In today’s competitive online environment, changing visitors to customers is the essential target for any web-based business. This is where marketing funnel platforms proves valuable, and ClickFunnels stands as one of the most recognized names in this industry.
Founded by Russell Brunson in 2014, ClickFunnels has transformed the way entrepreneurs and businesses approach online sales, working to optimize the user experience from first contact to buying decision.
But is ClickFunnels a good value? Does it match its promises? Whether you’re a experienced business owner or a beginner in digital marketing, this detailed review will provide you with all the information you need to make an educated judgment about ClickFunnels.
Defining ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is an all-in-one marketing platform developed to help businesses construct optimized sales funnels without requiring technical expertise or a team of developers. At its heart, ClickFunnels allows users to build landing pages, establish email sequences, manage payments, and manage customer relationships-all within a single platform.
The Idea of Sales Funnels
Before diving deeper into ClickFunnels, it’s necessary to understand what a sales funnel is. A sales funnel illustrates the progression customers go through from first encountering your product or service to buying.
It typically includes steps like awareness, engagement, decision, and action.
Conventional sites are often built without a clear path for visitors to take. This can create high bounce rates and missed potential customers. Sales funnels, by contrast, are deliberately structured to direct visitors through a predetermined path, enhancing the likelihood of sales at each step.
ClickFunnels’ Approach
ClickFunnels has uncomplicated the process of creating these funnels with its drag-and-drop editor and prepared templates. The platform’s approach centers around not just constructing web pages but creating impactful conversion paths that transform visitors into customers and customers into repeat buyers.
Primary Elements of ClickFunnels
1. Funnel Builder
The essence of ClickFunnels is its user-friendly funnel builder. Users can select a variety of funnel types, including:
- Opt-in funnels: Built to collect email addresses
- Sales funnels: For marketing products or services
- Webinar funnels: To advertise and register users for webinars
- Membership funnels: For subscription-based products
The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to add parts like text, images, videos, forms, and buttons without writing a single line of code.
2. Prepared Templates
ClickFunnels includes over 100 prepared templates for diverse industries and purposes. These templates, produced by marketing experts, are engineered for conversions and can be customized to match your brand.
3. Split Testing
Understanding what appeals to your audience is essential for increasing conversions. ClickFunnels’ A/B testing capability allows you to design multiple versions of your pages and evaluate different elements to see which delivers better results.
4. Email Marketing
ClickFunnels incorporates email marketing capabilities, allowing you to establish automated email sequences activated by specific actions. This feature helps cultivate leads and transition them further down the sales funnel.
5. Payment Processing
The platform smoothly integrates with payment processors like multiple payment options, enabling you to accept payments directly through your funnels without moving customers to external sites.
6. Member Portals
For marketers selling courses or subscription content, ClickFunnels includes the ability to create restricted membership areas where members can access restricted content.
7. Analytics and Reporting
ClickFunnels offers extensive analytics on funnel results, including page views, conversions, and earnings. These metrics help users optimize their funnels for better results.
8. Partner Program Tools
If you have an affiliate program, ClickFunnels makes it easy to administer your affiliates, track their performance, and administer commission payments.
ClickFunnels 2.0: The Upgrade
In 2022, ClickFunnels released its most major update: ClickFunnels 2.0. This new version marks a complete reconstruction of the platform with enhanced features and capabilities.
Improvements in 2.0?
- Enhanced Website Builder: A more powerful website builder that allows for total website creation, not just funnels
- Enhanced E-commerce Capabilities: Better product management, inventory tracking, and order fulfillment
- Blog Creation: The ability to build and handle a blog directly within ClickFunnels
- Sophisticated Customization: More adaptability in design and functionality
- Enhanced User Interface: A simpler dashboard and editor
- Technical Improvements: Faster page loading times and better mobile responsiveness
- Advanced CRM Features: More capable customer relationship management tools
The upgrade to 2.0 solves many of the limitations users experienced with the original version, making it a more robust marketing solution.
Subscription Plans
ClickFunnels offers different pricing tiers to match businesses of various sizes:
Basic Plan
The Basic plan (now called the “Standard” plan in ClickFunnels 2.0) is available for $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
Premium Plan
At $197 per month, the Pro plan provides:
- Unlimited funnels
- Unlimited pages
- 9 payment gateways
- 9 domains
- 3 admin users
- Advanced automation
- Enhanced analytics
Ultimate Plan
For $997 per month, the Funnel Hacker plan delivers:
- 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 offer a 14-day free trial, allowing users to experience the platform before committing financially.
The Strengths of Using ClickFunnels
1. Comprehensive Solution
Perhaps the biggest advantage of ClickFunnels is that it integrates multiple tools into one platform. Instead of juggling different services for landing pages, email marketing, payment processing, and membership sites, users can control all these aspects in one place.
2. No Coding Knowledge Required
The platform’s drag-and-drop interface does away with the need for coding or design skills. This streamlines the funnel-building process, making it accessible to entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds.
3. Quick Setup
With prepared templates and a simplified workflow, ClickFunnels significantly reduces the time needed to launch a marketing campaign. What might take weeks with custom development can be completed in days or even hours.
4. Help Resources
ClickFunnels has established a vibrant community of users who share strategies, successes, and advice. The official ClickFunnels Facebook group has over 250,000 members, creating a valuable resource for marketers at all levels. Additionally, the platform offers detailed documentation, tutorials, and responsive customer support.
5. Proven Conversion Frameworks
The templates and funnel structures within ClickFunnels are created from proven marketing principles and tested conversion strategies. This means users take advantage of established best practices rather than building from zero.
