In the modern e-commerce world, turning prospects into buyers is the key focus for all internet companies. This is where customer journey software proves valuable, and ClickFunnels exists as one of the most well-known names in this industry.
Started by Russell Brunson in 2014, ClickFunnels has transformed the way entrepreneurs and online sellers manage online sales, aiming to simplify the customer journey from first contact to completed sale.
But is ClickFunnels worth the investment? Does it live up to its potential? Whether you’re a marketing professional or just starting your entrepreneurial journey, this in-depth review will provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision about ClickFunnels.
Introducing ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is an unified marketing platform developed to help businesses construct optimized sales funnels without demanding technical expertise or a team of developers. At its foundation, ClickFunnels allows users to design landing pages, create email sequences, execute payments, and manage customer relationships-all within a single platform.
The Principle of Sales Funnels
Preceding diving deeper into ClickFunnels, it’s important to understand what a sales funnel is. A sales funnel shows the journey customers go through from first encountering your product or service to making a purchase.
It typically includes levels like awareness, appeal, consideration, and transaction.
Conventional sites are often designed without a structured journey for visitors to navigate. This can lead to high bounce rates and squandered potential customers. Sales funnels, in comparison, are deliberately structured to guide visitors through a predetermined path, raising the likelihood of sales at each step.
ClickFunnels’ Approach
ClickFunnels has reduced complexity in the process of creating these funnels with its visual editor and pre-built templates. The platform’s approach centers around not just constructing web pages but creating impactful conversion paths that turn visitors into customers and customers into advocates.
Essential Components of ClickFunnels
1. Funnel Construction Kit
The heart of ClickFunnels is its simple funnel builder. Users can select a variety of funnel types, including:
- Opt-in funnels: Made to collect email addresses
- Sales funnels: For marketing products or services
- Webinar funnels: To promote and register users for webinars
- Membership funnels: For subscription-based products
The visual interface makes it easy to add components like text, images, videos, forms, and buttons without coding a single line of code.
2. Prepared Templates
ClickFunnels offers over one hundred ready-made templates for multiple industries and purposes. These templates, produced by experienced designers, are structured for performance and can be modified to match your brand.
3. Comparative Testing
Identifying what works for your audience is critical for improving conversions. ClickFunnels’ A/B testing feature allows you to create multiple versions of your pages and examine different elements to see which is more effective.
4. Email Automation
ClickFunnels includes email marketing capabilities, allowing you to develop automated email sequences triggered by specific actions. This feature helps nurture leads and guide them further down the sales funnel.
5. Transaction Handling
The platform flawlessly integrates with payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, and others, facilitating you to accept payments immediately through your funnels without transferring customers to external sites.
6. Subscription Areas
For professionals selling courses or subscription content, ClickFunnels includes the ability to create restricted membership areas where subscribers can access protected content.
7. Results Monitoring
ClickFunnels provides comprehensive analytics on funnel metrics, including page views, conversions, and earnings. These metrics help users improve their funnels for greater results.
8. Referral System
If you have an affiliate program, ClickFunnels makes it effortless to administer your affiliates, analyze their performance, and distribute commission payments.
ClickFunnels 2.0: The Advancement
In 2022, ClickFunnels released its most substantial update: ClickFunnels 2.0. This new version constitutes a complete redesign of the platform with advanced features and capabilities.
Upgrades in 2.0?
- Advanced Website Builder: A more powerful website builder that allows for entire website creation, not just funnels
- Expanded E-commerce Capabilities: Better product management, inventory tracking, and order fulfillment
- Blog Creation: The ability to develop and maintain a blog directly within ClickFunnels
- Superior Customization: More options in design and functionality
- Better User Interface: A more streamlined dashboard and editor
- Speed Enhancements: Faster page loading times and better mobile responsiveness
- Improved CRM Features: More comprehensive customer relationship management tools
The upgrade to 2.0 tackles many of the restrictions users experienced with the original version, making it a more thorough marketing solution.
Cost Options
ClickFunnels presents different pricing tiers to accommodate businesses of various sizes:
Starter 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
Plus Plan
At $197 per month, the Pro plan includes:
- 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 assess the platform before investing financially.
The Positives of Using ClickFunnels
1. Complete Solution
Perhaps the greatest advantage of ClickFunnels is that it combines multiple tools into one platform. Instead of managing different services for landing pages, email marketing, payment processing, and membership sites, users can control all these aspects in one place.
2. No Development Experience Required
The platform’s drag-and-drop interface eliminates the need for coding or design skills. This streamlines the funnel-building process, making it available to entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds.
3. Quick Setup
With prepared templates and a streamlined workflow, ClickFunnels significantly lowers the time needed to release a marketing campaign. What might take weeks with custom development can be finished in days or even hours.
4. Community and Support
ClickFunnels has developed a vibrant community of users who exchange 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 complete documentation, tutorials, and responsive customer support.
5. Proven Conversion Frameworks
The templates and funnel structures within ClickFunnels are based on proven marketing principles and tested conversion strategies. This means users employ established best practices rather than working from nothing.
