How to FAIL at Selling Subscriptions on the Front End (3 examples)

Remember that Goldilocks story? 

“Too hot, too cold, just right.”

Selling subscriptions on the front end is the same game—one misstep and you’re either overwhelming buyers or leaving money on the table. 

After dissecting funnels for 9+ months inside the Funnel of the Week Members Area, we’ve cracked the code on what works. 

Let’s dive into the art of getting it just right.

Starting with an offer that actually sells the subscription TOO WELL… 

SUBSCRIPTION GAME: TOO STRONG

Could it be possible to sell a subscription TOO well?

YES.

And I’ll explain why in just a sec.

(Try this method at your own risk)

In this subscription funnel we broke down from SkinnyFit, notice how the front end a complete "no-brainer" try-before-you-buy type offer:

There’s no mention of any subscription here. 

But then…

…On the checkout page, you’ll see the subscription details in the fine print:

Could this approach trigger chargebacks & be rough on your merchant account?

Probably.

(PS - hit reply to this email if you’re looking for help with protection against chargebacks)

But interesting to see a company having success with it nonetheless.

Want to see the full SkinnyFit Funnel Breakdown including ALL the upsells?

Go here to it inside the Funnel of the Week Members Area.

Now let’s jump to the opposite end of the spectrum… 

…To a subscription offer framing that just doesn’t cut it.

SUBSCRIPTION GAME: TOO WEAK

Happy Mammoth has a great product & solid upsell funnel (which we cover inside the Funnel of the Week Members Area breakdown of this funnel…)

But the way they frame their subscription offer on the front end leaves a lot of money on the table.

Because they have probably the weakest “reason why” to buy subscription vs. one-time purchase we’ve seen:

“Subscribe & Save 5%”? 

C’mon guys. 

You can do better than this.

This is weak and unlikely to get many people to buy subscription instead of one-time.

See the full Happy Mammoth Funnel breakdown inside the Funnel of the Week Members Area

SUBSCRIPTION GAME: JUST RIGHT?

Last week inside the Funnel of the Week Members Area we dropped a Funnel breakdown for Primal Queen’s subscription women’s supplement funnel:

Let’s look at the side-by-side cart Primal Queen does for the subscription vs. one-time purchase options.

Gary Bencivenga would call this a "user-friendly proposition" that makes the subscription option significantly more compelling than the one-time purchase.

First, Price anchoring and dramatic savings: The subscription ($44) represents a 63% discount from the "original" price of $118, while the one-time purchase ($64) only offers a 16% discount from $76. This creates a much larger perceived value gap.

Premium bonus stack: The subscription includes four valuable free items (bamboo lid glass jar worth $24, on-the-go pill case worth $9, mystery gift worth $9, and free shipping worth $12) that are visually crossed out in the one-time purchase column. 

Lifetime discount commitment: The "30% off for life" is particularly powerful because it extends the value proposition indefinitely, making customers feel they're locking in a permanent benefit they'd otherwise lose forever.

Risk removal: Both options have the 365-day guarantee, but the subscription adds "Online portal for easy cancel, skip, or pause" which effectively removes the psychological barrier of commitment.

This side-by-side comparison approach is a great example of what Eugene Schwartz would call "Concentration" — directly contrasting the weaknesses of one option against the strengths of the preferred option in a way that makes the choice seem obvious.

Go here to see the full Primal Queen funnel breakdown inside the Funnel of the Week Members Area!

Enjoy & have a great week!

The Funnel of the Week Team

PS - in case you’re wondering, what Funnel of the Week is all about…

More on What’s Inside Funnel of the Week Members Area

Funnel of the Week has been live just one month now, and if you haven’t logged in for a bit, here’s what you’ve been missing:

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• (and more)

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That’s all for today.

Have a great week!

The Funnel of the Week Team

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