Sales Funnels Without WooCommerce or ClickFunnels | Upsell Plugin Tutorial

Introduction

In the world of online marketing and e-commerce, sales funnels are crucial for maximizing conversions and increasing revenue. Traditionally, marketers have relied on platforms like WooCommerce or ClickFunnels to create these funnels. However, these solutions can be expensive or complicated, especially for those using WordPress. This tutorial introduces an alternative approach: building sales funnels in WordPress without WooCommerce or ClickFunnels, using the Upsell Plugin.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of creating a complete sales funnel, including primary offers, upsells, downsells, and order bumps. We’ll explore how to integrate this system with course platforms like LearnDash and membership plugins like WishList Member. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have the knowledge to create sophisticated sales funnels directly within WordPress, potentially saving money and simplifying your tech stack.

Whether you’re a course creator, digital product seller, or service provider, this tutorial will equip you with the tools and techniques to enhance your sales process and boost your bottom line. Let’s dive in and discover how to leverage the power of WordPress and the Upsell Plugin to create effective, conversion-optimized sales funnels.

Overview of the Sales Funnel

In this section, we’ll break down the structure of the sales funnel we’ll be building throughout this tutorial. Understanding the overall flow and components of the funnel is crucial for successfully implementing it in your own business.

Primary Offer

• The primary offer is a beginner-level course priced at $100
• This serves as the entry point for potential customers
• It’s designed to attract a broader audience with a more affordable option

Order Bump

• An audio file is offered as a digital download for an additional $29
• This is presented during the checkout process for the primary offer
• Order bumps are an effective way to increase the average order value

Upsell

• After purchasing the primary offer, customers are presented with a $2,000 per year advanced course
• This includes a weekly mastermind component
• Upsells capitalize on the customer’s buying momentum

Downsell

• If the customer declines the upsell, they’re offered an advanced course without the mastermind
• This is priced at a one-time fee of $1,000
• Downsells provide an alternative option to capture sales from price-sensitive customers

Thank You Page

• The final step in the funnel where customers can see their order details
• This page confirms the purchase and can be used for additional offers or content

By structuring the funnel in this way, we’re creating multiple opportunities to increase the average order value and provide customers with options that best suit their needs and budget.

Setting Up LearnDash Courses

LearnDash is a popular learning management system (LMS) for WordPress, and it’s the platform we’ll be using to deliver our courses in this sales funnel. Let’s explore how to set up the necessary courses in LearnDash to align with our funnel structure.

Creating Course Structure

• Set up three distinct courses in LearnDash to match our funnel offerings
• Beginner level course (primary offer)
• Advanced course with mastermind (upsell)
• Advanced course without mastermind (downsell)

Organizing Content

• Keep the advanced course with mastermind separate from the regular advanced course
• This allows for easier management of mastermind-specific content, such as weekly call recordings

Customizing Course Settings

• Configure each course with appropriate access settings
• Set up prerequisites if necessary (e.g., completing the beginner course before accessing advanced)
• Determine course duration, drip-feeding content if desired

Integrating with the Sales Funnel

• Ensure that LearnDash courses are properly connected to the corresponding products in the Upsell Plugin
• This integration allows for automatic enrollment upon purchase

Creating Engaging Course Content

• Develop high-quality video lessons, quizzes, and assignments for each course
• Consider including downloadable resources to enhance the learning experience

Setting Up Progress Tracking

• Utilize LearnDash’s built-in progress tracking features
• Enable completion certificates if relevant to your courses

By properly setting up your LearnDash courses, you’re ensuring that customers who purchase through your sales funnel will have immediate access to high-quality, well-organized educational content. This not only increases the perceived value of your offers but also improves customer satisfaction and reduces potential refund requests.

Protecting Digital Downloads with WishList Member

For the audio file offered as an order bump, we need to ensure that only paying customers can access it. WishList Member is an excellent tool for protecting digital content in WordPress. Here’s how to set it up:

Creating a Membership Level

• In WishList Member, create a new membership level called “Audio Purchase”
• This level will be specifically for customers who buy the audio file

Uploading the Audio File

• Go to the WordPress Media Library and upload the MP3 file
• Ensure the file is properly named and has an accurate description for easy management

Enabling File Protection

• Navigate to WishList Member’s content protection settings
• Enable file protection for the uploaded MP3
• Associate the file with the “Audio Purchase” membership level

Setting Access Rules

• Configure WishList Member to automatically add customers to the “Audio Purchase” level upon successful payment
• Set up any time-based or download limit restrictions if desired

Testing Access

• Verify that the file is inaccessible to non-members
• Confirm that members of the “Audio Purchase” level can successfully download the file

Creating Download Links

• Generate secure, members-only download links for the audio file
• These links will be used on the thank you page or in follow-up emails

Integrating with the Upsell Plugin

• Ensure that the Upsell Plugin is configured to grant access to the WishList Member level upon purchase
• Test the integration to confirm automatic membership assignment

By implementing these steps, you’re creating a secure system for delivering your digital products. This protects your content from unauthorized access while ensuring that paying customers have a smooth experience accessing their purchases.

