How to Actually Sell Supplements: Funnels, Offers, and the Back-End (with Bobby Hewitt)

If you’re launching a supplement brand, you’ve probably asked yourself: How do I make sales—and make a profit?While my specialty is FDA/FTC compliance, I also study the business mechanics so I can guide founders end-to-end. In this post, I’m sharing insights from Bobby Hewitt—conversion strategist and host of Health Supplement Business Mastery—on how successful brands sell direct-to-consumer (DTC), the mistakes new founders make, and where the real profits come from.

Key Takeaway

Selling supplements online is not “plug into Shopify and boost an Instagram post.” Winners:

• Sell direct-to-consumer so they own the customer.

• Use long-form sales pages + post-purchase upsells (the funnel) to lift average order value (AOV).

• Treat supplements as a back-end business: the big profits arrive after the first purchase via upsells, email, subscriptions, and cross-sells.

• Budget marketing for data acquisition (learning your CPA, AOV, and early LTV), not just immediate ROI.

• Balance strong offers and persuasive copy with compliant claims that won’t sink growth later.

Meet the Expert: Why Listen to Bobby Hewitt

Bobby started in design/marketing, moved into A/B testing, then specialized in supplement DTC because the buying journey is more complex than general ecommerce. He analyzes top-selling funnels across categories and teaches what actually converts in supplements: long-form education, problem-solution framing, credibility, irresistible offers, and frictionless upsells.

The Go-To-Market Reality: Own the Customer (Use DTC)

Amazon can be part of your distribution, but you won’t build the business there—you don’t own the data, can’t test as deeply, and are easily displaced. For DTC:

• Study what’s selling (categories like sleep, joint, brain). Use marketplaces and affiliate networks to spot demand.

• Analyze how it’s sold at the $1M scale, not the $50M behemoths. Your tactics differ by stage.

Funnels 101 for Supplement Brands

A supplement funnel typically includes:

1. Sales page (long-form) that educates, agitates the problem, and makes a compelling offer.

2. Post-purchase upsells (credit card tokenized): after payment, customers see one-click offers to add bottles, bundles, or complementary products.

3. Email follow-up that drives reorder, subscription, cross-sell, and new funnels.

Why it matters: You’ve already overcome the biggest friction—entering a card. Post-purchase upsells lift AOV dramatically, which lets you afford higher ad costs and still scale.

Three Costly Mistakes New Brands Make

1. Using a generic Shopify product page
   Great for warm, bottom-funnel buyers—not for cold traffic. Supplements require education, proof, and story. Long-form beats cookie-cutter templates for cold audiences.

2. Ignoring the back end
   Most profits come after Day 1. Plan upsells, reorder paths, email sequences, and subscriptions. Optimize AOV and LTV—not just the first purchase.

3. Underfunding time and budget
   You need runway to learn your CPA (cost per acquisition), AOV, and early LTV. Expect to spend for databefore you can scale confidently.

Top- vs Bottom-Funnel: Different Pages, Different Jobs

• Top-funnel visitors are problem-aware, not brand-aware. They need education, proof, and a compelling offer. Long-form pages shine here.

• Bottom-funnel visitors already intend to buy (e.g., searching on Amazon). A concise product page can work—but it won’t build your list or your back end.

Where the Money Is: The Back End

Define “front end” as everything purchased on Day 1 (initial offer + upsells). The back end is everything after: email promotions, subscriptions, new funnels, and related products.

A brand can even lose a little on the front end if the model recovers profit on the back end. That’s why AOV lift and subscription retention are strategic priorities.

Offers and Differentiation: Don’t Copy the Giants

Copying a $50M brand’s storefront won’t work at $0–$1M. You need:

• A compelling, specific offer (bundle, bonus, guarantee, first-time incentive).

• A product or angle people can feel quickly (when possible) to reinforce belief.

• Differentiation that might be “obvious but untold” (like the classic “pure water” beer ad) or a novel mechanism/ingredient story.

Budgeting for Ads: How Much Should You Spend?

The right answer is: as much as your CPA and unit economics allow. Early on, you don’t know those numbers—so budget to learn. As a rough starter, think $1–2k/month for at least six months to gather data on CPA, AOV, and early LTV. Consider that spend the tuition for scaling.

Compliance in a Performance World: Finding the Line

• Be bold enough to sell, but smart enough not to tank your brand. Avoid disease claims; use structure/function and qualified language.

• Many brands start “spicy,” then tighten claims as they grow and risk increases.

• Aim to build positioning that still works when you dial back claims—so you’re not forced into a brand overhaul later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Amazon a bad idea for new supplement brands?
Not necessarily—but it shouldn’t be your core. Use it as a channel, not your foundation. DTC lets you test offers, build lists, and control margins.

Do I really need long-form pages?
For cold traffic in supplements, yes. People need education, credibility, and proof before they buy. Long-form + post-purchase upsells typically outperforms a simple product page.

What’s a realistic starting ad budget?
Plan for $1–2k/month over ~6 months to learn CPA, AOV, and early LTV. Increase once the math works. Treat this as data gathering, not pure ROI.

How do I raise AOV on Day 1?
Use one-click post-purchase upsells, bundles, and logical add-ons. Test quantities (3-, 6-bottle), complementary SKUs, and warranty/guarantee style offers.

Where should compliance live in this process?
Baked into offers and copy from the start. Strong claims can be compliant when framed correctly. As you scale, harden your compliance stance to protect retail expansion and valuation.

Can I build a business on subscriptions alone?
Subscriptions amplify a working funnel; they don’t replace it. Nail the front-end acquisition and post-purchase experience, then grow subscription retention.

Next Steps

If you want help calibrating your funnel strategy and staying compliant:

• Book a consultation to align your offer, funnel plan, and compliance boundaries before you scale.

• Enroll in Supplement Startup Essentials Training (SSET) to get step-by-step guidance, examples, and resources you can plug in immediately.

Don’t forget: Bobby also has his very own podcast called Health Supplement Business Mastery and I had the pleasure of being his guest as well. That episode goes live on Tuesday August 14th 2023. You can listen to the podcast here.