Your business has always had a website. You've spent a lot of time and money making sure it reflects your brand, provides useful information, and allows potential customers to get in touch.
And then you started hearing all this hype about “funnels” and “landing pages.” The terms started popping up in Instagram ads. Emails hit your inbox from random marketers trying to convince you “funnels” are what you need for success.
What gives? What's the difference between a sales funnel and a website? Do you need both? How do you get started with funnels? We'll help unpack all that for you here so you confidently know the difference between a funnel and a website.
The short answer: a website is built to bring people in and give them plenty of places to go. A website funnel is built to take the visitors you already have and move them, one step at a time, toward a single action, like booking a call or making a purchase.
Despite what some marketers may lead you to believe, funnels should not replace your website. Instead, they should work in tandem as a part of a successful digital strategy.
What is a website?
A website is a set of related web pages, often including a list of products or services, contact information, and sometimes a blog. It's your company's digital storefront and primarily designed to bring in traffic. While visitors usually see the homepage first, they arrive upon and navigate to any page or post they want. The visitor's experience is filled with lots of choice and limited direction.
What is a funnel?
A funnel is a series of web pages set up so that traffic flows linearly from one point of entry, through a set of steps, to a specific goal/action. A ‘landing page’ is just a single web page with the same conversion intent.
Unlike your website, funnels aren't meant to bring in traffic, just process it. Everything is designed to guide visitors in a single direction through the buyer's journey. Sales funnels minimize distractions like outbound links, focus on an offer, and move the visitor to act.
Website vs. funnel at a glance
| Question | Website | Funnel |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Attract visitors and inform them | Turn visitors into leads or customers |
| Where traffic comes from | Search, referrals, social, and people typing in your name | Mostly traffic you send to it, from ads, email, or social posts |
| Navigation | A full menu and lots of pages to explore | Little or none, so nothing pulls attention away |
| Structure | Many pages, visited in any order | A few pages, in a set order |
| The offer | Everything you do | One offer at a time |
| How success is measured | Traffic, engagement, and inquiries | How many people make it through each step |
| Best for | Credibility, search visibility, and the full story of your business | Campaigns, launches, promotions, and lead generation |
What Are the Steps in a Funnel?
Why is the set of steps to conversion called a “funnel”? At the beginning of the process there are a lot of visitors who take the first step. As the journey continues some drop out, and the number of people narrows.
- In the awareness stage, the visitor becomes aware of the problem they need to solve. They learn about your solution/product/service and you act as a resource.
- In the interest stage, the prospect is actively looking for a solution to their problem, and expresses interest in your solution/product/service. They are conducting research and considering competitors.
- In the decision stage, the prospect is ready to become someone's customer. They are paying close attention to specific packages and pricing.
- In the action stage, the prospect becomes your customer. They click the purchase button, or sign the contract.
Here's what that can look like in practice, for a heating and cooling company running a spring promotion:
- Awareness: a Facebook ad offers local homeowners a discounted AC tune-up before the summer rush.
- Interest: the ad leads to a landing page that explains the offer, shows a few customer reviews, and has one short form. There's no menu, so there's nowhere else to wander off to.
- Decision: after filling out the form, the visitor lands on a thank-you page with a link to pick an appointment time, and gets an email confirming the price and what's included.
- Action: they book the visit. Anyone who doesn't book gets a reminder email or two over the following week.
Meanwhile, the company's website keeps doing its own job: showing up when someone searches for AC repair nearby, explaining the full range of services, and giving people who want to check the company out a reason to trust it.
What's the difference between a funnel and a landing page?
The two terms get used interchangeably, but they aren't quite the same thing. A landing page is a single page with one goal. A funnel is the whole sequence, and a landing page is usually its first step.
In the example above, the page with the offer and the form is the landing page. The funnel is everything around it: the ad that sent people there, the thank-you page, the booking link, and the follow-up emails. You can run a landing page on its own, say for an event signup, but most funnels start with one.
Do I Need a Website and a Funnel?
Not necessarily. You need a website. You don't ‘need’ a funnel (or landing page). While many successful websites today contain multiple funnels, they are certainly not a requirement to get customers. That said, using funnels with a traditional website can significantly increase conversion rates.
There are some marketers that claim you can ditch your website and just use funnels. Not so fast. Funnel builders like ClickFunnels are designed first and foremost for campaign pages. Many have added blogs, stores, and custom domains, but they aren't built around what a website does best: getting found in search, publishing useful content, and telling the full story of your business. More importantly, pages built inside a funnel tool live on that platform. If you stop paying for it, the pages go with it, and moving them somewhere else is rarely simple. A website on your own domain, with hosting you control, stays yours.
Remember that websites and funnels are companions, not competitors. The website is a generalized experience offering a variety of useful information. Funnels are targeted and focused paths businesses send visitors through to capture leads and drive conversions. They feature deals and special offers instead of the “distractions” on your normal website. When done effectively, using websites and funnels in tandem can accelerate your business.
How Do I Get Started With Funnels?
As is always the case, the first step is to figure out your goals and what you want visitors to do on your site. You can create a funnel for just about anything!
Once you're clear on your goals, you need a strategy for how you'll employ funnels. This often includes:
- Identifying the characteristics of your ideal customer so you understand their needs and frustrations, and the most relevant selling points
- Identifying where your ideal customer can be found online to inform your traffic and lead generation tactics (ex: SEO, Google Ads, Social Media, etc.)
- Identifying an initial offer that would attract potential customers to your sales funnel (ex: free eBook/cheat sheet/template, free trial, etc.)
- Identifying ongoing engagement tactics to help move leads down your funnel (ex: blog posts, newsletters, webinars, etc.)
- Identifying closing strategies to turn leads into customers (ex: limited time offers/discounts, sales calls/emails, etc.)
With a strategy in place you can then find the right funnel builder to fit your needs, build out your funnel, and begin testing & optimizing for success. But, how do you get your landing page(s) to show up on Google?
Need more help understanding funnels and if they're right for your business? We're happy to chat. Email info@goodyoumarketing.com or call 617.398.7277.