Funnels and conversion paths
Website funnels: the complete practical guide
Plan a funnel, define steps and use conversion and drop-off rates to improve a journey.
A useful funnel turns a business outcome into a short sequence of observable steps. Its job is to reveal where a journey deserves investigation—not to explain human motivation by itself.
Choose one outcome and a real sequence
Start with a measurable finish such as a completed signup, qualified lead or paid order. Work backwards through the few actions that genuinely precede it. A five-step account flow may be a funnel; a collection of unrelated site events is not. Include only events your analytics actually records and define whether the sequence must happen in order and within one visit.
Put it into practice
See your traffic, funnel steps and site performance clearly in Alexander.
Try Alexander freeRead each step in context
For every step, track entrants, the share who continue and the time period. A steep decline can be expected when a step filters out people who are not a fit. Compare device and source, then inspect the step itself: required fields, error messages, price surprises or missing trust information. Check event implementation too; a tracking gap can look exactly like a visitor drop-off.
Prioritise, change and learn
Estimate impact using qualified traffic, the size of the drop and the value of completion. Pick one plausible friction point, make a specific change and record its date. Compare the same funnel definition and audience afterward, allowing for normal variation. Funnel reports show where; a product review, customer conversation or targeted test helps explain why.