E44: Website vs Sales Funnel: What’s the Difference and Which One Do You Really Need?
Most local service business owners are confused about the difference between a website and a sales funnel. And honestly, it’s not their fault. The word funnel gets tossed around with landing pages, software tools, and clickbait marketing tactics, which leads to a whole lot of confusion.
In this episode, I break everything down in the simplest way possible. You’ll learn what a website actually does, what a real sales funnel is supposed to do, and how the two work together to help your business get more leads, close more customers, and stand out online.
Here’s what I cover in this episode:
The real definition of a sales funnel and why it’s NOT software
The 6 parts every complete sales funnel must include
The 10 essential sections every high-converting homepage needs
How a lead generator turns website visitors into warm leads
The follow up sequences that keep leads from going cold
Why a CRM is the engine behind every successful funnel
How a funnel turns your website into a leads-generating system
If your website looks nice but doesn’t bring in leads, or if you’ve heard the word funnel and still aren’t sure what it actually means, this episode will make it all click.
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P.S. When you are ready, here are a few ways I can help…
Get Your FREE Marketing Domination Checklist: https://www.seangarner.co/
FREE Marketing Assessment | Discover what's wrong with your marketing & get a FREE customized plan to fix it: https://www.seangarner.co/marketingreport
Schedule A Call to Build, Fill, and Optimize Your Sales Funnel For More Leads: https://www.seangarner.co/
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Sean Garner is a marketing consultant and Certified StoryBrand guide dedicated to helping small business owners grow and dominate their industries. He created the Marketing Domination podcast to teach people how to combine storytelling with strategic marketing to help businesses connect with customers and stand out online.
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MARKETING DOMINATION PODCAST
Introduction
Sean Garner (00:01)
Alright, syncing things up.
Using a different microphone today, so if I sound a little goofy, that’s why. Hopefully the audio enhancements fix it. Also, I’ll be turning my back a lot because I’m trying to keep everything in frame here and not kick over any equipment. But hey, we’ll get some good thumbnails out of it.
Sean Garner (00:36)
Alright, let’s do this.
Sean Garner (00:40)
You may have heard the terms website and sales funnel used interchangeably. Or maybe you have no clue what either one really means. If you’re a local service business, I’m going to show you exactly what the difference is and which one you actually need to help your business grow and stand out online. Welcome to Marketing Domination.
Sean Garner (01:02)
One of the most common questions we get is what is the difference between a website and a sales funnel and which one do I need?
A lot of the confusion comes from the word funnel. Most people only think of tools like ClickFunnels or Go High Level, or they picture a single landing page that forces someone to click through a step by step path.
When we talk about a sales funnel, we mean something completely different.
So I’m going to break down what a sales funnel really is, what makes a strong website, and how the two fit together so you know exactly what you need for your local service business.
Let’s start with the sales funnel. Yes, ignore my incredible artwork and handwriting. We’re doing our best here.
A sales funnel is what I call your relationship journey. It’s the complete process you take a customer through. We break it down into six parts.
Step 1. Your Digital Storefront
This is everything people see before they ever enter your world. Social media, your Google Business Profile, directories, citations, online listings. Basically all the digital stuff that proves you exist before someone even hits your website.
Step 2. Your Messaging
These are the actual words you use in your marketing. Since I’m a StoryBrand Certified Guide, we use the StoryBrand Messaging Framework. It gives you seven talking points based on the hero’s journey so your customers understand exactly how you help them win.
Step 3. Your Website
This is where people get confused. Your website is part of your funnel. It is not a special landing page. It is not a software tool. It is not a click funnel. Your website is simply one part of the full relationship journey.
We believe most local businesses only need one main website for SEO and credibility purposes. If you want special landing pages for PPC ads or promos, cool, but your main site should follow a proven layout that converts. I’ll show you that in a minute.
Step 4. Your Lead Generator
This is your PDF, guide, quiz, checklist, whatever you create to offer real value in exchange for a name, email, and phone number.
It should be worth at least 30 to 50 dollars in free value. It also needs to do three things
Position you as the guide.
Have a clear, catchy title people want to download.
Give them a quick win tied to the problem you solve.
Step 5. Your Follow Up Sequence
This is where most businesses fail. People download your lead generator and never hear from you again.
We build multiple follow up sequences
A nurture sequence after someone downloads your lead generator
A confirmation and pre call sequence after someone books a call
A long term nurture sequence for people who don’t buy immediately
We typically write five to six emails that build trust, show results, and get people ready to buy.
Step 6. Your CRM
This is the place where all your data lives. This is the system that keeps leads from falling through the cracks. Too many local service businesses have a website form that just sends an email to someone’s inbox. Then they follow up once, maybe, and forget about the lead.Your CRM stores the data, automates the follow up, and helps you actually close leads instead of losing them.
That is the full sales funnel. Your digital storefront, messaging, website, lead generator, follow up, and CRM. It is the full relationship journey.
Now, let’s zoom in on just the website.
Sean Garner (07:42)
A website for us includes two parts. Your messaging and the actual website build.
We write all the copy for our clients because they’re great at what they do but not great at writing persuasive messaging or SEO friendly copy. So we build the messaging using StoryBrand and then build the website with at least ten proven sections.
Let me break those down.
1. Header Section
Logo at the top. Big clear call to action top right. Headline that quickly answers what you do and how you make life better. Showcase your best visuals or customer smiles.
2. Value Stack
Three benefits customers get from choosing you. Not features. Outcomes.
3. Stakes Section
We remind customers what they’ll continue to struggle with if they do nothing. Not negative, just honest. Bullet points work great here.
By the way, if you want to see this wireframe, go to SeanGarner.co slash website wireframe and grab the free template.
4. Value Proposition Section
List out your main services with images so customers know exactly what you do.
5. Guide Section
We show empathy and authority. Something like we know how frustrating it is to deal with blank. Then two to three strong testimonials or case studies. We also embed your Google reviews because they help you rank and build trust.
6. Packages and Pricing
If you offer packages or tiers, we list them here. If you don’t want pricing visible, that’s fine, but still show the options so people understand how you help.
7. The Plan
Your simple three step plan. Schedule a call, we create a custom plan, and then your customer gets their happily ever after.
8. Explanatory Paragraph
This is a longer copy section. Lots of SEO friendly content. A hero image and a story that centers your customer as the hero and positions you as the guide.
9. Lead Generator Section
Image of your guide or quiz, clear title, and a place to enter name, email, phone. This should also appear as a scroll pop up so people don’t miss it.
10. The Footer or Junk Drawer
Logo and all the extra links customers might need. Blogs, careers page, privacy policy, whatever. We put these at the bottom because we don’t want people getting distracted before they take action.
That is what we consider a complete website.
And as you can see, it’s only one piece of a much bigger sales funnel.
Sean Garner (14:40)
So here’s the simple difference.
A website is a single asset.
A sales funnel is a complete relationship and sales process.
You need a website to have a funnel, but a website alone will not get you consistent leads.
A sales funnel turns your website into a system that brings in leads, nurtures them, and gets customers while you sleep.
If you want us to help you build this for your business, I would love to talk with you. Just go to SeanGarner.co and schedule a call. It’ll be with me. I’ll review your marketing, your website, how you’re ranking on search, and show you exactly how we can help you grow and dominate your industry.
