Short answer: to audit a funnel that gets traffic but no sales, check each stage's numbers in order and find the first one that's well below benchmark: opt-in page conversion (aim for 40% or more), thank you page offer (8 to 10% of opt-ins), order bump (70 to 80% of buyers, at least 50%), email open rates (40 to 50%), clicks and unsubscribes, then core offer sales. The leak is almost always at one stage. Fix that one thing, then measure again. Use the scorecard below and you can do the whole audit in under an hour.

There's nothing more frustrating than a funnel that gets visitors and doesn't make money. You've built the pages, written the emails, maybe you're even paying for ads. People are clearly landing on it. And yet the sales notifications just aren't coming.

The good news: a funnel isn't a mystery. It's a series of steps, and every step has a number. When you look at the numbers in order, the problem usually jumps right out at you. Here's exactly how I audit mine.

This is part of my ultimate guide to evergreen funnels. If you haven't built your funnel yet, start there. If you have and it isn't selling, this is your audit.

When should you audit your funnel?

Don't judge a funnel after 15 visitors. Review it after every 100 people opt in, and once you're bringing in much more than that, at least once a week. The habit is always the same: what's going well, what isn't, and what can be improved. Guessing and hoping isn't a strategy.

Before you start: fill in this scorecard

Pull your numbers for the last 100 opt-ins (or the last 30 days) and fill this in. It takes about 15 minutes in your funnel and email platform.

How to audit your funnel, step by step

Step 1: Your opt-in page

Measure: of the people who view the page, how many opt in? Some industry averages are as low as 20%. I aim for 40% or higher.

If it's low, check:

• Message match. Does your ad or post promise the same thing your page does? If not, people bounce.
• Your headline. Does it clearly speak to the end result your ideal client wants?
• Your design. Is the form at the top? Is the top clean? Is there a menu or social icons tempting people away?

Views and conversions don't always line up perfectly, so look for patterns, not perfection. Full structure: how to write an opt-in page that converts.

Time: 15 minutes. Done when: you know your opt-in rate and the one thing you'd change first.

Step 2: Your thank you page offer

Measure: of the people who opt in, how many buy your low priced offer? Aim for around 10%, and at least 8%.

Page problem or offer problem? Is it the obvious next step from the free resource? Is the value obviously higher than the price (these are new people buying for what's inside, not for you)? Is it something your ideal client genuinely wants? Is the page short and visual, with a clear "but wait, there's more"? If you've fixed the page and it still doesn't sell, test a different offer. More in the thank you page offer.

Time: 10 minutes. Done when: you've decided whether it's the page or the offer.

Step 3: Your order bump

Measure: of the people who buy, how many tick the bump? In our funnels, around 70 to 80% of buyers take it. Aim for at least 50%. If it's low, improve the copy (one line, clear benefit, no brainer price) or swap it for something that complements the main offer better.

Time: 5 minutes. Done when: you know your bump rate.

Step 4: Your emails

Measure: open rate, click rate and unsubscribe rate for each email. I aim for 40 to 50% opens on funnel emails. Click rates drop as people move through the sequence and the average is often only 1 to 2%, so beat that. If any email's unsubscribe rate goes above 1%, look at it closely.

• Low opens? Subject lines. Short ones have worked best for us.
• Low clicks? The content isn't making people want the next step. Rewrite it, make the call to action clearer and cut extra links.
• High unsubscribes on one email? It may be selling too hard, too soon, or not giving enough value.

Compare yours to the 5 email nurture sequence I use after every opt-in.

Time: 20 minutes. Done when: you've flagged the weakest email by opens and the weakest by clicks.

Step 5: Your core offer sales

If people are opening, clicking and reaching your sales page but not buying, look at three things.

