In the modern e-commerce world, changing visitors to customers is the essential target for every digital enterprise. This is where sales funnel software proves valuable, and ClickFunnels stands as one of the most popular names in this industry.
Founded by Russell Brunson in 2014, ClickFunnels has reimagined the way businesses and digital marketers handle online sales, working to simplify the purchase process from discovery to checkout.
But is ClickFunnels worth pursuing? Does it match its promises? Whether you’re a digital marketing veteran or just starting your entrepreneurial journey, this detailed review will provide you with everything you need to make an calculated decision about ClickFunnels.
What Is ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is an integrated marketing platform created to help businesses develop optimized sales funnels without requiring technical expertise or a team of developers. At its center, ClickFunnels allows users to develop landing pages, establish email sequences, handle payments, and administer customer relationships-all within a centralized platform.
The Idea of Sales Funnels
Prior to diving deeper into ClickFunnels, it’s important to understand what a sales funnel is. A sales funnel illustrates the path customers go through from first learning about your product or service to completing a transaction.
It typically includes parts like visibility, appeal, evaluation, and conversion.
Conventional sites are often constructed without a structured journey for visitors to take. This can create high bounce rates and missed potential customers. Sales funnels, by contrast, are deliberately structured to steer visitors through a structured path, boosting the likelihood of success at each step.
ClickFunnels’ System
ClickFunnels has reduced complexity in the process of creating these funnels with its user-friendly editor and prepared templates. The platform’s philosophy centers around not just building web pages but creating successful conversion paths that change visitors into customers and customers into brand ambassadors.
Essential Components of ClickFunnels
1. Funnel Designer
The essence of ClickFunnels is its intuitive funnel builder. Users can decide between a variety of funnel types, including:
- Opt-in funnels: Made to collect email addresses
- Sales funnels: For offering products or services
- Webinar funnels: To boost and register users for webinars
- Membership funnels: For ongoing products
The point-and-click interface makes it effortless to add features like text, images, videos, forms, and buttons without producing a single line of code.
2. Template Templates
ClickFunnels features over numerous professionally created templates for multiple industries and purposes. These templates, crafted by professional marketers, are designed for results and can be modified to match your brand.
3. A/B Testing
Determining what resonates with your audience is crucial for maximizing conversions. ClickFunnels’ A/B testing option allows you to create multiple versions of your pages and evaluate different elements to see which performs better.
4. Automated Emails
ClickFunnels integrates email marketing capabilities, allowing you to build automated email sequences triggered by specific actions. This feature helps cultivate leads and push them further down the sales funnel.
5. Checkout System
The platform smoothly integrates with payment processors like PayPal, Stripe, and more, enabling you to accept payments directly through your funnels without transferring customers to external sites.
6. Protected Content
For professionals selling courses or subscription content, ClickFunnels offers the ability to create protected membership areas where members can access exclusive content.
7. Statistics and Metrics
ClickFunnels furnishes in-depth analytics on funnel success, including page views, conversions, and earnings. These statistics help users optimize their funnels for higher results.
8. Referral System
If you have an affiliate program, ClickFunnels makes it effortless to run your affiliates, track their performance, and administer commission payments.
ClickFunnels 2.0: The Evolution
In 2022, ClickFunnels released its most significant update: ClickFunnels 2.0. This new version marks a complete rebuild of the platform with improved features and capabilities.
New Features in 2.0?
- Enhanced Website Builder: A more powerful website builder that allows for total website creation, not just funnels
- Expanded E-commerce Capabilities: Better product management, inventory tracking, and order fulfillment
- Blog Creation: The ability to develop and handle a blog directly within ClickFunnels
- Advanced Customization: More flexibility in design and functionality
- Improved User Interface: A cleaner dashboard and editor
- Efficiency Gains: Faster page loading times and better mobile responsiveness
- Improved CRM Features: More capable customer relationship management tools
The upgrade to 2.0 fixes many of the weaknesses users experienced with the original version, making it a more thorough marketing solution.
Membership Levels
ClickFunnels offers different pricing tiers to match businesses of various sizes:
Starter 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
Pro 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 include a 14-day free trial, allowing users to try the platform before investing financially.
The Strengths of Using ClickFunnels
1. Unified Solution
Perhaps the primary advantage of ClickFunnels is that it integrates multiple tools into one platform. Instead of switching between different services for landing pages, email marketing, payment processing, and membership sites, users can manage all these aspects in one place.
