimately, it doesn’t really matter which option you choose. You can always add pages to the funnel or remove them.

But if you are new to creating funnels, you can simply stick with exactly what you want to do so that you don’t have to make lots of changes once you start editing your funnel.

Step 3. Create Your Pages

We will create a landing page and thank you page to build a sales funnel. By default, the system automatically creates pages for you based on the type of funnel you choose. With the “Sell a Product” funnel, you get two pages;

  • Order Form
  • “Thank you” page

Systeme.io makes it easy and quick to do this, especially for beginners.

You also have to choose templates for each page you create. On the right side of the page, you will see options. You can preview templates before you use them.

To edit your page template, select it and then click the magic wand, which you can find on the page settings page. This new page will only appear after selecting the template from the funnel page.

The page builder works very well and is just as easy as ClickFunnels, except it’s completely free. You can also edit the page from the left side rather than the right.

After creating your pages, you can go back to your funnel interface and click “Create Step” – you can do this for each page in your funnel.

It is intuitive and simple to use, so it doesn’t need much explanation.

After that, you can move on to the next step of this tutorial about creating a sales funnel using Systeme.io.

Step 4: Add Products

Clicking on “product/sales” at the top of your main interface menu will allow you to add a course or physical product to your account. You can then add them to your funnel.

You can return to your funnel after you’ve created or added the products to your product list. Then, on the pages where you are giving out the products, click the “plus” icon.

Step 5: Create An Autoresponder

It is easy to add an autoresponder.

Click on “emails,” then “campaigns” in the top right corner of your main dashboard. You should be able to create an email campaign.

Here you can write your emails and indicate when you want them sent.

After you have completed all the steps and published them, you can go back to your landing pages and create an automation rule saying that they will be added to your email campaign every time someone signs up for your landing page. It’s that simple!

Step 6: Setting Up Your Custom Domain

Click on “settings” at the top of your interface to create a custom domain. You can find this option available once you hover your mouse over your profile image at the top left side of the page.

If you have a custom domain, you can use this area to add it. Select “custom domain” among the left side options and follow the instructions provided by Systeme.io.

You can change your username without purchasing a domain. This is how to build a sales funnel using Systeme.io, a free affiliate marketing funnel builder. Below is a step-by-step video to follow.

Done For You Affiliate Marketing Sales Funnel

“Done for you” affiliate marketing funnels are the easy way to use funnels without getting too technical or too much into the funnel design process. With the rise of funnel builders, some experts have created lots of high converting funnels.

They offer “done for you” funnels which means they will design the funnel, and all you have to do is plugin your assets such as email service, payment, and more, and the funnel is ready to ship.

How To Be Successful In Affiliate Marketing

Success for affiliate marketers that do not rely on using funnels is contingent on a number of things. These factors depend on marketing and therefore apply to any medium or platform you decide to work with.

They are the fundamentals that any successful marketer, whether affiliate marketer or not, will always be able to rely on to develop and create communities that add value to their company.

1. Create A System For Generating Leads

Successful businesses will give you the number of sales and leads required to achieve their goals. They are aware of their numbers. This is due to their established and tested systems that produce leads and convert them at a specific cost, which helps develop strategies and plans.

When you’re looking for leads, concentrate on your Quality Vs. Quantity battle. Certain affiliate programs offer enough that a couple of conversions are all you need to earn a month’s income.

2. Always Focus On Your Audience

Create your own audience, and don’t let them go or get bored. Look into systems such as email marketing that place your email messaging directly into your prospects’ inboxes. One such place to create that system is Systeme.io.

Then you can guide them through an efficient conversion process. With automation, you can have money coming in even without having to do anything on a daily basis.

3. Optimize for Conversions

You may be using funnels or other processes to get leads and sales. It doesn’t matter what the affiliate product is and how much they pay, but if you can’t convert anyone to buy, you aren’t going to make anything at all.

Many blogs make millions of dollars annually from small commissions from items used every day, such as furniture and household cleaning products. Of course, you don’t have to sell low-ticket products, but you need to get appropriate conversions to keep your heat on, pay your bills, cover your costs, and live the life of your dreams.

4. You’re A Marketer

Affiliate marketing is a form of marketing. It could be a way to make cash, but first, you must be an advertiser and marketer of the product or service. You must approach it as a marketer.

If you can, create a plan of action for the way you conduct your marketing. This will provide an order to your process and help make your revenue flow more regular.

5. Follow The Numbers

In the age of online marketing, not paying attention to data and analytics and what numbers tell you could result in falling on your efforts to generate sales and make money.

Examine the data and use it to formulate the appropriate questions that can propel your affiliate business forward.

Final Thoughts

Sales funnel plays an integral role in certain niches of affiliate marketing, but you can succeed in the industry without them. Several affiliate marketers have found success without relying on them. However, incorporating it into your business will go a long way in creating assets and maximizing your income.

Systeme.io will be your go-to option as a beginner in that space. It also works perfectly for advanced affiliate marketers as it provides resources for webinars, affiliate marketing management and online course creation. The best part is that you have access to all the premium resources without any financial commitment to testing all the features.

There are several options on the internet but Systeme.io is worth trying out for all the features it provides, which is comparable to other popular sites. You don’t have to sweat over creating a sales funnel, and Systeme.io makes it simpler.

Try out Systeme.io For Free Here!

Over To You!

Do you think a sales funnel is a must for affiliate marketing? Kindly drop your comments or questions in the section below, and I’ll be glad to connect with you.

4 thoughts on “Do You Need A Sales Funnel For Affiliate Marketing?”

  1. Systeme.io looks like a great option to explore, as at least it has a built-in autoresponder, unlike the more popular option Click Funnels.

    I have often wondered if it was worth it to learn to do sales funnels and being an affiliate marketer with so many products I promote, it just isn’t viable to do this with every product. Time-wise to learn the process is difficult for me as I work full time. I would definitely look at the option of somebody who has the knowledge of building a sales funnel for me if I had to go this route.

    Reply
    • You have a point. In any business, it’s better to consider what’s best outsourcing so that you don’t end up crushing your business by trying to do everything yourself. However, getting a fair idea of how it works could help you demand quality work when you outsource. 

      Reply
  2. The question of whether I need a sales funnel for affiliate marketing, is something that has crossed my mind on a daily basis. And I have often wondered whether it actually depends on the niche that you are in. 

    Is a sales funnel more important for the make money online niche (MMO), or does the niche not matter? I am in the eco-friendly fashion niche, and have so far struggled to create a sales funnel for the niche. Do you think a platform like Systeme.io could actually assist me with it? Thank you. 

    Reply
    • The objective of the sales funnel is to drive sales so it doesn’t matter the niche as it is with the product or service you’re selling in that niche. Although they are mostly used in the MMO niche, it works effectively in other niches as well.  If there’s a need for a service or product in your eco-friendly fashion niche, you can sure design a sales funnel for it. 

      Systeme.io could help you create something that works for you. The best part is, you can test it out without committing any money

      Reply

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