If you’re thinking a low-ticket offer is going to solve your revenue problems, I need to tell you something:

You’re about to waste the next 6-12 months of your life.

I know that sounds harsh. But I’ve watched hundreds of course creators get seduced by the promise of “easy sales” and “simple funnels”… only to end up with a list full of freebie-seekers, razor-thin margins, and zero momentum.

Today, I’m breaking down exactly when low-ticket offers actually work, when they absolutely don’t, and why trying to build a business around them is one of the fastest ways to stay stuck at inconsistent revenue.

Why Low-Ticket Offers Keep Coming Back

Let’s talk about why low-ticket offers are having their moment right now.

Every time the economy shifts—every time people start tightening their wallets, freezing their spending, second-guessing their investments—low-ticket offers come roaring back into the online business space.

And it makes sense, right? When people aren’t buying, selling something cheap feels easier than selling nothing at all.

It’s a Band-Aid. A quick fix. A way to keep revenue trickling in when everything else feels frozen.

But here’s what most people don’t realize: low-ticket offers are just as much work as high-ticket offers. And they’re usually way less profitable.

So if you’re thinking, “I’ll just create a $97 course, run some ads, and watch the sales roll in,” I need you to pump the brakes.

Because that’s not how this works.

The 4 Times Low-Ticket Offers Actually Work

Okay, so when DO low-ticket offers make sense?

There are exactly four scenarios where I actually recommend them. And if you don’t fall into one of these categories, you need to reconsider your strategy.

Number One: You’re brand new, and you need reps

If you’re just getting started, you’re still figuring out your messaging, your audience, what actually converts. You don’t have the skills yet to sell something at a higher price point. And that’s fine.

A low-ticket offer lets you test the market, get some wins, build your confidence, and learn how to actually sell something. It’s training wheels. And training wheels are useful—until they’re not.

Number Two: You’re using it to fund your list growth

If you’ve got one or two low-ticket offers that are converting really well, and you’re running ads to them, they can help you grow your email list fast while covering your ad costs.

But—and this is critical—you need the right funnel behind it. Something like our Million Dollar Micro Funnel system.

Because here’s what happens if you don’t have a backend offer: all you’re doing is building a list of people who bought your $97 course and never buy again.

Which means every month, you’re just adding to your expenses. You’re paying Kit or Mailchimp or ConvertKit to host this giant, bloated list of people who aren’t spending any more money with you.

Congratulations—you just turned your business into an expensive hobby with a growing monthly bill.

Number Three: You have a massive audience or dirt-cheap ads

If you’ve got a huge audience you can tap into—like tens of thousands of engaged followers—or your niche has incredibly cheap ad costs, then yes, the math works.

But let’s be real: most of you don’t have that. And that’s okay. But it means the low-ticket model isn’t going to work the way you think it will.

Number Four: Your confidence is taking a hit, and you need a win

Sometimes, you just need to feel like you can still sell something. Your launch flopped. Your high-ticket offer isn’t converting. You’re starting to spiral.

In that case? Go create a no-brainer $7 offer and sell 10 of them. Get that dopamine hit. Remind yourself that you can still make sales.

But don’t confuse that with a business model.

Those are the four times low-ticket offers actually make sense.

If you’re not in one of those categories, keep reading. Because I’m about to tell you why this strategy is probably sabotaging your growth.

The Problem Most People Don’t See Coming

Here’s where people get into trouble.

They create a low-ticket offer because they think it’s going to be easier. Less work. Less selling. Just set it up, run some ads, and watch the money roll in.

But that’s not what happens.

What actually happens is this: unless you have a massive audience, your low-ticket offer is going to play one of two roles in your business.

Role #1: It’s an entry point to your other offers.

You use it to grow your list. And once people are on your list, you sell them something else.

Role #2: It’s a trust-builder—a gateway into your bigger offers.

People buy your $97 course, love it, and then they’re primed to invest in your $2,000 program.

But in both cases, you need a backend.

And this is where most people get stuck.

