In today’s competitive online environment, moving leads to sales is the ultimate goal for every e-commerce venture. This is where customer journey software becomes essential, and ClickFunnels exists as one of the most established names in this industry.
Started by Russell Brunson in 2014, ClickFunnels has transformed the way entrepreneurs and online sellers manage online sales, promising to improve the user experience from initial interest to final purchase.
But is ClickFunnels worth your money? Does it match its potential? Whether you’re a marketing professional or new to online business, this thorough review will provide you with everything you need to make an smart choice about ClickFunnels.
All About ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is an integrated marketing platform built to help businesses design optimized sales funnels without requiring technical expertise or a team of developers. At its heart, ClickFunnels allows users to construct landing pages, make email sequences, execute payments, and handle customer relationships-all within a centralized platform.
The Idea of Sales Funnels
Preceding diving deeper into ClickFunnels, it’s essential 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 stages like visibility, engagement, deliberation, and conversion.
Typical web pages are often designed without a defined route for visitors to trace. This can produce high bounce rates and wasted potential customers. Sales funnels, alternatively, are strategically designed to guide visitors through a predetermined path, improving the likelihood of conversion at each step.
ClickFunnels’ Methodology
ClickFunnels has reduced complexity in the process of creating these funnels with its drag-and-drop editor and ready-to-use templates. The platform’s concept centers around not just developing web pages but creating powerful conversion paths that transform visitors into customers and customers into loyal fans.
Core Functions of ClickFunnels
1. Funnel Builder
The foundation of ClickFunnels is its intuitive funnel builder. Users can choose from a variety of funnel types, including:
- Opt-in funnels: Designed to collect email addresses
- Sales funnels: For promoting products or services
- Webinar funnels: To publicize and register users for webinars
- Membership funnels: For subscription-based products
The point-and-click interface makes it effortless to add components like text, images, videos, forms, and buttons without producing a single line of code.
2. Pre-built Templates
ClickFunnels includes over many professionally created templates for different industries and purposes. These templates, produced by industry professionals, are created for sales and can be customized to match your brand.
3. Experimental Testing
Determining what connects with your audience is vital for optimizing conversions. ClickFunnels’ A/B testing function allows you to develop multiple versions of your pages and analyze different elements to see which is more effective.
4. Automated Emails
ClickFunnels combines email marketing capabilities, allowing you to build automated email sequences launched by specific actions. This feature helps nurture leads and guide them further down the sales funnel.
5. Checkout System
The platform seamlessly integrates with payment processors like multiple payment options, permitting you to accept payments straight through your funnels without shifting customers to external sites.
6. Protected Content
For entrepreneurs selling courses or subscription content, ClickFunnels offers the ability to create secure membership areas where customers can access premium content.
7. Results Monitoring
ClickFunnels supplies in-depth analytics on funnel success, including page views, conversions, and earnings. These insights help users perfect their funnels for greater results.
8. Affiliate Management
If you have an affiliate program, ClickFunnels makes it effortless to administer your affiliates, observe their performance, and process commission payments.
ClickFunnels 2.0: The Improvement
In 2022, ClickFunnels released its most major update: ClickFunnels 2.0. This new version signifies a complete revamp of the platform with upgraded features and capabilities.
New Features in 2.0?
- Upgraded Website Builder: A more sophisticated website builder that allows for complete website creation, not just funnels
- Improved E-commerce Capabilities: Better product management, inventory tracking, and order fulfillment
- Blog Creation: The ability to build and administer a blog directly within ClickFunnels
- Enhanced Customization: More options in design and functionality
- Better User Interface: A more streamlined dashboard and editor
- Loading Time Upgrades: Faster page loading times and better mobile responsiveness
- Improved CRM Features: More advanced customer relationship management tools
The upgrade to 2.0 resolves many of the shortcomings users experienced with the original version, making it a more robust marketing solution.
Membership Levels
ClickFunnels features different pricing tiers to match businesses of various sizes:
Standard Plan
The Basic plan (now called the “Standard” plan in ClickFunnels 2.0) comes in at $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 offers:
- 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 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 provide a 14-day free trial, allowing users to assess the platform before investing financially.
The Advantages of Using ClickFunnels
1. Comprehensive Solution
Perhaps the biggest advantage of ClickFunnels is that it unifies multiple tools into one platform. Instead of switching between different services for landing pages, email marketing, payment processing, and membership sites, users can administer all these aspects in one place.
2. No Coding Knowledge Required
The platform’s user-friendly interface removes the need for coding or design skills. This streamlines the funnel-building process, making it attainable to entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds.
3. Fast Implementation
With pre-built templates and a optimized workflow, ClickFunnels significantly decreases the time needed to deploy a marketing campaign. What might take weeks with custom development can be done in days or even hours.
4. Community and Support
ClickFunnels has developed a thriving community of users who contribute strategies, successes, and advice. The official ClickFunnels Facebook group has over 250,000 members, creating a beneficial resource for marketers at all levels. Additionally, the platform offers detailed 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 working from nothing.
6. Training Content
Beyond the software itself, ClickFunnels offers a abundance of educational resources. Russell Brunson’s books, such as “DotCom Secrets” and “Expert Secrets,” provide valuable marketing insights, while the ClickFunnels training programs offer systematic learning opportunities.