6. Educational Resources
Beyond the software itself, ClickFunnels offers a collection of educational resources. Russell Brunson’s books, such as “DotCom Secrets” and “Expert Secrets,” provide helpful marketing insights, while the ClickFunnels training programs offer systematic learning opportunities.
Weaknesses and Drawbacks
Despite its many merits, ClickFunnels isn’t without limitations:
1. Price Point
Starting at $147 per month, ClickFunnels represents a major investment, especially for small businesses or startups with limited budgets. Many competitors offer more cost-effective entry-level options.
2. Adoption Challenge
While designed to be straightforward, mastering all of ClickFunnels’ features and understanding funnel strategy demands time and dedication. New users might feel overwhelmed by the platform’s capabilities.
3. Finite Design Flexibility
Though the intuitive editor is capable, designers accustomed to more advanced tools might find it restrictive. The balance between simplicity and flexibility sometimes leans toward the former.
4. Page Speed Performance
Prior to 2.0, some users reported issues with page loading speed, which can reduce SEO and user experience. While ClickFunnels 2.0 has improved performance, optimizing for speed needs attention.
5. Email Marketing Shortcomings
While ClickFunnels features email marketing features, they’re not as robust as dedicated email marketing platforms. Power users might still need additional tools for complex email campaigns.
ClickFunnels Rivals: How They Compare
The sales funnel and landing page builder market has become increasingly crowded. Here’s how ClickFunnels stands up to its main competitors:
1. Kartra
Positives 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
Disadvantages:
- Steeper learning curve
- Fewer templates specifically optimized for sales funnels
- Less active community
2. Leadpages
Positives:
- More affordable entry point ($37/month)
- Strong focus on lead generation
- Excellent mobile-responsive designs
- Solid WordPress integration
Drawbacks:
- Less robust than ClickFunnels (primarily focuses on landing pages)
- Limited checkout and payment processing options
- No built-in email marketing
3. Unbounce
Strengths:
- Advanced A/B testing capabilities
- Highly versatile design options
- Strong analytics and conversion intelligence
- More affordable starting point
Limitations:
- Primarily focused on landing pages rather than complete funnels
- No built-in payment processing
- Less user-friendly for non-technical users
4. Systeme.io
Strong points:
- Significantly more economical (starting at $27/month, with a free plan available)
- All-in-one solution similar to ClickFunnels
- Simple, intuitive interface
Shortcomings:
- Fewer templates and design options
- Less extensive feature set
- Smaller community and fewer educational resources
5. Instapage
Benefits:
- Superior design flexibility and customization
- Advanced collaboration features
- Excellent analytics and heatmaps
- Strong AdWords and Facebook Ads integration
Shortcomings:
- 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)
Benefits:
- Most cost-effective option if you already have WordPress
- Ultimate flexibility and customization
- Complete ownership and control
- One-time purchases versus subscription model
Weaknesses:
- 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 perfect for:
1. Online Course Creators and Coaches
The platform is perfect for creating sales funnels for digital products like courses, coaching programs, and membership sites. The built-in membership functionality makes it effortless to deliver content to paying customers.
2. E-commerce Businesses
With ClickFunnels 2.0’s advanced e-commerce features, online retailers can create effective product funnels that increase average order value through upsells, downsells, and order bumps.
3. Client Service Businesses
Experts, agencies, and service providers can use ClickFunnels to produce leads, book appointments, and sell service packages without complex website development.
4. Digital Affiliates
The platform’s optimization for conversions makes it ideal for affiliate marketers looking to enhance their commissions from promotional campaigns.
5. Writers and Content Creators
ClickFunnels provides effective book funnel templates that help authors market books while securing reader information for long-term relationship building.
6. Design-Inexperienced Entrepreneurs
Those without coding or design skills will value ClickFunnels’ straightforward interface and pre-built templates.
Who Should Explore Other Options Elsewhere?
ClickFunnels may not be the perfect match for:
1. Solo Entrepreneurs with Limited Budgets
The monthly investment might be excessive for businesses just starting out or with tight marketing budgets.
2. Content-Heavy 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. Advanced Designers Seeking Complete Creative Control
Those who require pixel-perfect designs and extensive customization might prefer platforms with more design flexibility.
4. Enterprise-Level Businesses with Complex Requirements
Very large organizations with complex integration needs and custom requirements might need more customized solutions.
Starting Out 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
Select 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 successful funnel before moving on to the next.
3. Use the Training Resources
Take advantage of the abundant training materials, including ClickFunnels’ onboarding sequence and the FunnelFlix training library.
4. Engage with the Community
The ClickFunnels Facebook group provides useful insights and support from fellow users who can help troubleshoot issues or suggest optimization strategies.
5. Evaluate and Optimize
Use the A/B testing features to constantly 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.
Final Thoughts: Is ClickFunnels Worth It?
ClickFunnels represents a substantial investment, but for many businesses, the yield on that investment can be remarkable. The platform’s strength lies in its ability to facilitate the complex process of creating effective sales funnels while providing the tools needed to develop leads and convert customers.
The decision ultimately revolves around your specific business needs, technical comfort level, and budget. If you’re intent on optimizing your online sales process and value an all-in-one solution that doesn’t require technical expertise, ClickFunnels offers a compelling package-especially with the enhanced capabilities of ClickFunnels 2.0.
For businesses that can support the monthly subscription and are invested in implementing effective sales funnels, ClickFunnels provides both the tools and the strategic framework to flourish in today’s competitive digital landscape. The platform regularly evolve, resolving previous limitations and growing its capabilities to serve a broader range of marketing needs.
Whether you’re selling e-products, tangible products, or expertise, ClickFunnels offers a simplified path from stranger to customer-and that, for many businesses, is deserving of the investment.