🚀 7 Common Elements in High-Converting Funnels (We Studied And Analyzed Dozens)

(Please take 2 minutes and answer the one question quiz at the bottom)

One of the most complicated things we deal with as digital marketers is trying to figure out if the sites we make will convert.

Sure, you can learn copywriting…
Sure, you can learn some basic design elements…

But as a solopreneur it’s hard to do it all and making funnels is one of those things that I see most people struggling to get right. So I decided to help you out…

I looked up more than 40 different top performing funnels in the digital marketing space and we ran them through some incredible diagnostics to find out what’s working, what’s similar, and what makes a good site… We found around 30 different elements that all high performing sites have… here’s 7 of them!

(We don’t know how much these offers are making, but we know they’ve been promoted with paid ads for a long time, which wouldn’t happen if they weren’t making good money…)

1️⃣ Strong, Benefit-Driven Headlines 💡

A weak headline is like a weak handshake—forgettable and unimpressive.

Top funnels NEVER play it safe here. Their headlines instantly grab attention by focusing on:

✅ Transformation → "One Funnel Away from the Life You Want" (One Funnel Away Challenge) This is pretty clear in its message and plays on your desire to want to transform your life.
✅ Fear → "Don't Make This Mistake That Will Kill Your Business" (Make More Offers Challenge) Yep… FEAR SELLS. I don’t personally like fear, but it works. Personally when I saw this headline it actually didn’t appeal to me but I have always been lead more by “faith than fear”.
✅ Money & Results → "Discover the Exact Protocol to Get to $100K-$1M per Month" (Protocol V) This is simple. I like simple… could it be better? Yes absolutely.

Personally I’ve ALWAYS loved the headline structure of “Who, What, Without”.

Who are you talking to
What are you telling them
What doesn’t it have

Ex. “Entreprenuers are leveraging this counter intuitive new way to create digital products in 2 hours using AI and generating 5 figures a month WITHOUT having to go viral or post a single piece of content online”

What This Means for You:

🔥 Use a proven formula:

• Promise a transformation

• Trigger urgency or pain

• Make results ultra-clear

Mediocre Example: "Learn to Build Funnels"
High-Converting Example: "The Funnel System That Generated $10M in Sales (Step-by-Step)"

2️⃣ CTAs Are Always Above the Fold & Repeated Multiple Times 🎯

If your Call-to-Action (CTA) is hidden, you might as well burn your ad spend. But let me be clear, I am MAINLY talking about on desktop. One mobile, almost EVERY Single top performing page had a slightly below the fold order button because of the way the page elements stack.

All funnels we analyzed had their CTA:
✅ Above the fold (visible immediately when you land on the page).
✅ Repeated multiple times throughout the page.
✅ Action-driven text (not passive, boring nonsense like "Learn More").

Winning CTA examples:
✅ "Claim Your Spot Now!"
✅ "Reserve My Copy Today!"
✅ "Get Access Now – Limited Time!"

What This Means for You:

🔥 Never bury your CTA.
🔥 Use strong, action-based phrases (avoid "Read More" like the plague).
🔥 Add urgency with words like "Now," "Today," "Limited Time."

3️⃣ Social Proof is Everywhere (Trust Sells!) 🏆

No proof = no sale.

Every high-converting funnel flexes some form of social proof to build trust:

📣 Testimonials – Before-and-after stories, screenshots, video reviews.
💰 Big Numbers – "$100M+ in Revenue" (New Bold Ads), "50,000+ Customers"
📺 Media Features – "As Seen On Forbes, CNBC, Entrepreneur..."

What This Means for You:

🔥 If you don’t have testimonials yet, use:
✔ Case studies (even if it’s your own results)
✔ Trust logos (secure payment badges, media features)
✔ Client numbers, revenue milestones, or success stories

There is another hack to gaining “Social Proof” without big names endorsing you. You can use science or tell stories about people that are benefiting from what you teach. Maybe Brad Pitt isn’t using your face lotion, but if he uses face lotion you could talk about that!

4️⃣ Scarcity & Urgency Drive Conversions ⏳

If people don’t feel the pressure to act NOW, they won’t act at all.

Here’s how these marketers create "I-need-this-now" urgency:
⏳ Countdown Timers (Live event funnels)
🎟 Limited Spots Available messaging
🚀 "Next Challenge Starts Soon!" (One Funnel Away Challenge)
💵 Time-Sensitive Discounts & Bonuses

What This Means for You:

🔥 If there's no reason to act NOW, they will procrastinate.
🔥 Add deadlines, limited spots, or exclusive bonuses to create urgency.

Urgency and Scarcity isn’t new, but can be complicated to add to your funnel when you want to keep selling it for a long time. Consider evergreen countdown timers.

5️⃣ Distraction-Free Design (Simplicity Wins) 🖥

Most people think a fancy design = a better funnel. Wrong.

The best funnels are minimalist and laser-focused.
✅ No navigation bars (except legal links in the footer).
✅ One clear action (opt-in, buy, or book a call).
✅ No extra distractions (fancy animations, sidebars, or links).

What This Means for You:

🔥 Kill the clutter.
🔥 One goal = One page (More choices = More confusion).
🔥 Make it brain-dead simple to opt-in or buy.

If you are driving people to a boring “personal branding” page you are absolutely missing sales. I see these all the time. No clear call to action, no direction, just a “fluff piece” that makes you feel good.

6️⃣ Offer Stacking & Bonuses Make the Deal Irresistible 🎁

Ever noticed how these funnels make you feel like you’re getting 10X the value for a fraction of the price?

That’s because they:
✅ Break down the offer (Modules, PDFs, Templates, Community, Bonuses).
✅ Show total value ("This is a $1,997 program, but today only $97!"). Please make sure to use JUSTIFIABLE values and don’t just make numbers up.
✅ Use price anchoring (Compare the offer to a much higher price or a more expensive competitor)

What This Means for You:

🔥 Stack the value. Spell out exactly what they’re getting.
🔥 Price anchoring works. Compare your price to a bigger number.
🔥 Bonuses tip people over the edge. Add exclusives, templates, extra coaching, etc.

7️⃣ Trust Elements Reduce Fear & Objections 🔒

People hesitate because they fear losing money, getting scammed, or making the wrong choice.

The best funnels remove that fear with:
🏅 100% Money-Back Guarantee → No risk to buy.
🔒 Secure Checkout Badge → Builds trust for payments.
📞 Support Contact Info → Makes the business feel real.

What This Means for You:

🔥 If people feel safe, they’ll buy.
🔥 Address objections upfront ("No risk, money-back guarantee!").
🔥 Trust badges matter (use security icons, testimonials, and clear policies).

💡 Key Takeaways: How to Apply This Today

✅ Use a clear, compelling headline that speaks to transformation or urgency.
✅ CTA buttons should be obvious, repeated, and urgent.
✅ Leverage social proof (testimonials, numbers, or trust logos).
✅ Create urgency (limited-time offer, countdowns, or scarcity messaging).
✅ Keep the page distraction-free. One goal, one action.
✅ Stack your offer with bonuses & clear value breakdowns.
✅ Reduce risk with guarantees and trust signals.

These elements aren’t "nice-to-haves"—they are non-negotiable for funnels that actually convert.

🔥 What’s Next?

I’m going to be releasing a training soon that shows you how we are creating simple digital products in basically any niche we want, and we’re doing it in just a day instead of weeks. Start to finish… ready to promote… in a day.

Keep an eye out for that and feel free to reply to this if you want to get notified when we release that. The email algorithms love it when you reply!

See you at the top,

Travis Stephenson