They think they can just keep creating more low-ticket offers. They think, “Okay, this one worked, so I’ll just make another one and another one.”

And they waste years—literal years—trying to find a second low-ticket offer that converts as well as the first.

Here’s the math that nobody talks about:

If you’re lucky, maybe 20% of your low-ticket buyers will buy another low-ticket offer from you.

That’s an extra 20% of people spending another $97. That’s not moving the needle.

But if 20% of those buyers invest in a $2,000 program? Now we’re talking.

That’s the difference between spinning your wheels and actually scaling.

The Maria Wendt Model (And Why You Can’t Replicate It)

Okay, I need to address the elephant in the room.

A lot of people right now are trying to replicate Maria Wendt’s business model. And look—Maria’s incredible. She’s built a $600,000-a-month business selling mostly low-ticket offers. That’s amazing.

But here’s what people don’t realize.

Maria started when ads were cheaper and simpler. The landscape was completely different. She got to scale during 2020-2021 when the market was on fire.

And here’s the other thing: she hired a full-time Facebook ads person. And not just anyone—her sister. Someone who was deeply invested in making those ads work.

Most of you don’t have that. You’re outsourcing to an ads agency that’s managing 20 other clients. Or you’re trying to DIY it while also running your entire business.

And that’s the difference.

Because the truth about the low-ticket-ads-only model is this: it requires constant optimization. You need someone who’s in there every single day, tweaking, testing, optimizing. Someone who cares as much about your business as you do.

If you don’t have that, the model falls apart.

Why The Math Doesn’t Add Up For Most People

Let’s talk numbers for a second.

If you’re running ads straight to a sales page for a low-ticket offer, maybe—maybe—5% of people buy.

That means 95% of people saw your ad, didn’t buy, and now the only way to keep talking to them is to spend more money on retargeting ads.

So you’re constantly spending just to stay in front of people.

Now let’s say you want to start running ads, and your initial budget is $50 a day—which is pretty standard for most people getting started.

Here’s what a lot of people don’t realize: the average cost to make a sale when you’re running ads directly to a low-ticket offer is between $50 to $100.

So from that $50 a day ad spend, you’re getting one new lead every one to two days.

That’s 15 to 30 new people on your email list per month. Total.

And if you’re sending a bunch of emails to that tiny list, you’re probably getting more unsubscribes than new sign-ups. So your list isn’t even growing—it’s stagnant. Or worse, shrinking.

Compare that to the way we teach funnels inside our Million Dollar Micro Funnel system.

With the same ad spend, you can add 50+ people to your list every day, still make those initial sales, and now you’ve got all these extra people flowing into your other offers.

You’re building velocity. You’re building momentum. You’re actually growing.

That’s the difference.

So What Should You Do Instead?

Look, I’m not saying low-ticket offers are evil. I’m saying they need to play a specific role in your business.

If you’re going to create one, make sure you have a plan for what happens after someone buys.

• Are they going into an email sequence that sells them into your signature program?
• Are they getting invited to a challenge or a webinar?
• Are they being nurtured toward your high-ticket offer?

If the answer is “uh… I don’t know,” then you don’t have a funnel. You have a one-off sale. And one-off sales don’t build businesses.

Want to Hear More?

I break down all of this data in even more detail in my latest podcast episode, including the specific strategies for when low-ticket offers actually make sense and exactly how to build a backend that turns them profitable.

Listen to the full episode here.

Ready to Build a Funnel That Actually Scales?

If you’re sitting there thinking, “Okay, I get it. But how do I actually do this? How do I build a funnel with the right backend?”

I’ve got something for you.

It’s called the Million Dollar Micro Funnel system—and it’s specifically designed to help you build both pieces: the front-end that covers your ad costs AND the back-end that delivers pure profit.

Click here and save $100 OFF right now.

Because low-ticket offers aren’t the problem. Trying to build your entire business around them is.

P.S. The course creators who win in 2026? They’re not chasing more low-ticket offers. They’re building systems that actually scale. And that starts with understanding the role each piece plays in your business.