In today’s digital marketplace, changing visitors to customers is the primary objective for every digital enterprise. This is where customer journey software comes into play, and ClickFunnels remains one of the most prominent names in this industry.
Launched by Russell Brunson in 2014, ClickFunnels has reshaped the way entrepreneurs and businesses manage online sales, offering to optimize the purchase process from first contact to conversion.
But is ClickFunnels worth pursuing? Does it match its claims? Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or building your business from scratch, this in-depth review will provide you with all the details you need to make an well-informed choice about ClickFunnels.
Introducing ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is an integrated marketing platform engineered to help businesses design optimized sales funnels without demanding technical expertise or a team of developers. At its foundation, ClickFunnels allows users to develop landing pages, generate email sequences, process payments, and supervise customer relationships-all within a centralized platform.
The Theory of Sales Funnels
Before diving deeper into ClickFunnels, it’s essential to understand what a sales funnel is. A sales funnel represents the path customers go through from first learning about your product or service to buying.
It typically includes steps like discovery, engagement, assessment, and conversion.
Regular sites are often developed without a obvious direction for visitors to take. This can result in high bounce rates and wasted potential customers. Sales funnels, by contrast, are methodically developed to steer visitors through a defined path, enhancing the likelihood of results at each step.
ClickFunnels’ System
ClickFunnels has uncomplicated the process of creating these funnels with its intuitive editor and pre-built templates. The platform’s approach centers around not just developing web pages but creating high-converting conversion paths that change visitors into customers and customers into brand ambassadors.
Key Features of ClickFunnels
1. Funnel Construction Kit
The foundation of ClickFunnels is its simple funnel builder. Users can choose from a variety of funnel types, including:
- Opt-in funnels: Built to collect email addresses
- Sales funnels: For offering products or services
- Webinar funnels: To boost and register users for webinars
- Membership funnels: For subscription-based products
The intuitive interface makes it effortless to add features like text, images, videos, forms, and buttons without coding a single line of code.
2. Template Templates
ClickFunnels provides over a hundred pre-built templates for various industries and purposes. These templates, produced by industry professionals, are engineered for results and can be personalized to match your brand.
3. A/B Testing
Understanding what appeals to your audience is crucial for increasing conversions. ClickFunnels’ A/B testing feature allows you to develop multiple versions of your pages and examine different elements to see which converts higher.
4. Email Sequences
ClickFunnels incorporates email marketing capabilities, allowing you to design automated email sequences launched by specific actions. This feature helps grow leads and move them further down the sales funnel.
5. Transaction Handling
The platform smoothly integrates with payment processors like various payment gateways, facilitating you to accept payments straight through your funnels without moving customers to external sites.
6. Member Sections
For marketers selling courses or subscription content, ClickFunnels delivers the ability to create private membership areas where subscribers can access protected content.
7. Results Monitoring
ClickFunnels provides in-depth analytics on funnel results, including page views, conversions, and earnings. These metrics help users enhance their funnels for improved results.
8. Partner Program Tools
If you have an affiliate program, ClickFunnels makes it straightforward to handle your affiliates, observe their performance, and distribute commission payments.
ClickFunnels 2.0: The Next Generation
In 2022, ClickFunnels released its most major update: ClickFunnels 2.0. This new version constitutes a complete rebuild of the platform with improved features and capabilities.
New Features in 2.0?
- Advanced Website Builder: A more sophisticated website builder that allows for comprehensive website creation, not just funnels
- Upgraded E-commerce Capabilities: Better product management, inventory tracking, and order fulfillment
- Blog Creation: The ability to produce and administer a blog directly within ClickFunnels
- Improved Customization: More adaptability in design and functionality
- Upgraded User Interface: A more streamlined dashboard and editor
- Efficiency Gains: Faster page loading times and better mobile responsiveness
- Upgraded CRM Features: More advanced customer relationship management tools
The upgrade to 2.0 addresses many of the shortcomings users experienced with the original version, making it a more thorough marketing solution.
