What funnels show
Funnels show how visitors move through a defined sequence of pages or actions. Each step represents a point in the journey, such as viewing a landing page, opening pricing, starting checkout, or reaching a thank-you page.
Use funnels to answer:
- how many visitors start a conversion path
- where visitors drop off
- which step has the lowest conversion rate
- whether mobile and desktop visitors convert differently
- which sessions should be reviewed in replay
Funnels are most useful when the path has a clear intended order.
Common funnel examples
Useful funnels include:
- homepage to signup
- landing page to demo request
- pricing page to checkout
- cart to payment
- checkout to confirmation
- lead form start to submit
- onboarding step one to activation
Keep each funnel focused on one business question. A short, clear funnel is easier to act on than a broad funnel with too many steps.
How funnel conversion is calculated
UserTrail counts how many visitors reach each step during the selected date range. Conversion is shown between steps and for the full funnel.
For example:
| Step | Visitors | Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page | 1,000 | 100% |
| Pricing | 280 | 28% |
| Signup | 72 | 7.2% |
The largest drop-off points are usually the best places to investigate first.
Using funnels with sessions
When a funnel step has high drop-off, open session recordings for visitors who exited at that point. Replay helps explain what the funnel number cannot show by itself.
Look for:
- hesitation before leaving
- rage clicks or dead clicks
- unclear buttons or links
- form errors
- repeated page reloads
- mobile layout issues
Using funnels with filters
Filters help you compare different visitor groups. Useful funnel filters include:
- device
- browser
- operating system
- country or region
- traffic source
- visitor type
- friction events
For example, if mobile conversion is lower than desktop, filter the funnel to mobile and review matching recordings and heatmaps.
When to create a funnel
Create a funnel when a journey has measurable intent. Good funnel candidates have a clear start, a clear end, and a meaningful conversion outcome.
Avoid creating funnels for loose browsing patterns. Journeys are better for exploring open-ended paths visitors take across the site.
Best practices
- Use clear step names.
- Match steps to real page paths or actions.
- Keep the funnel short enough to understand quickly.
- Review the highest drop-off step first.
- Segment by device and traffic source.
- Watch session recordings before making major changes.