A high-performing sales funnel builder is an essential online marketing tool for every digital marketer or entrepreneur. Whether you’re selling an online course, offering B2B services, or building a membership site, the best sales funnel software can dramatically increase conversion rates. Read on to learn about the most important funnel-building features and the top sales funnel tools of 2024.
What is sales funnel software?
A sales funnel is simply the sales process that converts potential customers into paying customers. Companies were nurturing new customers through the sales journey for decades before the internet existed.
Funnel-building software streamlines and automates the process of moving customers through a digital sales pipeline. With software, business owners can sync and analyze each stage of the customer journey: from awareness, to interest, to decision. By measuring performance at each step, marketers can improve the campaign at any time.
While it’s possible to build a funnel manually by combining miscellaneous digital tools like web page builders and email software, an all-in-one sales funnel tool makes the process far more efficient and effective – converting a higher percentage of potential customers and maximizing sales.
Kartra
Kartra is a comprehensive, all-in-one sales and marketing platform with a robust sales funnel builder. Ideal for growing online businesses, Kartra’s sales funnel features include advanced functionalities such as:
- Funnel mapper and funnel simulator
- Drag-and-drop sequence builder
- Professional page templates
- Pre-built sales campaigns
- Comprehensive marketing analytics
- Native lead management software
Designed to minimize external integrations, Kartra comes with a significant number of native features. Business owners can build professional, no-code landing pages, set up advanced email automation sequences, process payments, and build every other part of a successful sales funnel – without having to stitch together multiple platforms.
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is primarily an email marketing platform with added CRM and sales functionalities that business owners can use to build automated workflows. ActiveCampaign users can build simple sales funnels with automated email sequences, landing pages, forms, and other standard elements of a buyer journey.
Business owners should note that this platform is not an all-in-one marketing tool or comprehensive funnel builder. ActiveCampaign requires third-party integrations for more advanced functionalities like checkout software and doesn’t offer detailed sequence-building for more complex sales funnels.
ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels is a platform specifically intended for building sales funnels. With a no-code page builder, email marketing capabilities, and an array of pre-designed templates, users can quickly build automated funnels with this platform.
The downside of ClickFunnels is that it’s not a comprehensive sales and marketing tool. For example, ClickFunnels requires third-party integrations to incorporate video marketing or lead management software. Some users find that they don’t get the customization options and native features they would prefer from a platform with a high subscription cost.
ConvertKit
ConvertKit is a simple email marketing software geared toward helping content creators grow their businesses. It also offers basic funnel features such as a landing page and form builder, which creators can use to trigger automated sequences.
While ConvertKit is a helpful tool for email marketing, it doesn’t offer advanced features that you’ll find in all-in-one platforms or funnel-builders. ConvertKit users will find themselves paying for third-party integrations or needing tools like Zapier to scale their business – and they won’t have access to an intuitive, detailed sales funnel builder.
GetResponse
GetResponse is primarily known as an email marketing platform, but comes with additional marketing tools such as the Conversion Funnel functionality (previously called Autofunnel). Users can send emails, build website pages, and even host webinars on GetResponse – while building automated workflows that drive sales.
Unlike more robust all-in-one platforms, GetResponse is missing some native features – such as inbuilt e-commerce software. And some users find that the page and funnel builder don’t have the same user-friendly interface and detailed customization options offered by more comprehensive platforms like Kartra.
Kajabi
Kajabi is an all-in-one sales and marketing platform with a wide range of features. Kajabi users can set up automated email sequences, create landing pages and blog posts, and customize a variety of sales funnel templates. Unlike a more specialized platform like ClickFunnels, Kajabi offers a wide range of sales and marketing functionalities for selling digital products.
However, there are several key features that Kajabi doesn’t offer their users – such as native video and webinar hosting or the ability to sell physical products through their platform. These advanced functionalities require third-party integrations, limiting the complexity of your sales funnels and potentially driving up subscription costs.
Keap
Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) is a marketing, sales, and CRM software for small businesses. Users can create landing pages and forms, keep track of contacts, and build simple, automated workflows that drive sales. Unlike more comprehensive platforms for online businesses, however, Keap is missing a number of advanced features.
Video marketing, webinar hosting, and membership software – for example – would have to be integrated using third-party platforms. Growing businesses may find that Keap doesn’t have the complexity and customization options they’d prefer in a sales funnel builder.
Leadpages
Leadpages is a landing page and website builder that comes with hundreds of professionally designed templates. Users can create landing pages to attract customers, get contact information with lead forms, and track prospects with lead management software. Leadpages also integrates with email marketing platforms, so business owners can build simple automated sales funnels.
Although Leadpages is a great solution for startups and small businesses who need a page builder, it doesn’t offer the comprehensive features of an all-in-one platform and doesn’t include a native sales funnel builder. Leadpages users would have to piece together a variety of marketing software tools to create advanced sales funnels.
Comparing the Top Sales Funnel Platforms
See the main differences between 2024’s top funnel builders in this chart:
| Sales Funnel Software | Best For | Standard Plan Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Kartra | Creating advanced sales funnels in an all-in-one marketing platform | $189/mo |
| ActiveCampaign | Email marketing and simple workflows | $149/mo |
| ClickFunnels | Integrating sales funnels with existing platforms | $247/mo |
| ConvertKit | Email marketing for content creators | Based on subscribers |
| GetResponse | Email automation with basic marketing features | $48/mo |
| Kajabi | Creating simple sales funnels in an all-in-one platform | $159/mo |
| Keap | Basic sales, marketing, and CRM features for small businesses | $229/mo |
| Leadpages | Creating websites and landing pages | $74/mo |
Sales funnel software is designed to work automatically. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it, money-making machine. However, to get the best performance from your sales funnel tool, it’s important to understand the features you’ll use the most. Make sure any marketing platform you consider offers the following functionalities before you invest time and money in creating a complex funnel:
Funnel Mapping
With a detailed funnel mapper, you can design effective, automated sequences in minutes. Create a visual plan of your funnel workflow as you plot each step of your marketing funnel, then run simulations of cost and revenue projections using a funnel simulator to understand the potential outcomes of each step. These advanced functionalities will help you visualize your way to a high-performing sales funnel.