Membership Levels
ClickFunnels provides different pricing tiers to support businesses of various sizes:
Standard Plan
The Basic plan (now called the “Standard” plan in ClickFunnels 2.0) runs $147 per month and includes:
- Up to 20 funnels
- Up to 100 pages
- 3 payment gateways
- 3 domains
- 1 admin user
- Email automation
- Basic analytics
Advanced Plan
At $197 per month, the Pro plan delivers:
- Unlimited funnels
- Unlimited pages
- 9 payment gateways
- 9 domains
- 3 admin users
- Advanced automation
- Enhanced analytics
Funnel Hacker Plan
For $997 per month, the Funnel Hacker plan contains:
- All Pro features
- Unlimited funnels and pages
- 27 payment gateways
- 27 domains
- 15 admin users
- Priority support
- Advanced API access
- Advanced training
All plans typically include a 14-day free trial, allowing users to evaluate the platform before committing financially.
The Positives of Using ClickFunnels
1. Integrated Solution
Perhaps the greatest advantage of ClickFunnels is that it consolidates multiple tools into one platform. Instead of coordinating different services for landing pages, email marketing, payment processing, and membership sites, users can operate all these aspects in one place.
2. No Development Experience Required
The platform’s drag-and-drop interface negates the need for coding or design skills. This democratizes the funnel-building process, making it accessible to entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds.
3. Time Savings
With existing templates and a streamlined workflow, ClickFunnels significantly cuts the time needed to deploy a marketing campaign. What might take weeks with custom development can be done in days or even hours.
4. Help Resources
ClickFunnels has developed a dynamic community of users who contribute strategies, successes, and advice. The official ClickFunnels Facebook group has over 250,000 members, creating a useful resource for marketers at all levels. Additionally, the platform offers complete documentation, tutorials, and responsive customer support.
5. Established Conversion Frameworks
The templates and funnel structures within ClickFunnels are founded on proven marketing principles and tested conversion strategies. This means users utilize established best practices rather than beginning anew.
6. Learning Materials
Beyond the software itself, ClickFunnels offers a variety of educational resources. Russell Brunson’s books, such as “DotCom Secrets” and “Expert Secrets,” provide valuable marketing insights, while the ClickFunnels training programs offer formal learning opportunities.
Downsides and Drawbacks
Despite its many positives, ClickFunnels isn’t without limitations:
1. Price Point
Starting at $147 per month, ClickFunnels represents a noteworthy investment, especially for freelancers or startups with limited budgets. Many competitors offer more budget-friendly entry-level options.
2. Learning Process
While designed to be user-friendly, mastering all of ClickFunnels’ features and understanding funnel strategy needs time and dedication. New users might feel confused by the platform’s capabilities.
3. Finite Design Flexibility
Though the builder editor is robust, designers accustomed to more advanced tools might find it inflexible. The balance between simplicity and flexibility sometimes tilts toward the former.
4. Page Loading Speed
Prior to 2.0, some users reported challenges with page loading speed, which can reduce SEO and user experience. While ClickFunnels 2.0 has improved performance, optimizing for speed takes attention.
5. Email Marketing Constraints
While ClickFunnels contains email marketing features, they’re not as robust as dedicated email marketing platforms. Power users might still need additional tools for high-level email campaigns.
ClickFunnels Competitors: How They Compare
The sales funnel and landing page builder market has become increasingly crowded. Here’s how ClickFunnels measures against its main competitors:
1. Kartra
Advantages relative to ClickFunnels:
- More comprehensive marketing automation
- Built-in video hosting and advanced video marketing features
- More robust email marketing capabilities
- Helpdesk and ticket system included
Drawbacks:
- Steeper learning curve
- Fewer templates specifically optimized for sales funnels
- Less active community
2. Leadpages
Benefits:
- More cost-effective entry point ($37/month)
- Strong focus on lead generation
- Excellent mobile-responsive designs
- Solid WordPress integration
Weaknesses:
- Less complete than ClickFunnels (primarily focuses on landing pages)
- Limited checkout and payment processing options
- No built-in email marketing
3. Unbounce
Advantages:
- Advanced A/B testing capabilities
- Highly adaptable design options
- Strong analytics and conversion intelligence
- More affordable starting point
Weaknesses:
- Primarily focused on landing pages rather than complete funnels
- No built-in payment processing
- Less easy for non-technical users
4. Systeme.io
Strengths:
- Significantly more economical (starting at $27/month, with a free plan available)
- All-in-one solution similar to ClickFunnels
- Simple, intuitive interface
Limitations:
- Fewer templates and design options
- Less powerful feature set
- Smaller community and fewer educational resources
5. Instapage
Positives:
- Superior design flexibility and customization
- Advanced collaboration features
- Excellent analytics and heatmaps
- Strong AdWords and Facebook Ads integration
Limitations:
- Higher price point (starting at $149/month)
- Focus on landing pages rather than complete funnels
- No built-in payment processing
6. WordPress + Plugins (DIY Approach)
Positives:
- Most economical option if you already have WordPress
- Ultimate flexibility and customization
- Complete ownership and control
- One-time purchases versus subscription model
Limitations:
- Requires technical knowledge to set up and maintain
- Multiple plugins may cause compatibility issues
- No unified support system
- Time-intensive to implement and manage
Who Will Love ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is particularly ideal for:
1. Course Developers and Coaches
The platform is optimized for creating sales funnels for digital products like courses, coaching programs, and membership sites. The built-in membership functionality makes it convenient to deliver content to paying customers.