• Is the journey long enough for the price? I once had a sequence that gave five days of value and then sold a higher four figure offer. It wasn't enough. We lengthened the nurture before the pitch, and it worked better.
• Do you need more stepping stones? Another time, we added more low priced offers into the email sequence to build trust before asking for the bigger decision. Sometimes the answer is another step before the pitch.
• Is the way to buy right for the price? A sales page is enough for a low monthly membership. For higher priced offers, add a DM conversation, a call or a live virtual event.

And is the end result clear and worth more than the price? If not, no funnel will save it. Start with why is no one buying my offer.

Time: 20 minutes. Done when: you've chosen one change: longer nurture, an extra stepping stone, or a more personal way to buy.

Step 6: Check whether it's actually a traffic problem

If your numbers are close to benchmark but sales are still low, you don't have a funnel problem, you have a visibility problem. At an average 3% conversion rate you need around 333 leads for 10 sales. Work out your number, then focus on getting more of the right people to the top.

Time: 5 minutes. Done when: you know how many leads a month your goal needs. If maths isn't your favourite job, the Strategist inside Ascendia OS does this for you: it sets your goal and maps how many sales and leads you need to hit it.

Worked example: auditing a coaching funnel

Example (illustrative numbers): a leadership coach sends 2,000 visitors a month to her funnel and makes almost nothing. Her scorecard:

The leak is obvious: the opt-in page. Her ad promised "more clients from LinkedIn" and the page headline said "Leadership masterclass". She rewrites the headline to match the ad. Opt-ins go to 38%, so the same 2,000 visitors now give her 760 leads instead of 360. Everything downstream more than doubles, without touching anything else.

Benchmarks

Common mistakes (and the fix)

• Changing everything at once. Fix: one change at a time, or you'll never know what worked.
• Judging too early. Fix: wait for 100 opt-ins.
• One page for every traffic source. Fix: I keep separate versions for organic, ads and live launches, so I can see exactly where sales come from.
• Blaming the offer when it's the page, or the other way round. Fix: the scorecard tells you which.
• Set and forget. Fix: how people buy changes. A funnel that worked last year needs regular attention.

AI can speed up rewrites: give it your copy plus the numbers and ask for versions to test. The Copywriter inside Ascendia OS will rewrite a headline, an email or a sales page in your voice, and whatever tool you use, always edit it so it sounds like you.

Your action plan

Today

• Fill in the scorecard for your last 100 opt-ins.
• Circle the stage furthest below benchmark.

This week

• Make one change to that stage only.
• Write down the date and the change, so you can compare.

Next 30 days

• Re-run the scorecard after the next 100 opt-ins.
• Move on to the next weakest stage once the first hits benchmark.
• Work out your monthly leads number and plan visibility to match it.

For the full system from opt-in page to core offer, read the ultimate guide to evergreen funnels. If you'd like my full funnel system, with every page, email and benchmark built in, it's inside Content To Clients®. And if you want me to look at your funnel and strategy with you, here's how to work with me.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good opt-in page conversion rate?

Industry averages can be as low as 20%. I aim for 40% or higher. If yours is well below 20%, look at your headline, your design above the fold and whether your ad matches the page.

Why does my funnel get traffic but no sales?

Usually one stage is leaking: people aren't opting in, they aren't buying the low priced offer, they aren't opening emails, or the journey is too short for the price of your core offer. Check each stage's numbers in order to find it.

How often should I review my funnel?

After every 100 opt-ins at first. Once you have much more traffic, review it at least weekly.

What is a good email open rate for a funnel?

I aim for 40 to 50% on funnel emails. If yours is much lower, test shorter, more intriguing subject lines.

Should I change my offer or my funnel first?

Look at the numbers first. If people reach your sales page in good numbers and nobody buys, it's likely the offer, the price for the journey, or the way to buy. If they never get that far, fix the earlier stage.

Laurie Burrows is a UK-based marketing and sales strategist who has built a business that's generated multi-seven figures in sales through social media and digital marketing. Today, Laurie helps business owners use social media, content and digital marketing to get seen, attract more clients and make more sales. She's also the founder of Ascendia OS.