Building Sales Pages with Elementor

Creating compelling sales pages is crucial for the success of your funnel. We’ll be using Elementor, a popular page builder for WordPress, to design our sales pages. Here’s how to approach this process:

Selecting Templates

• Utilize Astra Starter Templates as a foundation for your sales pages
• Choose templates that align with your brand and offer structure

Customizing the Beginner Course Sales Page

• Modify the headline to be catchy and benefit-driven
• Adjust button colors to stand out (e.g., changing to red for increased visibility)
• Ensure the page slug is set to “beginner” for clean URL structure

Creating the Advanced Course (Upsell) Page

• Start with an Astra “About” page template
• Customize content to highlight the benefits of the advanced course and mastermind
• Add testimonials or success stories to increase credibility

Designing the Downsell Page

• Clone the upsell page to maintain design consistency
• Adjust the content to focus on the benefits of the advanced course without the mastermind
• Emphasize the value proposition of the one-time payment option

Optimizing Page Layout

• Use a two-column layout for the checkout page
• Place the order form on one side and testimonials on the other
• Ensure mobile responsiveness for all pages

Implementing Call-to-Action Buttons

• Create prominent, action-oriented buttons throughout the pages
• Use contrasting colors and persuasive text to encourage clicks

Adding Social Proof

• Incorporate customer testimonials, case studies, or success stories
• Display logos of companies or institutions that endorse your courses

Optimizing for Conversions

• Use scarcity tactics (e.g., limited-time offers) where appropriate
• Include FAQs to address common objections
• Implement trust badges or money-back guarantee seals

By carefully crafting your sales pages with Elementor, you’re creating a visually appealing and persuasive journey for your potential customers. Remember to A/B test different elements of your pages to continually improve your conversion rates.

Setting Up the Upsell Plugin

The Upsell Plugin is the core tool we’ll use to create our funnel without WooCommerce or ClickFunnels. Here’s a detailed guide on how to set it up:

Adding Products

• Create four products in the Upsell Plugin:

1. Beginner Course ($100)
2. Advanced Course with Mastermind ($2,000/year)
3. Advanced Course without Mastermind ($1,000 one-time)
4. Audio Presentation ($29)

Configuring Product Settings

• For each product, set the following:
• Price and payment type (one-time or subscription)
• Digital product settings
• Integration with LearnDash or WishList Member
• URLs for upsells and downsells

Setting Up the Order Bump

• Add the Audio Presentation as an order bump to the Beginner Course
• Customize the order bump appearance and messaging

Integrating with LearnDash

• Link each course product to the corresponding LearnDash course
• Enable automatic account creation for customers

Configuring WishList Member Integration

• For the Audio Presentation, enable WishList Member integration
• Select the appropriate membership level for access

Creating Checkout and Thank You Pages

• Use the provided shortcodes to create functional checkout and thank you pages
• Customize the design of these pages using Elementor

Styling the Checkout Experience

• Adjust colors, fonts, and layouts in the Upsell Plugin settings
• Customize the appearance of order bumps, buttons, and form fields

Setting Up Payment Gateways

• Configure PayPal and Stripe integrations
• Test the payment process to ensure smooth transactions

Implementing Affiliate Tracking

• If using affiliate marketing, integrate with AffiliateWP or iDevAffiliate
• Set up proper tracking and commission structures

By meticulously setting up the Upsell Plugin, you’re creating a robust system that can handle complex sales funnels directly within WordPress. This approach gives you full control over the user experience and allows for easy customization and optimization.

