New to online business? Cool. Rule number one: don’t start pitching $500+ offers to complete strangers.
Especially if you’ve got no leads, no email list, and the only person who’d buy from you is your mom (and even she wants a discount).
“But Chipo, I’m here to make money!”
I know, friend. But if you roll in with your “premium” offer before anyone even knows who you are, you’ll be Googling “why isn’t anyone buying my stuff” while side-eyeing your Stripe account.
This is a science. You build trust first, then you sell big. Which means you start small — strategic small.
Enter: the tripwire funnel.
Cheap enough to make people say “why not?”
Valuable enough to make them think “oh wow”
Smart enough to turn total strangers into paying customers, fast
Let’s set one up so you can stop guessing and start selling.
What is a tripwire funnel?
A tripwire funnel is a type of sales funnel that offers a low cost but high-value product to new subscribers. It's designed to convert subscribers into buyers quickly, overcoming that initial resistance to making a purchase. Think of it as the irresistible sample that gets customers through the door of your store – increasing your sales.
Tripwire Funnels: Why They Work (a.k.a. The Psychology Bit Without the Boring Lecture)
Tripwire funnels aren’t magic — they work because they tap into how people actually make buying decisions. Here’s the quick and dirty:
- Commitment & Consistency – Once someone buys anything from you, even a $7 PDF, they’re way more likely to buy again. Humans like to stay consistent with their decisions.
- Impulse Buying – Low price, high value = less thinking, more clicking “buy now.” Bonus points if you add a timer so they feel the FOMO creeping in. Plus adding a countdown timer can amplify urgency and encourage quick decisions.
- The Value Gap – If your product feels like it’s worth $100 but costs $17, that’s a “shut up and take my money” moment.
- Reciprocity – Deliver something genuinely good right away and people will feel like they owe you. In a good way.
Put all that together and you’ve got a system that moves people from “hmm, interesting” to “here’s my card” faster than any slow-burn nurture email sequence.
Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Tripwire Funnel
You can build a tripwire funnel with just about any decent page builder — Elementor, Leadpages, Kajabi, ClickFunnels… you name it. I’ve tried several over the years, and the process is always the same:
- Get people to opt in.
- Present a low-cost, high-value offer right after they sign up.
- Make it as easy as possible for them to buy.
The tool you use just changes how you put it together.
For this tutorial, I’m using Thrive Architect — not because it’s the only option, but because it’s the one I’ve relied on for years. It’s fast, flexible, and built for conversions (and no, they’re not paying me to say that). If you’re already using another builder, you can still follow along with the strategy and adapt the steps to your platform.
Step 1: Create Your Lead Generation Page (I’m Using Thrive Architect)
Your tripwire funnel starts with a high-converting landing page that grabs attention and gets people to opt in. This page should:
- Clearly state the benefit of your free offer (your lead magnet)
- Use social proof to build trust
- Make signing up quick and easy
Thrive Tip: Run through this landing page checklist to make sure your page is built for conversions.
If you’re using Thrive Architect, you can launch a new page, choose a pre-built landing page from the template library, and swap out the placeholder text and images for your own.
Landing page template sets in Thrive Architect
There are templates for every part of your tripwire funnel - landing pages, thank you pages, and sales pages.
Using these templates can save you a ton of time. Instead of starting from scratch, you can pick a template that's close to what you want and then tweak it to fit your needs.
In short, Thrive Architect takes the headache out of building a high-converting tripwire funnel. It lets you focus on what really matters - creating an offer your audience can't resist.
Setting Up Your Lead Generation Page
In the WordPress dashboard, click “Add New” and select “Page”.
Name your page and click the green “Launch Thrive Architect” button.
Thrive Architect will provide you with four options:
1. Normal Page
2. Blank Page with Header and Footer
3. Completely Blank Page
4. Pre-built Landing Pages
We recommend choosing the "Pre-built Landing Page" option.
In the Landing Page Library, browse through our template sets and select the one you like most.
Each set comes with page templates that serve specific purposes. In the left sidebar, click “Lead Generation” and load the template.
You’ll see that our lead generation landing page has everything you need to effectively promote your lead magnet:
An attention-grabbing headline and space to add supporting, persuasive copy.
