How to build an email funnel that sells a small digital product

What you'll have at the end

A working email funnel: one lead magnet worth trading an email address for, a four-email welcome series that introduces you and makes one offer, a simple nurture cadence for the weeks after, and a domain that's set up so your emails actually reach the inbox instead of spam. You'll also have a plain-language read on what EU consent rules actually require for a one-person business, and three numbers to check each month so you know whether to change anything.

Before you start

• An email sending platform (Mailchimp, Kit, or similar) connected to your own domain, not a free @gmail address.
• One thing to give away: a template, checklist, short guide, or mini tool that solves one specific problem for your audience.
• Access to your domain's DNS settings (wherever you bought the domain, or your host's DNS panel).
• One product or service you actually want to sell at the end of the sequence, with a real price and a real link.
• A decision on where you legally operate from and who's on your list (EU/UK consumers, businesses, or both), because the consent rules differ.

Step 1: Design a lead magnet that earns the email address

Pick one narrow problem your ideal customer has this week, not a broad topic. "A one-page invoice chase-up template" beats "A guide to getting paid." Build it as a single PDF, short checklist, or a tiny fill-in-the-blank tool, something you can finish in an afternoon. It should take five minutes or less to consume and deliver one visible win on its own, with no obligation to buy anything. If it doesn't stand on its own as useful, it won't earn trust for what comes next.

Name it precisely on the opt-in page: "The 3-line email that gets invoices paid faster" works better than "Free resource." Set delivery to be instant and automatic, most sending platforms will do this from a simple signup form without you touching it again.