You know that feeling when you're driving in a new city and you're completely lost?
That's what I felt like when I first started working on my funnels.
I quickly realized that managing funnels is quite complex and it’s difficult to make sense of things without a big picture overview.
To understand my funnels, I needed to map them out so I can get clarity about what’s going on.
Without such clarity, I’d never be able to maximize the potential of my marketing efforts.
Fortunately, there are funnel mapping tools out there that can help with this.
What are funnel mapping tools?
Funnel mapping tools are like the ultimate GPS for your marketing and sales process.
They help you visualize every step of your customer's journey, from awareness to conversion.
These tools can be a game-changer for your business, helping you to optimize your strategies and increase conversions.
But there are lots of funnel mapping tools out there. Some great and some not so great.
But which one is best for your requirements?
That’s exactly what this blog post is about.
Today I’ll help you find the perfect funnel mapping tool for your business, based on your requirements. Let's dive in!
Why use a funnel mapping tool?
Now that we've established what funnel mapping tools are, let's talk why a funnel mapping tool should definitely be a part of your marketing arsenal.
Visualizing the sales process
First off, a funnel mapping tool helps you visualize your entire sales process.
By having a clear visual representation, you can easily see how your customers progress through different stages of each of your funnels.
This can be a real game-changer, because it allows you to identify gaps, areas for improvement and can help you find opportunities to reduce friction in your funnels.
Identifying bottlenecks
With a funnel mapping tool, you can quickly spot bottlenecks or areas where customers are dropping off.
This means you can focus your efforts on optimizing just those specific parts of the funnel, not guessing where issues might be and “fixing” things that are working well.
Plus, it's much easier to spot opportunities to stop funnel leaks when you have a clear view of the entire marketing setup.
Simplifying communication
Using a funnel mapping tool can significantly improve communication within your team.
It can be very challenging to explain complex funnels and marketing strategies on the phone or email.
With a visual map of your funnels, everyone on your team can quickly understand the process, making it easier to collaborate.
This saves a lot of time and prevents a lot of headaches for your team and clients.
Tracking and measuring performance
Finally, a good funnel mapping tool will help you track and measure the performance of your funnels.
You'll be able to see which strategies are working as expected and which need improvement.
So, if your forecasts don’t match the real-world outcomes, you can zero in on the problem areas quickly and fix them faster.
What to look for in a funnel mapping tool
Alright, so now that we've covered why you should use a funnel mapping tool, let's talk about what you should look for when choosing the perfect one for your business.
There are many factors you need to consider before making a decision.
User friendliness
First and foremost, you'll want a funnel mapping tool that’s user-friendly. It should be easy to navigate and simple to use, even if you're not a tech whiz.
After all, the whole point of using a funnel mapping tool is to simplify your marketing and not make things more complicated.
Integrations
A funnel mapping tool should integrate with other sales and marketing tools you're already using.
This will make it possible to sync data between your tools and ensure that your funnel maps always have the latest traffic and conversion numbers.
Without data sync, you won’t be able to analyze the performance of your funnels. It'll just be a basic outline of your funnel.
And that might be fine when you’re just starting out, but as your business grows, you'll need the tool to fetch data from other sources. Because without data, you won’t be able to improve your funnel’s performance.
Collaboration features
If you're working with a team, you'll want a funnel mapping tool with collaboration features.
This will allow multiple team members to work on your funnel maps simultaneously, making it easier to brainstorm, plan, and execute your marketing strategies.
Analytics and reporting
A top-notch funnel mapping tool will also provide you with analytics and reporting features that help you track the performance of your funnels at each step.
This can give you valuable insights into what's working and what's not, enabling you to optimize your marketing and make data-driven decisions which help your business grow faster.
Export and sharing options
Lastly, you'll want a funnel mapping tool which allows you to export or share your funnel maps.
This makes it easy to share your funnel maps with team members or clients who may not have access to the tool.
What's the best funnel mapping tool
Each business has a different way of mapping and analyzing their sales funnels.
The best funnel mapping tool for you is the one that suits your needs.
But finding the perfect tool can be a difficult and time consuming. So to help you out, here's a quick quiz to help you figure out which tool suits your business the best:
Discover the Perfect Funnel Mapping Tool For Your Needs
Take the quiz:
Now that you've taken the quiz, you can start using the suggested tool to map out your funnels and share them with your team or clients.
If you want to know more about the various tools, keep reading.
Comparing Funnel Mapping Tools
Let’s compare some funnel mapping tools so you can figure out which one’s right for you.
Funnelytics
It’s the most complete funnel mapping and analysis tool out there.
They offer unlimited funnel mapping for free - no need for payment info. It also integrates with your existing tools so you can do real-time analytics. With free onboarding service, their support team will help you with the integrations so you can start analyzing your funnels ASAP.