2. No Coding Knowledge Required
The platform’s drag-and-drop interface removes the need for coding or design skills. This makes accessible the funnel-building process, making it attainable to entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds.
3. Time Savings
With template templates and a simplified workflow, ClickFunnels significantly reduces the time needed to initiate a marketing campaign. What might take weeks with custom development can be achieved in days or even hours.
4. Network and Assistance
ClickFunnels has established a thriving community of users who exchange 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 thorough documentation, tutorials, and responsive customer support.
5. Proven Conversion Frameworks
The templates and funnel structures within ClickFunnels are derived from proven marketing principles and tested conversion strategies. This means users leverage established best practices rather than beginning anew.
6. Training Content
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 organized learning opportunities.
Downsides and Drawbacks
Despite its many advantages, ClickFunnels isn’t without limitations:
1. Cost
Starting at $147 per month, ClickFunnels represents a significant investment, especially for small businesses or startups with limited budgets. Many competitors offer more economical entry-level options.
2. Learning Process
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 daunted by the platform’s capabilities.
3. Finite Design Flexibility
Though the drag-and-drop editor is powerful, designers accustomed to more advanced tools might find it confining. The balance between simplicity and flexibility sometimes favors the former.
4. Page Performance
Prior to 2.0, some users reported issues with page loading speed, which can negatively impact SEO and user experience. While ClickFunnels 2.0 has improved performance, optimizing for speed requires attention.
5. Email Marketing Constraints
While ClickFunnels provides email marketing features, they’re not as comprehensive 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 stands up to its main competitors:
1. Kartra
Benefits 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
Strengths:
- More budget-friendly entry point ($37/month)
- Strong focus on lead generation
- Excellent mobile-responsive designs
- Solid WordPress integration
Weaknesses:
- Less extensive than ClickFunnels (primarily focuses on landing pages)
- Limited checkout and payment processing options
- No built-in email marketing
3. Unbounce
Benefits:
- Advanced A/B testing capabilities
- Highly versatile 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
Strong points:
- Significantly more budget-friendly (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 robust 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
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)
Strong points:
- Most cost-effective 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 well-suited 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 convenient to deliver content to paying customers.
2. E-commerce Businesses
With ClickFunnels 2.0’s expanded e-commerce features, online retailers can create effective product funnels that enhance average order value through upsells, downsells, and order bumps.
3. Client Service Businesses
Consultants, agencies, and service providers can use ClickFunnels to create 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 maximize their commissions from promotional campaigns.
5. Authors and Content Creators
ClickFunnels provides effective book funnel templates that help authors sell books while obtaining reader information for long-term relationship building.
6. Code-Averse Entrepreneurs
Those without coding or design skills will welcome ClickFunnels’ intuitive interface and pre-built templates.
Who Might Want to Look Elsewhere?
ClickFunnels may not be the optimal solution for:
1. New Ventures with Limited Budgets
The monthly investment might be unaffordable 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. Design Specialists Seeking Complete Creative Control
Those who require pixel-perfect designs and extensive customization might prefer platforms with more design flexibility.
4. Multinational 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
Pick a funnel template that suits your specific goal, whether it’s lead generation, product sales, or webinar registration.
2. Concentrate on One Funnel at a Time
Rather than trying to build multiple funnels simultaneously, focus on creating and optimizing one converting funnel before moving on to the next.
3. Take advantage of the Training Resources
Take advantage of the comprehensive training materials, including ClickFunnels’ onboarding sequence and the FunnelFlix training library.
4. Join the Community
The ClickFunnels Facebook group provides helpful insights and support from fellow users who can help solve issues or suggest optimization strategies.
5. Test and Optimize
Use the A/B testing features to constantly refine your funnels based on actual user behavior and conversion data.
6. Start with Pre-built Templates
Rather than building from scratch, modify existing high-converting templates to match your brand and offering.
Conclusion: Is ClickFunnels Worth It?
ClickFunnels represents a major investment, but for many businesses, the reward on that investment can be substantial. The platform’s strength lies in its ability to ease 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 persuasive package-especially with the advanced capabilities of ClickFunnels 2.0.
For businesses that can budget for the monthly subscription and are invested in implementing effective sales funnels, ClickFunnels provides both the tools and the strategic framework to thrive in today’s competitive digital landscape. The platform consistently evolve, solving previous limitations and increasing its capabilities to serve a broader range of marketing needs.
Whether you’re selling information products, tangible products, or professional assistance, ClickFunnels offers a efficient path from stranger to customer-and that, for many businesses, is worth the investment.