2. Online Retail Businesses
With ClickFunnels 2.0’s improved e-commerce features, online retailers can create effective product funnels that boost average order value through upsells, downsells, and order bumps.
3. Professional Services Businesses
Consultants, agencies, and service providers can use ClickFunnels to acquire leads, book appointments, and sell service packages without complex website development.
4. Partnership Marketers
The platform’s optimization for conversions makes it ideal for affiliate marketers looking to optimize their commissions from promotional campaigns.
5. Publishers and Content Creators
ClickFunnels provides effective book funnel templates that help authors distribute books while gathering reader information for long-term relationship building.
6. Design-Inexperienced Entrepreneurs
Those without coding or design skills will appreciate ClickFunnels’ simple interface and pre-built templates.
Who Should Consider Alternatives Elsewhere?
ClickFunnels may not be the right option for:
1. New Ventures with Limited Budgets
The monthly investment might be costly for businesses just starting out or with tight marketing budgets.
2. Blog-Focused Websites
Businesses that rely heavily on blog content and SEO might find traditional CMS platforms like WordPress more appropriate, though ClickFunnels 2.0 has made improvements in this area.
3. Design Experts Seeking Complete Creative Control
Those who require meticulous designs and extensive customization might prefer platforms with more design flexibility.
4. Major Businesses with Complex Requirements
Very large organizations with complex integration needs and custom requirements might need more tailored solutions.
Launching with ClickFunnels: Tips for Success
If you decide to try ClickFunnels, here are some tips to increase your experience:
1. Start with the Right Funnel Type
Opt for a funnel template that fits your specific goal, whether it’s lead generation, product sales, or webinar registration.
2. Emphasize One Funnel at a Time
Rather than trying to build multiple funnels simultaneously, focus on creating and optimizing one performing funnel before moving on to the next.
3. Employ the Training Resources
Take advantage of the thorough training materials, including ClickFunnels’ onboarding sequence and the FunnelFlix training library.
4. Engage with the Community
The ClickFunnels Facebook group provides important insights and support from fellow users who can help address issues or suggest optimization strategies.
5. Try and Optimize
Use the A/B testing features to persistently refine your funnels based on actual user behavior and conversion data.
6. Start with Ready-made Templates
Rather than building from scratch, adjust existing high-converting templates to match your brand and offering.
Wrapping Up: Is ClickFunnels Worth It?
ClickFunnels represents a substantial investment, but for many businesses, the return on that investment can be remarkable. The platform’s strength lies in its ability to uncomplicate the complex process of creating effective sales funnels while providing the tools needed to grow leads and convert customers.
The decision ultimately rests on your specific business needs, technical comfort level, and budget. If you’re committed to optimizing your online sales process and prioritize an all-in-one solution that doesn’t require technical expertise, ClickFunnels offers a attractive package-especially with the upgraded capabilities of ClickFunnels 2.0.
For businesses that can budget for the monthly subscription and are focused on implementing effective sales funnels, ClickFunnels provides both the tools and the strategic framework to excel in today’s competitive digital landscape. The platform regularly evolve, fixing previous limitations and growing its capabilities to serve a broader range of marketing needs.
Whether you’re selling e-products, tangible products, or coaching, ClickFunnels offers a efficient path from stranger to customer-and that, for many businesses, is warranted for the investment.