How to Create Your First Sales Funnel on Systeme.io (Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide)
It is no longer a fantasy but a real possibility for anyone who has access to the internet and the resolve to succeed to start an online business in today’s era. With sophisticated technology like Systeme.io, you are now able to begin and grow your business without having to pay expensive developers or learn to code. Systeme.io is an automation and marketing software one-stop-shop that simplifies creating and constructing a sales funnel from scratch. If you want to sell digital downloads, physical products, coaching services, or courses, Systeme.io provides the flexibility and ease of use you require to roll out fast.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This step-by-step newbie guide will hold your hand and walk you through the entire process of building your very first high-converting sales funnel on Systeme.io. Even if you’re a complete newbie, have no clue how to work with online software, and aren’t used to the tech lingo, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Every step will be explained in clear-English instructions that you can easily follow and implement.
What is a Sales Funnel and Why You Need One
A sales funnel is literally the journey that a potential customer takes from the moment they first hear about your brand, through to the last step when they finally purchase from you — and beyond that, if we count upsells and follow-up. It’s also called a “funnel” because, just like a real funnel, it funnels people from a large group down to those who are actually ready and willing to buy from you. It’s easy for you to take people through step by step with this structure, giving you the best chance at a sale.
These are the key steps most commonly utilized in a sales funnel:
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Awareness: This is the initial step where a person becomes familiar with your company, product, or service. This could be done through a blog, social media ad, search engine click, or word of mouth.
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Interest: Once they’ve met you, they want to know more. Now, they may visit your opt-in page or lead capture form to subscribe to your email list or receive a free guide or checklist.
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Decision: After they discover more about your offer, they weigh the value and figure out whether it solves their problem. That is where a fantastic sales page or email series comes in.
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Action: If your offer is valuable and your message is strong, they will take the next action — typically buying, making a call, or signing up for a service.
Having a sales funnel is important to sustaining success in an online business because it allows you to automate your selling process, create leads on a consistent basis, and greatly increase your conversion rate without having to engage in every single interaction personally. It basically turns your site into a 24/7 machine that sells for you even while you sleep or work on something else.
Systeme.io brings all this within reach even for complete novices with a seamless, intuitive interface and drag-and-drop funnel creator, so you can worry about your message, your offer, and your audience — not obstacles.
Why Systeme.io for Funnel Building
Among dozens of sales funnel tools available online today, Systeme.io is quickly becoming the go-to choice for aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners, and marketers looking for a cost-effective yet powerful solution. It offers incredible value out of the box — combining multiple tools you’d otherwise pay hundreds of dollars for individually.
Here’s why Systeme.io is a favorite among beginners and experienced marketers alike:
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Single-Stop Solution: Systeme.io brings features of several marketing tools together under one roof — funnel builder, email marketing, hosting online courses, blogging, marketing automation, product checkout system, and affiliate management. You do not need to keep switching between different platforms or pay multiple subscriptions for this.
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No Technical Know-how Needed: The site is designed for geeks. There is no design or programming knowledge needed whatsoever. With its simple drag-and-drop page editor, you can build expert-looking pages in minutes.
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Unrestricted Free Plan: Systeme.io’s free plan in contrast to most software that puts all the major features behind a paywall lets you create up to 3 sales funnels, send 2,000 subscribers emails, host an entire online course or blog, and even create automation rules — for free.
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Rapid Funnel Building: Idea to live funnel in a matter of an hour. Ideal for rapid testing of new business ideas or making money urgently without wasting time.
✅ Expert Tip: Systeme.io performs amazingly well particularly for individuals selling digital products like ebooks, courses, or membership websites. It performs amazingly well also for affiliate marketers, freelancers, and coaches who want an effortless client onboard experience.
Step 1 – Set up and Install Your Systeme.io Account
First, you must register for your free account on Systeme.io. It is really easy and only takes a few minutes.
Here is how you can do it:
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Visit the official website: www.systeme.io
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Click the “Start for Free” button in the top right.
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Put in your best email address and select a safe password.
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Look for a confirmation email in your inbox and confirm your address.
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Once confirmed, log into your new Systeme.io dashboard.
There, you’ll be able to view all of Systeme.io’s core tools — Funnels, Emails, Automations, Products, Blogs, and even your Affiliate Program tab. The interface is friendly enough for beginners, so don’t worry about the options overwhelming you. You’ll be able to learn each function at your own convenience.
Step 2 – Choose Your Funnel Goal and Template
Now that you’ve got your account set up, it’s time to create your first funnel. This is where you’ll start building the customer journey that turns strangers into loyal buyers.
Here’s what to do:
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In the dashboard menu on the left-hand side, click on “Funnels.”
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Press the “+ Create” button to start a new funnel.
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Give your funnel a name that is descriptive so you can easily reference it later on (e.g., “Free Ebook Funnel” or “Product Launch Funnel”).