Testing the Funnel

Before launching your funnel, it’s crucial to thoroughly test every step to ensure a smooth customer experience. Here’s a comprehensive testing process:

Primary Offer Testing

• Navigate to the beginner course sales page
• Click the buy button to ensure it leads to the correct checkout page
• Verify that all product information is accurate

Order Bump Verification

• Check that the order bump appears correctly on the checkout page
• Test adding and removing the order bump from the cart
• Ensure the price updates accordingly

Upsell Page Functionality

• Complete a purchase of the primary offer
• Confirm that you’re redirected to the upsell page
• Test both accepting and declining the upsell offer

Downsell Page Testing

• After declining the upsell, verify that you’re taken to the downsell page
• Test purchasing the downsell offer
• Ensure the “No thanks” option works correctly

Thank You Page Review

• After completing a purchase, check that you arrive at the thank you page
• Verify that all purchased items are correctly listed
• Test any download links for digital products

Payment Processing

• Complete test purchases using both PayPal and Stripe
• Verify that payments are processed correctly
• Check that receipts and confirmation emails are sent

Course Access Verification

• After purchasing, log in to the customer account
• Confirm that access to the correct LearnDash courses is granted
• Test accessing the WishList Member protected audio file

Mobile Responsiveness

• Test the entire funnel on various mobile devices
• Ensure all pages are easily navigable and functional on smaller screens

Loading Speed Check

• Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check page loading times
• Optimize images and scripts if necessary to improve performance

Tracking and Analytics

• Verify that Google Analytics or other tracking tools are properly installed
• Test goal completions and conversion tracking

By rigorously testing your funnel, you can identify and resolve any issues before launching to your audience. This ensures a positive customer experience and maximizes your conversion potential.

Key Takeaways and Advantages of the Upsell Plugin

The Upsell Plugin offers a powerful alternative to traditional sales funnel solutions like WooCommerce with extensions or ClickFunnels. Here are the key advantages and takeaways from this tutorial:

1. Cost-Effective Solution: The Upsell Plugin provides advanced sales funnel functionality at a fraction of the cost of ClickFunnels or WooCommerce with multiple extensions. This makes it an attractive option for businesses looking to maximize their ROI.
2. WordPress Integration: By working directly within WordPress, the Upsell Plugin allows you to leverage your existing website and avoid the need for external platforms. This simplifies your tech stack and provides a more seamless experience for both you and your customers.
3. Flexibility and Customization: The plugin works with any WordPress page builder, giving you the freedom to design your sales pages exactly as you envision them. This level of customization ensures that your funnel aligns perfectly with your brand and marketing strategy.
4. Subscription Capabilities: Unlike WooCommerce, which requires an expensive add-on for subscriptions, the Upsell Plugin includes this functionality out of the box. This is particularly valuable for businesses offering recurring products or services.
5. Payment Gateway Options: With support for both PayPal and Stripe, the Upsell Plugin enables you to accept payments from customers worldwide, expanding your potential market reach.
6. Integration with Learning Platforms: The seamless integration with LearnDash and WishList Member makes this solution ideal for course creators and membership site owners. Automatic enrollment and content protection streamline the customer onboarding process.
7. Affiliate Program Compatibility: The ability to integrate with popular affiliate management plugins like AffiliateWP and iDevAffiliate allows you to leverage affiliate marketing to grow your business.
8. Complete Funnel Functionality: From order bumps to upsells and downsells, the Upsell Plugin provides all the tools necessary to create sophisticated, high-converting sales funnels.
9. No Technical Limitations: Unlike some all-in-one platforms, using the Upsell Plugin within WordPress doesn’t limit your ability to add custom functionality or integrate with other tools and services.
10. Ownership and Control: By building your funnel on your own WordPress site, you maintain full control over your data and customer information, reducing dependency on third-party services.

While the Upsell Plugin offers numerous advantages, it’s important to note a few potential drawbacks:

1. Learning Curve: Setting up a funnel with this plugin may require more technical knowledge compared to drag-and-drop funnel builders.
2. Lack of Templates: Unlike some all-in-one solutions, the Upsell Plugin doesn’t come with pre-designed funnel templates, requiring more initial setup and design work.
3. Manual Link Management: The process of connecting different funnel stages involves manually copying and pasting URLs, which can be more time-consuming than visual funnel builders.

Despite these minor drawbacks, the Upsell Plugin presents a robust and cost-effective solution for creating advanced sales funnels within WordPress. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can leverage this powerful tool to create high-converting funnels that drive sales and grow your business.

Remember to continually test and optimize your funnel based on performance data and customer feedback. With the flexibility offered by the Upsell Plugin and WordPress, you have the power to refine and improve your sales process over time, ultimately leading to increased conversions and revenue for your business.