Hero Section
A social proof section to add testimonials from people who love your core products.
Adding Testimonials in Thrive Architect
A well-crafted “Benefits” section to give your audience an idea of what to expect from your lead magnet.
"Benefits" section in a Landing Page Template
An eye-catching opt-in form for your site visitors to submit their contact information.
Lead Capture Form on a Landing Page Template
Every template comes with helper text, to show you where to add copy and the message it should convey.
So, go through your template and replace the placeholder text and images with your own content.
Don’t forget to save your landing page design.
Step 2: Create Your Thank You Page with Tripwire Product Page
You’ve got your subscribers. Now it’s time to turn them into customers – and your thank you page is where this happens.
By this point, their interest is high and they’re keen to view the deliverable they opted in for. This is the perfect time to present a low-cost product that has a lot of value.
Here’s what you should include on your page:
A genuine welcome message and quick lead magnet delivery
Your Tripwire Offer
And conversion-focused elements to encourage the sale. A few good ones to add are:
A countdown timer to drive quick action
Testimonials to strengthen your credibility.
And a final CTA section to seal the deal.
5 Tips to Create an Irresistible Tripwire Funnel Offer
Your tripwire should feel like a no-brainer purchase that solves an immediate problem for your new subscriber.
You need to strike the perfect balance between value, urgency, and relevance.
Here are five proven strategies to supercharge your tripwire offers:
- Price it for impulse buys: Keep your product between $7 and $27. This sweet spot encourages quick decisions without triggering purchase anxiety. Avoid common pricing mistakes that can hurt your conversion rates.
- Solve a burning problem: Your tripwire should address an immediate need your audience has right now. Make it specific and actionable.
- Deliver instant gratification: Offer something your customers can use right away and see quick results. Digital products excel here.
- Create a value gap: Make your promotion feel like a steal. If your tripwire is worth $100, but you're selling it for $17, that's hard to resist.
- Align with your core offer: Your tripwire should be a natural stepping stone to your main product or service. It's a taste of what's to come.
Thrive Tip: Use these thank you page optimization tips to make the most of this high-attention moment.
Step 3: Set Up Your Checkout Process
You’ll need a checkout page since a payment needs to be processed.
If you’re using WooCommerce to sell your products, you can use Thrive Theme Builder and Thrive Architect to customize the default WooCommerce checkout page and connect it to your email marketing service, too.
WooCommerce Templates in Thrive Theme Builder
But other third-party tools like ThriveCart, WP Simple Pay, and others may require you to design a checkout page from within the app.
Once you’ve created your checkout page, add the link to the call to action buttons on your thank you page.
💡Boost sales with the best upsell plugins for WooCommerce to add relevant offers at checkout.
Step 4: Create an Upsell (Order Bump) or Downsell Offer (Optional)
Want to squeeze a bit more value out of each sale? That's where upsells, cross-sells, and downsells come in. These extras can bump up your average order value and give your customers more options to choose from.
Let's break it down.
Pro tip
Here's the thing, though – these extras aren't always necessary. Some businesses do just fine keeping things simple with their core offer. It really depends on your audience and what you're selling. If these add-ons truly solve problems for your customers, go for it. But if they might muddy the waters or distract from your core offer, it's okay to skip them.
If you decide to use an order bump, make it relevant, low-friction, and complementary to the main purchase. Our order bump guide walks you through the process and shows you how to maximize its impact without distracting from your core offer.
Step 5: Connect Your Funnel to Your Email Marketing Service
You'll need to configure your email provider so that a confirmation email lets them know their signup was successful.
In the Thrive Architect editor, while working on your opt-in page, click your form and take a look at the left sidebar:
Click the “Add Connection” button and look for the “Go to API Dashboard” option.
Here, you can connect your email marketing service to your form, so your subscribers are sent to the right place.
To learn how to connect a specific email marketing service to the Thrive API, check out this hub of tutorials.
Step 6: Optimize Your Funnel with Thrive Optimize
Guesswork won't cut it for a high-converting tripwire funnel. You might think you know what your audience wants, but without testing, you're essentially flying blind. A/B testing is your secret weapon here. By creating two versions of a page and seeing which one performs better, you can make data-driven decisions that boost your conversions.
