What Is the CREATE Action Funnel Framework?
The CREATE Action Funnel is a behavioural science framework developed by Stephen Wendel, author of Designing for Behavior Change. It helps growth marketers and product teams understand and influence user behaviour by breaking down the mental steps users take before completing an action.
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Open Table of contents
The Six Stages of the CREATE Action Funnel
The CREATE framework consists of six distinct stages users go through before taking action:
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Cue: A trigger or prompt that reminds the user to act.
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Reaction: The user’s immediate emotional response to the cue.
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Evaluation: The conscious assessment of whether the action is worthwhile.
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Ability: The user’s perception of their capability to complete the action.
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Timing: The user’s decision on whether the action needs immediate attention.
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Experience: Past experiences influencing the user’s willingness to act.
Each stage represents a potential drop-off point. Understanding these stages helps marketers pinpoint exactly where users abandon the funnel and how to fix it.
Applying CREATE to a Content Upgrade Example
Let’s look at a practical example: using a content upgrade (such as a downloadable checklist) to generate leads.
Cue
A visitor reads your blog post and sees a clear, relevant call-to-action (CTA) offering a downloadable resource. This CTA acts as the cue, prompting the visitor to consider taking action.
Reaction
The visitor immediately reacts emotionally. They quickly judge whether the offer feels trustworthy and valuable. Professional design, clear messaging, and relevance help create a positive reaction.
Evaluation
The visitor consciously evaluates the offer, asking themselves, “Is this resource worth giving my email address for?” Clearly communicating the benefits and value of the resource helps users decide positively.
Ability
The visitor assesses if they can easily access the resource. A simple, frictionless opt-in form requiring minimal information ensures the visitor feels capable of completing the action.
Timing
Timing matters. If the visitor feels the resource is immediately relevant, they’re more likely to act now. Highlighting urgency or immediate benefits encourages prompt action.
Experience
Past experiences influence the visitor’s decision. If they’ve previously downloaded valuable resources from your site, they’re more likely to trust you again. Consistently delivering high-quality content builds positive experiences and increases future conversions.
Key Takeaways for Growth Marketers
Applying the CREATE Action Funnel framework can significantly improve your marketing effectiveness. Here are practical takeaways:
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Identify drop-off points: Analyse each stage to pinpoint exactly where users abandon the funnel.
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Optimise cues: Ensure CTAs are clear, visible, and relevant.
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Build trust: Professional design, clear messaging, and social proof help create positive emotional reactions.
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Clearly communicate value: Users must quickly understand the benefits of taking action.
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Reduce friction: Simplify forms and remove unnecessary steps to make actions easy.
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Create urgency: Highlight immediate benefits or limited-time offers to encourage timely action.
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Deliver consistent quality: Positive past experiences significantly influence future actions.
How Growth Method Supports the CREATE Action Funnel
Implementing the CREATE Action Funnel effectively requires a systematic approach to ideation, experimentation, and analytics. This is exactly what Growth Method provides.
Growth Method is the only work management platform built specifically for growth marketers. Unlike traditional task management tools like Asana or Monday.com, Growth Method combines ideation, experimentation, and analytics into one powerful platform, simplifying your workflow and helping you grow leads and revenue.
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Ideation: Our intuitive ideation system ensures growth ideas align with your team goals, follow hypothesis best practices, and are automatically categorised. Ideas are instantly shared with your team for feedback, keeping everyone aligned.
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Experimentation: Growth Method incorporates best practices from leading growth teams. Experiments move through clear stages—building, live, analysing, and complete—to increase velocity and learning.
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Reporting: Impress stakeholders and keep your team aligned with professional reports clearly demonstrating your strategy, goals, and results.
Growth Method is purpose-built for growth marketing teams, offering:
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AI-powered categorisation and experiment summaries
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Seamless integration with analytics platforms like Google Analytics, Amplitude, and MixPanel
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Fast, always-human support—no chatbots, just real people
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Industry-leading reporting capabilities
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Free white glove migration service for smooth onboarding
“We are on-track to deliver a 43% increase in inbound leads this year. There is no doubt the adoption of Growth Method is the primary driver behind these results.” Laura Perrott, Colt Technology Services
Final Thoughts
The CREATE Action Funnel framework provides a structured way to understand and influence user behaviour. By systematically addressing each stage—Cue, Reaction, Evaluation, Ability, Timing, and Experience—growth marketers can significantly improve conversion rates and marketing effectiveness.
Growth Method helps you implement this systematic approach effortlessly, enabling your team to focus on execution and results. Ready to optimise your growth marketing strategy? Book a call today and discover how Growth Method can help you grow leads and revenue.