6. Educational Resources
Beyond the software itself, ClickFunnels offers a abundance of educational resources. Russell Brunson’s books, such as “DotCom Secrets” and “Expert Secrets,” provide helpful marketing insights, while the ClickFunnels training programs offer methodical learning opportunities.
Drawbacks and Drawbacks
Despite its many positives, ClickFunnels isn’t without limitations:
1. Pricing
Starting at $147 per month, ClickFunnels represents a major investment, especially for small businesses or startups with limited budgets. Many competitors offer more budget-friendly entry-level options.
2. Adoption Challenge
While designed to be easy to use, mastering all of ClickFunnels’ features and understanding funnel strategy calls for time and dedication. New users might feel intimidated by the platform’s capabilities.
3. Modest Design Flexibility
Though the drag-and-drop editor is powerful, designers accustomed to more advanced tools might find it restrictive. The balance between simplicity and flexibility sometimes leans toward the former.
4. Page Performance
Prior to 2.0, some users reported concerns with page loading speed, which can hurt SEO and user experience. While ClickFunnels 2.0 has improved performance, optimizing for speed takes attention.
5. Email Marketing Boundaries
While ClickFunnels provides email marketing features, they’re not as sophisticated as dedicated email marketing platforms. Power users might still need additional tools for elaborate email campaigns.
ClickFunnels Alternatives: How They Compare
The sales funnel and landing page builder market has become increasingly saturated. Here’s how ClickFunnels stacks up against its main competitors:
1. Kartra
Strong points relative to ClickFunnels:
- More complete marketing automation
- Built-in video hosting and advanced video marketing features
- More capable email marketing capabilities
- Helpdesk and ticket system included
Disadvantages:
- Steeper learning curve
- Fewer templates specifically optimized for sales funnels
- Less active community
2. Leadpages
Advantages:
- More economical entry point ($37/month)
- Strong focus on lead generation
- Excellent mobile-responsive designs
- Solid WordPress integration
Limitations:
- Less extensive 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 customizable 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 straightforward for non-technical users
4. Systeme.io
Benefits:
- Significantly more inexpensive (starting at $27/month, with a free plan available)
- All-in-one solution similar to ClickFunnels
- Simple, intuitive interface
Weaknesses:
- Fewer templates and design options
- Less powerful feature set
- Smaller community and fewer educational resources
5. Instapage
Advantages:
- 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)
Advantages:
- Most economical 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 Is Ideal For ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is particularly perfect for:
1. Digital Educators 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 convenient to deliver content to paying customers.
2. Digital Sales Businesses
With ClickFunnels 2.0’s improved e-commerce features, online retailers can create effective product funnels that grow average order value through upsells, downsells, and order bumps.
3. Professional Services Businesses
Advisors, agencies, and service providers can use ClickFunnels to generate leads, book appointments, and sell service packages without complex website development.
4. Partnership Marketers
The platform’s optimization for conversions makes it appropriate for affiliate marketers looking to optimize their commissions from promotional campaigns.
5. Content Creators and Content Creators
ClickFunnels provides effective book funnel templates that help authors distribute books while obtaining reader information for long-term relationship building.
6. Technology Novice Entrepreneurs
Those without coding or design skills will welcome ClickFunnels’ user-friendly interface and pre-built templates.
Who Should Explore Other Options Elsewhere?
ClickFunnels may not be the right option for:
1. Micro Businesses with Limited Budgets
The monthly investment might be costly for businesses just starting out or with tight marketing budgets.
2. Editorial Websites
Businesses that rely heavily on blog content and SEO might find traditional CMS platforms like WordPress more ideal, though ClickFunnels 2.0 has made improvements in this area.
3. Professional Designers Seeking Complete Creative Control
Those who require flawless 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 bespoke solutions.
Starting Out with ClickFunnels: Tips for Success
If you decide to try ClickFunnels, here are some tips to optimize your experience:
1. Start with the Right Funnel Type
Decide on a funnel template that suits your specific goal, whether it’s lead generation, product sales, or webinar registration.
2. Target One Funnel at a Time
Rather than trying to build multiple funnels simultaneously, focus on creating and optimizing one effective funnel before moving on to the next.
3. Take advantage of the Training Resources
Take advantage of the thorough 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 persistently refine your funnels based on actual user behavior and conversion data.
6. Start with Available 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 major investment, but for many businesses, the benefit on that investment can be significant. 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 rests on your specific business needs, technical comfort level, and budget. If you’re focused on optimizing your online sales process and prefer an all-in-one solution that doesn’t require technical expertise, ClickFunnels offers a appealing package-especially with the enhanced capabilities of ClickFunnels 2.0.
For businesses that can handle the monthly subscription and are committed to implementing effective sales funnels, ClickFunnels provides both the tools and the strategic framework to excel in today’s competitive digital landscape. The platform continues to evolve, solving previous limitations and growing its capabilities to serve a broader range of marketing needs.
Whether you’re selling e-products, merchandise, or coaching, ClickFunnels offers a simplified path from stranger to customer-and that, for many businesses, is deserving of the investment.