Here's some good news: when you get Thrive Architect, you also get Thrive Optimize right away. It's like getting a powerful sidekick for your funnel-building superhero. Thrive Optimize lets you easily set up and run these A/B tests on your tripwire pages.
Here's how it works: you create two slightly different versions of a page - maybe one has a red button and the other has a green one. Thrive Optimize will show each version to different visitors and keep track of which one gets more people to click or buy. After a while, you'll have solid data on which page design is the winner.
Thrive Tip: Ready to set up your first A/B test? Use this step-by-step guide to get started.
But don't stop there! Keep testing different elements of your pages. Try different headlines, images, or even the layout of your content. Each test gives you insights into what your audience likes best. The more you test and refine, the better your funnel will perform.
Next Steps: Launch and Monitor Your Tripwire Funnel
Now that you've built your tripwire funnel, it's time to launch. Start driving traffic through various channels such as social media posts, email marketing, paid ads, or guest blogging. The goal is to get your target audience to see your promo and enter your funnel.
Once your funnel is live, closely monitor its performance (use these tips on how to improve your funnel conversion rates to keep optimizing over time). Track sign-ups, purchases, and where people might be dropping off. We recommend using MonsterInsights for this.
MonsterInsights
It integrates with Google Analytics and displays important data right in your WordPress dashboard. You can quickly check visitor numbers, traffic sources, and conversion rates. Use this data to make informed decisions about adjusting your funnel, whether it's tweaking your headline, adjusting your offer, or trying different traffic sources.
Consistent monitoring and optimization based on real data will help you improve your conversions over time.
💡Learn about conversion tracking in Google Analytics to see what’s really working.
Tripwire Funnel FAQ
A tripwire funnel is a marketing sequence that offers a low-cost, high-value product to new leads or cold traffic to quickly turn them into paying customers.
Unlike a standard funnel that may push directly toward a high-ticket sale, the tripwire’s goal isn’t big immediate profit — it’s to break the “first purchase” barrier, qualify buyers, and then guide them toward strategically aligned upsells, downsells, or core offers.
The first sale is the hardest to win because it requires a customer to move from passive interest to taking financial action. Even a small purchase creates a psychological shift — they’re no longer just a lead; they’re a customer.
This triggers commitment and consistency bias, increasing the likelihood of future purchases and trust in your brand.
Most high-converting tripwires fall in the $7–$27 range. This sweet spot keeps the purchase an impulse buy while still conveying value.
A good rule of thumb is pricing your tripwire at around 10–20% of your main offer’s price, creating a strong “value gap” that makes the deal irresistible.
Tripwires should deliver quick wins and high perceived value. Common formats include:
Mini-courses, guides, or workbooks on a specific problem
Ready-to-use templates or tools
“Free plus shipping” physical products
Low-cost paid trials for software or memberships
Discounted product bundles
The key is relevance — your tripwire should naturally lead to your main product or service.
Track KPIs such as:
Tripwire Conversion Rate (1.5–3% is good; 5% is excellent)
Upsell Rate (20–28% is strong)
Average Order Value (AOV)
Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
A break-even or self-liquidating tripwire (where initial sales cover ad spend) means you’re acquiring customers for “free,” making all future sales pure profit.
Some top pitfalls include:
Overcomplicating the funnel with too many steps or irrelevant offers
Misaligned tripwires that don’t lead logically to the core offer
Neglecting follow-up emails or abandoned cart recovery
Delivering a low-quality product that damages trust
Fixing these issues often means simplifying the path, improving offer relevance, and tightening the sales copy and page design.
Ready to Build Your Tripwire Funnel?
You've got all the pieces of the puzzle now. A tripwire funnel can be a key strategy for your business to gain more customers.
Don't let this opportunity slip by. The sooner you start, the sooner you could see more sales. The goal is to implement rapidly and test until you find the right design for your page.
Ready to take the leap? Thrive Architect makes building your tripwire funnel a breeze. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, pre-designed templates, and powerful optimization tools, you'll have your funnel up and running in no time.
Don't wait. Start building your high-converting tripwire funnel today. Get Thrive Architect now and watch your business thrive!
