How to Identify Friction Points in Your SaaS Funnel (and Rewrite the Copy to Fix Them)
You’ve got a decent amount of traffic, your product is solid, and you’re getting signups. But something’s off. Users drop off before they convert. Demo requests stall. Trial users ghost. Your funnel looks healthy on paper — but leaks in reality.
The culprit? Friction.
Friction is anything that slows down or stops a prospect from moving to the next step. And more often than not, that friction is caused by your copy — not your product.
Here’s how to identify where friction is killing your funnel — and how to rewrite your copy to fix it.
What Friction Really Looks Like
Friction doesn’t always mean obvious failure. Sometimes it’s subtle:
High bounce rates on high-intent pages
Long time-on-page, but low conversion
Users signing up but never activating
Lots of demo views, few actual requests
Most friction falls into three buckets:
Cognitive friction – People don’t understand what you do or how to take the next step.
Emotional friction – They don’t trust you yet.
Practical friction – The steps feel too long, complicated, or risky.
And the #1 contributor to all three? Your messaging.
Step 1: Audit Your Funnel — Page by Page
To fix friction, you have to find it. Do a walkthrough of your funnel like a cold prospect:
Homepage – Can someone tell what you do in 5 seconds?
Pricing page – Is it clear which plan is for whom?
Sign-up flow – Are you asking for too much, too soon?
Onboarding emails – Do they guide or overwhelm?
Demo request form – Is the value of the demo obvious?
Look at bounce rates, time on page, scroll depth, and drop-off points in your analytics. Talk to users who stalled. Review recordings with tools like Hotjar or FullStory.
Your goal: Find the spots where people should take action — but don’t.
Step 2: Diagnose the Friction Type
Once you spot a friction point, ask:
Is this confusing? → Cognitive friction
Does this feel risky? → Emotional friction
Is this asking too much? → Practical friction
Here are a few examples:
Homepage friction:
"Innovate faster with AI-powered workflow optimization."
Sounds slick, but doesn’t say what the product does.
Fix it: Be concrete. "Automatically generate weekly marketing reports — no spreadsheets, no copy-paste."
Pricing page friction:
Three plans with vague names, unclear differences, no guidance.
Fix it: Add plan recommendations like "Best for solo founders" or "Built for scaling sales teams."
Signup form friction:
You ask for company size, budget, team role, phone number — before they’ve even tried the product.
Fix it: Reduce form fields. Ask only what you need to activate the user.
Step 3: Rewrite the Copy to Remove the Friction
Now the fun part — fixing the messaging.
1. For Cognitive Friction: Prioritize Clarity Over Cleverness
Your goal isn’t to sound impressive. It’s to be understood immediately.
Checklist:
Does your headline say what you do?
Are the benefits above the fold?
Can someone explain your product in one sentence after visiting your site?
If not, rewrite with real customer language. Pull from reviews, Slack threads, or sales calls.
Before: "Unlock better business outcomes."
After: "Send contracts for e-signature in under 30 seconds."
2. For Emotional Friction: Build Trust With Proof
When prospects hesitate, it’s often because they don’t fully trust the promise.
Ways to fix it:
Add social proof near CTAs (logos, testimonials, case studies)
Include microcopy like "No credit card required"
Highlight customer success stories
Before: "Start your free trial."
After: "Join 1,200+ small teams already saving 5+ hours a week. Try it free."
3. For Practical Friction: Reduce the Cognitive Load
When users stall, it’s often because something feels like too much.
Ways to fix it:
Break long steps into smaller ones
Reduce the number of form fields
Clarify what happens next ("You’ll get instant access to your dashboard")
Use active, guiding CTAs ("Create my account" > "Submit")
Before: "Request access."
After: "Get instant access — no setup, no sales call."
Bonus: Quick Wins by Funnel Stage
Top of Funnel (Homepage, Ads, Landing Pages)
Use ICP-specific headlines: "Built for sales teams drowning in spreadsheets."
Replace buzzwords with outcomes.
Test shorter vs. longer copy for clarity.
Middle of Funnel (Product Pages, Pricing, Demos)
Add tooltips or short explainer videos.
Use contrast to guide attention to the right CTA.
Emphasize ROI, not just features.
Bottom of Funnel (Signup, Checkout, Onboarding)
Pre-fill info where possible.
Add reassurance copy: "Cancel anytime."
Remove distractions — keep the focus on completing the action.
Final Thoughts: Fix the Words, Fix the Flow
Too many SaaS teams try to fix conversion problems with more features or fancier designs. But often, it’s the copy doing the damage.
Friction hides in vague headlines, unclear instructions, and emotionally flat pages. But once you spot it — and rewrite with clarity, empathy, and proof — the difference is immediate.
Action step: Pick one stage of your funnel. Find the page with the biggest drop-off. Then:
Identify the type of friction
Rewrite one headline, CTA, or explainer using real customer language
Test it
You don’t always need more leads. Sometimes, you just need fewer leaks.
Losing Leads to Leaky Funnel Messaging?
If your SaaS funnel has traffic but not traction, your copy may be the culprit.
We help founders audit and rewrite the high-friction moments in their funnels — so more prospects convert, and growth stops stalling.
Let’s plug the leaks and turn your funnel into a revenue engine.
👉 Book your no-obligation strategy session here
Or email me directly: admin@jeffriesdigitalmarketing.com