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Choose your funnel objective from the options given:
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Build an Audience: Ideal for generating leads and building your email list.
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Sell: For the sale of digital or physical products or services.
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Custom: Extra room to build your own funnel path.
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Then you’ll be able to choose from a library of pre-designed funnel templates that are designed for your goal of choice. They are super customizable and professionally designed, so you can adjust everything from layout to color to copy.
🔥 Most Important Goal: Opt for “Build an Audience” if your top priority is to begin building an email list. Provide something free such as a PDF report, mini-course, or checklist in return for your visitor’s email address.
Step 3 – Personalize Your Funnel Pages
After choosing your template, Systeme.io will create a set of funnel pages for you. These typically consist of:
• Opt-in Page: The first page your visitor arrives at. Its function is to collect names and emails in exchange for something valuable (like a free resource or guide)
• Thank You Page: Confirms the visitor’s action and delivers the freebie or informs them of what to do next
• Sales Page (optional): Offers a product or service they can buy
• Checkout Page: Where the user enters their payment information
• Thank You Page (post-purchase): It confirms the order and can offer an upsell
This is how to customize each page:
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Click on the page name and click “Edit Page”
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Use the visual drag-and-drop editor to alter content blocks
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Add persuasive headlines, engaging text, buttons, countdown clocks, images, video, forms, testimonials, or product previews
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Make sure your forms are set up to collect names and email addresses — this is essential for follow-up email marketing
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Save frequently and preview each page to make sure that everything looks good on both desktop and mobile
Pro Tip: Use a consistent appearance with your brand colors, typography, and overall style. Consistency breeds trust and makes your funnel professional and trustworthy.
Step 4 – Connect Your Email Campaign
After you’ve created your funnel pages, the second thing to do is create an email campaign that keeps the conversation with your leads following their opt-in. Email campaigns are required because they allow you to build trust, provide value, and urge your subscribers in a very subtle manner towards action — say, purchasing something or joining your community.
To begin with, navigate to your Systeme.io dashboard and find the Emails > Campaigns section. Here, you’ll be able to create a new email campaign — essentially an automated series of emails — and give it a title such as “Welcome Sequence,” “Free Course Follow-up,” or “Product Launch Series”
Next, click to include the emails in the campaign. Start off with a warm welcome message, followed by an introduction to your product or service, customer reviews, tips on how to use them, or a special discount offer. Keep your subject lines enthralling and messages readable.
Once you have created your campaign, go back to your funnel steps and link the email campaign. Click to edit the opt-in page (or the entry step where one enters their email). In “Automation Rules”, add a new rule and choose “Send email campaign”, then choose the campaign you just created. That way, everyone who signs up via your funnel will receive the emails automatically — no need to send them manually.
Important Tip: Remember to send test emails before launching your funnel to the general population. Systeme.io has a feature where you can send test emails so that you can ensure formatting, links, and overall flow are correct. Your subscribers get a professional experience this way.
Step 5 – Automate using Rules and Tags
Systeme.io is great at automation. This is arguably where your funnel becomes smart — automatically responding to what your customers or leads are doing in your funnel. You don’t need to follow up manually to see who downloaded something and who purchased something — automation rules and tags are doing all the work for you.
Through Systeme.io, you can automate simple rules like:
• Add a contact to a specific email campaign
• Add a tag to group them
• Transfer them to a different list
• Send another funnel
Here are some useful examples:
• If someone subscribes through your opt-in page, automatically apply a tag such as “Lead” This will later allow you to segment your email list based on who’s browsing only versus who’s purchasing
• After someone buys your product, you can remove the “Lead” tag and add a “Customer” tag. This is super useful if you want to send special emails to paying customers only
These tags keep your list organized and enable you to send uber-relevant messages that feel personalized — driving your open rates, clicks, and sales higher and higher with time.
Step 6 – Test and Publish Your Funnel
Before marketing your funnel to the world, you will want to test that everything’s fine-tuned. A malfunctioning link, incorrect form field, or typo could lose you a valuable lead or sale.
Here’s a quick test checklist:
• Preview each stage of your funnel: Use the preview feature to test each page and confirm that everything is clean, professional, and responsive
• Use test data to fill out your forms: Test the name and email to confirm whether it is capturing properly
• Verify that emails are triggered: Confirm that your campaign or welcome email reaches your inbox and renders properly on different devices
• Test the purchase flow (if there is a sale): Confirm that the checkout form submits, payment is successful (use dummy product or test mode), and the thank-you page renders properly
Double-check and make sure everything is in working order, then click “Publish” on all pages of the funnel. Your funnel is now live and ready to receive traffic.
You can send out your funnel link directly (great for beginners) or link your own custom domain (e.g., funnels.yourbrand.com) for a professional, reliable brand appearance.
Congratulations You’ve just built and launched your very first sales funnel with Systeme.io. That’s a huge step forward in your online business journey.