Limitations and Drawbacks
Despite its many merits, ClickFunnels isn’t without limitations:
1. Cost
Starting at $147 per month, ClickFunnels represents a considerable investment, especially for one-person operations or startups with limited budgets. Many competitors offer more inexpensive entry-level options.
2. Adjustment Period
While designed to be straightforward, mastering all of ClickFunnels’ features and understanding funnel strategy takes time and dedication. New users might feel challenged by the platform’s capabilities.
3. Limited Design Flexibility
Though the builder editor is capable, designers accustomed to more advanced tools might find it inflexible. The balance between simplicity and flexibility sometimes favors the former.
4. Page Load Time
Prior to 2.0, some users reported difficulties with page loading speed, which can harm SEO and user experience. While ClickFunnels 2.0 has improved performance, optimizing for speed demands attention.
5. Email Marketing Restrictions
While ClickFunnels offers email marketing features, they’re not as robust as dedicated email marketing platforms. Power users might still need additional tools for advanced email campaigns.
ClickFunnels Competition: How They Compare
The sales funnel and landing page builder market has become increasingly crowded. Here’s how ClickFunnels stacks up against its main competitors:
1. Kartra
Strengths relative to ClickFunnels:
- More complete marketing automation
- Built-in video hosting and advanced video marketing features
- More sophisticated email marketing capabilities
- Helpdesk and ticket system included
Shortcomings:
- Steeper learning curve
- Fewer templates specifically optimized for sales funnels
- Less active community
2. Leadpages
Positives:
- More inexpensive entry point ($37/month)
- Strong focus on lead generation
- Excellent mobile-responsive designs
- Solid WordPress integration
Weaknesses:
- Less robust 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 flexible design options
- Strong analytics and conversion intelligence
- More affordable starting point
Disadvantages:
- Primarily focused on landing pages rather than complete funnels
- No built-in payment processing
- Less intuitive for non-technical users
4. Systeme.io
Advantages:
- Significantly more inexpensive (starting at $27/month, with a free plan available)
- All-in-one solution similar to ClickFunnels
- Simple, intuitive interface
Drawbacks:
- Fewer templates and design options
- Less powerful feature set
- Smaller community and fewer educational resources
5. Instapage
Strengths:
- Superior design flexibility and customization
- Advanced collaboration features
- Excellent analytics and heatmaps
- Strong AdWords and Facebook Ads integration
Weaknesses:
- 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)
Strengths:
- Most cost-effective option if you already have WordPress
- Ultimate flexibility and customization
- Complete ownership and control
- One-time purchases versus subscription model
Drawbacks:
- 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 Is Ideal For ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is particularly beneficial for:
1. Information Product Creators and Coaches
The platform specializes in 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. Web Store Businesses
With ClickFunnels 2.0’s upgraded e-commerce features, online retailers can create effective product funnels that increase average order value through upsells, downsells, and order bumps.
3. Consulting Businesses
Experts, agencies, and service providers can use ClickFunnels to acquire leads, book appointments, and sell service packages without complex website development.
4. Referral Marketers
The platform’s optimization for conversions makes it excellent for affiliate marketers looking to optimize their commissions from promotional campaigns.
5. Book Publishers and Content Creators
ClickFunnels provides effective book funnel templates that help authors distribute books while securing reader information for long-term relationship building.
6. Non-Technical Entrepreneurs
Those without coding or design skills will appreciate ClickFunnels’ straightforward interface and pre-built templates.
Who May Want to Consider Other Solutions Elsewhere?
ClickFunnels may not be the ideal choice for:
1. New Ventures 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. Professional Designers Seeking Complete Creative Control
Those who require pixel-perfect designs and extensive customization might prefer platforms with more design flexibility.
4. Corporate Businesses with Complex Requirements
Very large organizations with complex integration needs and custom requirements might need more bespoke solutions.
Launching with ClickFunnels: Tips for Success
If you decide to try ClickFunnels, here are some tips to maximize your experience:
1. Start with the Right Funnel Type
Decide on a funnel template that fits your specific goal, whether it’s lead generation, product sales, or webinar registration.
2. Prioritize 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. Use the Training Resources
Take advantage of the detailed training materials, including ClickFunnels’ onboarding sequence and the FunnelFlix training library.
4. Become part of the Community
The ClickFunnels Facebook group provides beneficial insights and support from fellow users who can help resolve issues or suggest optimization strategies.
5. Evaluate and Optimize
Use the A/B testing features to regularly refine your funnels based on actual user behavior and conversion data.
6. Start with Available Templates
Rather than building from scratch, customize existing high-converting templates to match your brand and offering.
Conclusion: Is ClickFunnels Worth It?
ClickFunnels represents a important investment, but for many businesses, the reward on that investment can be considerable. The platform’s strength lies in its ability to ease the complex process of creating effective sales funnels while providing the tools needed to foster leads and convert customers.
The decision ultimately comes down to your specific business needs, technical comfort level, and budget. If you’re serious about optimizing your online sales process and desire 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 budget for the monthly subscription and are dedicated to implementing effective sales funnels, ClickFunnels provides both the tools and the strategic framework to thrive in today’s competitive digital landscape. The platform regularly evolve, fixing previous limitations and increasing its capabilities to serve a broader range of marketing needs.
Whether you’re selling information products, tangible products, or services, ClickFunnels offers a optimized path from stranger to customer-and that, for many businesses, is worth the investment.