One-size-fits-all funnels are quietly leaking revenue
Most ecommerce funnels treat every customer the same: same product page, same upsell, same generic follow-up.
But your customers aren’t the same. Some are here for relief, others for prevention. Some want speed, others trust. If your funnel doesn’t speak to why they’re buying, it could be costing you money.
“Your funnel should speak to who they are and why they’re buying, not just what you’re selling.” — Ezra Firestone
This post shows you how to build avatar-specific upsell funnels that speak to your customer’s motivation and increase your conversion rate from first look to post-purchase.
What’s an Avatar-Based Funnel?
It’s a full-funnel experience crafted for different customer avatars or segments of your audience with distinct motivations.
Let’s say you sell a black hair toner. Here are two avatar examples you might encounter:
- Sally: Female, 50, buying to cover up gray hairs with a long-lasting black toner
- Sophie: Female, 20s, buying because jet-black hair is trending and she wants to experiment
Same product, very different motivations. An avatar-based funnel tells a different story for each one:
- Personalized ad creative
- Tailored presell content
- Customized product page messaging
- Relevant pre-purchase upsells
- Smart, segmented post-purchase offers
Step 1: Identify Your Top Avatars
Ask:
- Who is the customer? (age, gender, lifestyle)
- Why are they buying? (covering gray, trend chasing, self-expression?)
Create a simple avatar map:
Step 2: Build the Funnel Journey
This is where the magic happens. Use tools like Zipify Pages and OneClickUpsell to structure the flow:
Avatar-Based Ad (Start Here)
Start by running an ad that features your avatar and their core motivation. When your ad looks and sounds like it was made just for them, it stops the scroll and gets the click.
- Sally: “Tired of gray showing through after one wash?”
- Sophie: “Want to pull off the glossy-black hair trend everyone’s wearing this summer?”
Presell Article (Optional, but powerful)
Create top-of-funnel education pieces that speak to avatar pain points.
- Sally: “How to Keep Grays Covered Without Damaging Your Hair”
- Sophie: “This Jet-Black Hair Toner Is the Viral Trend You Haven’t Tried Yet”
Product Page (Avatar-Tuned Messaging)
Same SKU, different story:
- Sally: “Salon-quality black toner that keeps grays covered for weeks”
- Sophie: “Bold, Instagram-ready black hair without the commitment of dye”
Pre-Purchase Upsell (Relevant, Low Friction)
Use OCU’s pre-purchase offers to:
- Show Sally an extra treatment pack for lasting coverage
- Offer Sophie a limited-edition brush set or heat protectant to complete her trend-forward look
Post-Purchase Upsell (Smart Follow-Up)
OCU dynamically recommends offers based on cart content:
- Sally: Black root touch-up stick, or toner subscription for ongoing maintenance
- Sophie: Hair gloss enhancer, style guide PDF, or viral TikTok-inspired haircare bundle
Thank You Page / Shop App Offers
Close the loop with one last relevant touchpoint:
- Sally: “Add a travel-size toner stick before your order ships”
- Sophie: “Get 20% off the Hair Trend Kit—today only”
Why It Works
This isn’t just good UX, it’s good business.
This approach increases revenue because it aligns your entire funnel with real customer intent. When every page, offer, and follow-up speaks directly to why someone is buying, conversion rates go up.
Your ROAS improves because the ad looks personalized and each click has higher intent.
Your average order value improves because customers can clearly see the value your products will bring them.
And your retention improves because customers feel understood and served, not sold to.
How to Actually Do This (No Dev Required)
Worried this sounds complex? It’s not.
You don’t need fancy tech or a team of developers. Just smart segmentation and the right tools:
- Use Zipify Pages to create avatar-specific presell and product pages
- Use Avatar ads to segmented your traffic from Meta, Google, or email
- Use OneClickUpsell to offer personalized upsells based on what’s in their cart
This strategy works whether you’re running one avatar or thirty—but you should start with your top two and build from there.
Build It Fast with Zipify Tools
You don’t need a developer or custom code. You need:
Zipify Pages
- Launch avatar-specific landing pages fast
- Test messaging and hooks without waiting on devs
OneClickUpsell (OCU)
- Create personalized upsell flows
- Dynamically match offers based on what’s in the cart
- Boost AOV at every step: pre-purchase, in-checkout, and post-purchase
TL;DR
Don’t treat every customer the same. The future of ecommerce is personalized shopping experiences.
When you align your funnel to who your customer is and why they’re buying, you don’t just increase conversions. You build long-term customers.
Try OneClickUpsell