Bonus Tips to Optimize Your First Funnel
Use Lead Magnets
If you’re building an email list, offering something for free that is of value to them is a super powerful incentive. A professionally written lead magnet — like an ebook, checklist, webinar, or mini-course — makes it highly probable that someone will share their email address. Make sure your lead magnet specifically solves an exact pain point your target audience has.
A B Test Pages
Systeme.io allows you to easily duplicate and modify pages, making A B testing a piece of cake. Experiment with different headlines, button colors, images, or calls to action to see what’s most effective. Small adjustments can result in dramatic increases to your conversion rate.
Track Conversions with Analytics
Always monitor what’s working — and what’s not. Systeme.io offers easy funnel metrics like conversion rates, page views, and email opens. To get more insights, integrate tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel to track behaviors and retarget visitors through ads later on.
Beginner’s Mistakes to Avoid
Not confirming your email
Before you even send out an email campaign, make sure you’ve authenticated your sender email in Systeme.io. Otherwise, your emails might end up in the spam inbox or not get delivered at all.
Generic subdomains
While Systeme.io gives you a free subdomain (like yourname.systeme.io), it’s professional to use your own personal domain. This sets up credibility, helps with branding, and can build trust with your visitors.
Mobile optimization neglect
Your traffic will be over half on mobile devices. Always view your pages on mobile and ensure forms, text, and buttons are readable and click-friendly on smaller screens. If it’s difficult to use on a phone, people will exit quickly.
Relevant Resource: See our list of the most common funnel mistakes new marketers make and how to correct them quickly.
Last Words – Start Earning with Your First Systeme.io Funnel
Building your first online funnel does not necessarily have to be expensive or daunting. With Systeme.io, you are provided with high-quality tools that will make it simple, fast, and totally feasible to build your very first funnel without any experience whatsoever. You don’t need to buy expensive software or hire someone else to do it for you. You can simply do it all yourself with some time and determination.
So don’t read this guide only — act
• Register for your Systeme.io account
• Follow every step above with close attention
• Create your first funnel and start building your email list or making sales
There is no time better than now to commence building your online company.
Need to go even further
Join our sequel guide: How to Sell Digital Products with Systeme.io — and discover how to make money from your funnel like a pro.
Systeme.io Funnels Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Systeme.io really free
A: Yes, Systeme.io offers a completely free plan with zero time or trial limit restrictions. It is one of the best starting tools for beginners who are launching an online venture on a low budget. You can build as many as 3 sales funnels, each with several pages (or steps), on the free plan. You can also send unlimited emails to up to 2,000 subscribers and host a single online course or blog.
Unlike most platforms that hide useful features behind paywalls, Systeme.io’s free version is packed with real value — allowing you to create, grow, and even monetize without spending a dime upfront. Once you’re ready to scale, you can upgrade, but many users operate entire campaigns profitably without needing to pay upfront.
Q: How many funnels can I build on the free plan
A: With the Systeme.io free plan, you get 3 independent funnels, and each funnel can have multiple steps or pages — such as an opt-in page, thank you page, sales page, checkout page, and post-purchase page.
This is usually adequate for beginners. For example, you can have:
• A single funnel for creating an email list (lead magnet)
• A single funnel for selling a product or service
• Single funnel for webinar or event registration
Once you have a bigger business or more complex needs, you can always upgrade to have access to more funnels, more advanced automation, and more storage. But for the start, three funnels provide enough flexibility to test and launch your ideas.
Q: Can I sell physical or digital products with Systeme.io
A: Absolutely. Systeme.io simplifies it for you to sell digital and physical products. If what you’re selling is a digital product, like an ebook, online course, or software license, you can have it set up instantly — no extra plugins required. Simply upload your product, add your payment gateway, and you’re ready to go.
If you sell physical products, you can design product pages with pictures, descriptions, and prices. The payment gateways supported by the platform are Stripe and PayPal, allowing you to safely accept payments. You will receive the buyer’s contact details and shipping addresses as soon as the sale is complete.
Although Systeme.io is largely linked to digital ventures, it’s flexible enough for eCommerce newbies selling physical products like merch, print-on-demand products, or handcrafted items.
Q: Is Systeme.io good for affiliate marketers
A: Absolutely — in fact, Systeme.io is probably the ultimate free affiliate marketer tool available, especially for newbies. It has built-in features that most websites pay extra to be able to use, such as affiliate tracking, pay-out of automatic commissions, and running your own affiliate program.
It does this, so you can:
• Sell other people’s products via your funnel
• Earn commissions and track clicks, conversions, and payments
• OR have others sell your product and pay them on auto-pilot
All in the Systeme.io dashboard — no additional plugins or coding required. Whether building a list as an affiliate or selling your own products using affiliates, Systeme.io gives you an entire system to manage it effortlessly.