Pre-Built Templates and Done-For-You Campaigns
Whether you’re a beginner at building sales funnels or have done them for years, using ready-made, proven templates is a huge time saver. Quality templates include ready-to-use copy, designs and automations that streamline your funnel setup. Your time is much better spent keeping your campaign optimized!
But saving time on your workflow isn’t the only benefit of using templates. Some of the world’s top online marketers have uploaded their best campaigns to Kartra’s marketplace, giving you access to “plug-and-play” marketing for your own online business. These proven templates provide a master course in digital marketing. Let your business profit from expertise that took years to acquire!
Check out our Step-by-Step Guide on How to Build a Sales Funnel
Landing Page Builder
Virtually all sales funnels include landing pages. A landing page (sometimes referred to as a squeeze page), is a dedicated page on a website that is designed to spark a specific action.
Because landing pages are so frequently updated to improve SEO, a funnel software’s website builder should have a drag-and-drop editor that makes it simple to create customizable landing pages. With pre-built landing page templates, you can have your page up and running quickly.
You’ll also want to make sure the landing page builder includes a robust form builder. Forms are key to gathering information from potential customers on lead generation pages or checkout pages. They need to be easy to set up, have proper spam filtering, and integrate seamlessly with your email marketing platform.
Email Marketing Automation
Sales funnels use email automation and drip campaigns extensively, so robust email marketing capabilities are essential to high-quality funnel software.
The best email campaigns include “triggers”, so when a subscriber takes a specific action (like clicking a button, filling out a lead generation form, or visiting a particular page) they are automatically added to an email list. Email automation then sends a follow-up message to nurture them further down the sales funnel. Without autoresponder functionality, sales funnels have to rely on manual integrations with email service providers, creating a time-consuming task for team members.
It’s important to understand that while many email marketing software brands claim to build out full funnels, they are often just designed and built around email autoresponder functionality. While this is a very important feature, it is not robust enough for multi-channel sales funnels, which require all the features on this list for optimized performance.
Sequence-Building
A sequence-building feature makes it easy to visualize your sales funnel and adjust your strategy. If a sales funnel software doesn’t offer a drag-and-drop builder for sequences, prepare for hard work and frustration! While it’s possible to manually connect a maze of email sequences and landing pages, this creates opportunities for error as layers of campaigns are added and updated.
With an integrated sequence builder, you can simply add, remove, or re-order events within the flow without having to reprogram all your original triggers. Want to share a webinar on-demand to follow up on a white paper that a visitor downloaded? Sequence mapping makes it easy to add a trigger that automates the right sequence for that prospective customer.
Native Lead Management
Lead management software is vital to organizing your sales and marketing efforts. Email addresses, purchase history, and a host of other information can be stored in each customer’s profile – making it easy to identify and segment them. While most funnel builders will be able to integrate with a lead management system, funnel software with native lead management eliminates the need for additional subscriptions and streamlines the lead nurturing process.
Detailed A/B Testing
A/B testing is a must-have feature to make sure your sales funnel is working. An A/B test (sometimes referred to as split testing), tests two versions of a page, email, or online ad to see which one is more successful. The goal of an A/B test is to improve performance and increase conversion rates.
A/B testing is a common tactic for these campaign elements:
- Ad creative
- Email sequences
- Landing pages
- Checkout pages
- Opt-in forms
High-quality sales funnel software helps you set up and track detailed A/B tests, and reports which version performs best so you can quickly optimize your campaign.
Built-in Checkout Functionality
Most sales funnels ultimately end in a purchase so it’s smart to choose a sales funnel software with built-in checkout software. This will save you expensive integrations with a separate platform like Shopify or complex API hookups with raw payment processors. A native checkout feature allows customers to complete a transaction seamlessly and quickly without being taken to a third-party purchasing page.
You’ll want to make sure the cart functionality integrates with multiple payment gateways for convenient, secure processing (such as Stripe, Square, and PayPal). Also look for one-click checkout and sales page templates that are pre-built to save you lots of time setting up forms.
Real-Time Funnel Analytics
Sales funnel analytics are used to track the series of actions each customer takes before completing a specific goal or conversion. An accurate, real-time sales funnel analysis helps identify friction points and shows you exactly where users are dropping off the conversion path.
Most sales funnel software will provide analytical data on user behavior within the funnel elements created in the software itself. However, more advanced analytics tools will tap into your marketing channels across the entire web — including social media and digital ads — so you can understand user behavior at every step of the conversion path and invest in the highest-converting campaigns.
Sales funnel software that offers this native feature will show you important metrics like time to conversion, frequency, and conversions over time without the need for another app or program!
Why Kartra is the Best Sales Funnel Software
Kartra enables business owners to create powerful sales funnels in one integrated platform. With a full slate of native sales and marketing features, Kartra users don’t have to pay for multiple subscriptions or piece together multiple software programs.
Beginning with lead generation and continuing through customer retention, Kartra’s features empower you to manage every part of the customer journey.
Connect your entire sales pipeline with Kartra’s all-in-one platform
About Kartra
This blog is brought to you by Kartra, the all-in-one online business platform that gives you every essential marketing and sales tool you need to grow your business profitably – from sales pages and product carts to membership sites, help desks, affiliate management and more. To learn how you can quickly and easily leverage Kartra to boost your bottom-line, please visit kartra.com.