You can also forecast future performance and set which KPIs are most important to you. You can share your funnels with others and even invite them to collaborate with you.
Funnelytics is the tool I use and recommend. And here are 10 more reasons why.
Check it out here: Funnelytics
Geru
It’s a good tool if you only want to map your funnels and run forecasts. It doesn’t integrate with any of your existing marketing tools and you can’t run real time analysis with Geru.
You can share your funnels with others and agencies can white label it.
They don’t have a free plan, but they offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
Overall, the tool is quite limited in what it can do and there are better tools out there, so Geru doesn't get my recommendation.
Check it out here: Geru
WPFunnels
It’s hard to figure out what this product is and why it exists in the first place. You can use it to map your funnels and track analytics, but only in WordPress.
Since most businesses won’t be comfortable with granting access to their wordpress backend to people outside the core team, it’s difficult for me to understand why this tool is limited to WordPress.
To add to the confusion, for some reason they also offer email marketing features (Mail Mint) from within WordPress. Sending emails from your hosting account is really bad for email deliverability unless your hosting allows mass emailing (which they probably don’t) AND you have a stellar reputation with Gmail, Yahoo mail, Outlook etc (which is really difficult to do and that’s why most businesses use well established email marketing platforms).
What’s wrong with using something like ActiveCampaign, GetResponse or Mailchimp?
And on top of that, it’s too pricey. So overall, I don’t recommend this tool either.
Check it out here: WPFunnels
Pretty Funnels
It’s built for individuals and small companies so they have a limited set of features. You can use it to map a basic funnel and also run forecasts. The funnel sharing feature isn’t working yet but they promise it’ll be working soon.
But if you want to save your work, you’ll need to pay.
Which means on the free version, if you close the browser tab, you’ll have to start from scratch. So essentially this tool isn’t better than Funnelytics so I don’t recommend it either.
Check it out here: Pretty Funnels
Funnel Flows
There’s not much to say about this tool. It’s a basic funnel mapping tool which allows you to map out your funnels. It’s a one-time payment instead of a subscription and also has a 14-day money back guarantee.
But all you can do is map out your funnels, that’s it.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to pay for things I can get for free. Basically Funnel Flows charges for stuff that Funnelytics offers for free. So this tool also gets a No.
Check it out here: Funnel Flows
MarketPlan
This is made for digital marketing agencies but it was hard to figure out what the tool does and exactly who it’s for. Basically, they have some of the features of funnel mapping tools and some of the features of team productivity tools like Asana or Trello.
But the features aren't as well implemented as the standalone tools and the feeling I got from trying it out, is that it’s quite rough around the edges.
I think the team behind this tool needs to do more customer research and redesign the tool. They can do better but I won’t recommend this tool unless they improve it.
Check it out here: MarketPlan
Tips for using the tools effectively
Now that we've discussed what to look for in a funnel mapping tool, let's dive into some tips on how to use these tools effectively.
After all, even the best tool won't do much good if you don't know how to get the most out of it. So here are some key pointers to keep in mind.
Start with a clear objective
Before you even begin to map out your funnel, make sure you have a clear objective in mind.
What are you trying to achieve with your marketing efforts?
Are you looking to generate more leads, increase sales, or perhaps improve customer retention?
Having a specific goal will help you create a more focused and effective funnel map.
Keep the funnel design simple
When designing your funnel, it's important to keep it simple and focused.
Don't get carried away with adding too many steps or overly complicated processes.
Remember, the goal is to create a clear and straightforward path for your customers to follow from awareness to conversion.
A cluttered funnel can be confusing and may cause potential customers to drop off before reaching the end.
Review and optimize
Once you've created your funnel map, don't just set it and forget it.
Regularly review your funnel to ensure it's still aligned with your marketing objectives and performing well.
Analyze the data and make any necessary tweaks or optimizations to improve its effectiveness.
Use A/B testing to refine funnels
One of the best ways to optimize your funnel is through A/B testing.
This involves creating two or more variations of a particular funnel element, such as a landing page or email subject line, and testing them against each other to see which one performs better.
By continually testing and refining your funnel elements, you can make data-driven decisions that lead to better results.
Collaboration and communication
Lastly, make sure to encourage collaboration and communication within your team.
A well-designed funnel is the result of input from multiple team members, each bringing their unique skills and perspectives to the table.
By fostering a collaborative environment, you can ensure that your funnel maps are the best they can be, ultimately leading to better marketing outcomes.
By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to harnessing the full potential of your chosen funnel mapping tool.
And remember, the more effectively you use your tool, the better your marketing strategies will be, and the more successful your business will become.
