In the current online business landscape, moving leads to sales is the key focus for every e-commerce venture. This is where digital sales pipelines proves valuable, and ClickFunnels exists as one of the most established names in this niche.
Launched by Russell Brunson in 2014, ClickFunnels has transformed the way companies and business owners manage online sales, offering to enhance the user experience from first contact to checkout.
But is ClickFunnels a good value? Does it live up to its expectations? Whether you’re a marketing professional or a beginner in digital marketing, this in-depth review will provide you with everything you need to make an educated judgment about ClickFunnels.
Introducing ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is an unified marketing platform engineered to help businesses design optimized sales funnels without calling for technical expertise or a team of developers. At its essence, ClickFunnels allows users to create landing pages, produce email sequences, process payments, and supervise customer relationships-all within a centralized platform.
The Principle of Sales Funnels
Prior to diving deeper into ClickFunnels, it’s crucial to understand what a sales funnel is. A sales funnel represents the journey customers go through from first encountering your product or service to finalizing a sale.
It typically includes steps like exposure, curiosity, consideration, and purchase.
Standard websites are often developed without a logical progression for visitors to navigate. This can lead to high bounce rates and lost potential customers. Sales funnels, alternatively, are strategically designed to navigate visitors through a structured path, boosting the likelihood of positive outcomes at each step.
ClickFunnels’ Methodology
ClickFunnels has reduced complexity in the process of creating these funnels with its user-friendly editor and template templates. The platform’s strategy centers around not just constructing web pages but creating effective conversion paths that turn visitors into customers and customers into advocates.
Primary Elements of ClickFunnels
1. Funnel Construction Kit
The essence of ClickFunnels is its easy-to-use funnel builder. Users can select a variety of funnel types, including:
- Opt-in funnels: Built to collect email addresses
- Sales funnels: For retailing products or services
- Webinar funnels: To boost and register users for webinars
- Membership funnels: For continuity products
The intuitive interface makes it uncomplicated to add components like text, images, videos, forms, and buttons without writing a single line of code.
2. Pre-built Templates
ClickFunnels includes over one hundred professionally created templates for diverse industries and purposes. These templates, produced by marketing experts, are created for conversions and can be modified to match your brand.
3. A/B Testing
Recognizing what resonates with your audience is crucial for increasing conversions. ClickFunnels’ A/B testing tool allows you to build multiple versions of your pages and examine different elements to see which is more effective.
4. Email Campaigns
ClickFunnels integrates email marketing capabilities, allowing you to create automated email sequences initiated by specific actions. This feature helps cultivate leads and move them further down the sales funnel.
5. Checkout System
The platform flawlessly integrates with payment processors like multiple payment options, allowing you to accept payments immediately through your funnels without redirecting customers to external sites.
6. Member Portals
For marketers selling courses or subscription content, ClickFunnels offers the ability to create exclusive membership areas where subscribers can access premium content.
7. Statistics and Metrics
ClickFunnels furnishes comprehensive analytics on funnel performance, including page views, conversions, and earnings. These data help users enhance their funnels for better results.
8. Partner Program Tools
If you have an affiliate program, ClickFunnels makes it easy to run your affiliates, observe their performance, and process commission payments.
ClickFunnels 2.0: The Evolution
In 2022, ClickFunnels released its most important update: ClickFunnels 2.0. This new version represents a complete overhaul of the platform with advanced features and capabilities.
Upgrades in 2.0?
- Upgraded Website Builder: A more robust website builder that allows for comprehensive website creation, not just funnels
- Improved E-commerce Capabilities: Better product management, inventory tracking, and order fulfillment
- Blog Creation: The ability to build and run a blog directly within ClickFunnels
- Superior Customization: More flexibility in design and functionality
- Enhanced User Interface: A simpler dashboard and editor
- Technical Improvements: Faster page loading times and better mobile responsiveness
- Expanded CRM Features: More advanced customer relationship management tools
The upgrade to 2.0 solves many of the shortcomings users experienced with the original version, making it a more complete marketing solution.
Pricing Structure
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
Pro Plan
At $197 per month, the Pro plan features:
- Unlimited funnels
- Unlimited pages
- 9 payment gateways
- 9 domains
- 3 admin users
- Advanced automation
- Enhanced analytics
Elite 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 evaluate the platform before investing financially.
The Perks of Using ClickFunnels
1. Comprehensive Solution
Perhaps the main advantage of ClickFunnels is that it integrates multiple tools into one platform. Instead of handling different services for landing pages, email marketing, payment processing, and membership sites, users can manage all these aspects in one place.
2. No Development Experience Required
The platform’s point-and-click interface takes away the need for coding or design skills. This opens up the funnel-building process, making it manageable to entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds.
3. Time Savings
With template templates and a smooth workflow, ClickFunnels significantly decreases the time needed to deploy a marketing campaign. What might take weeks with custom development can be accomplished in days or even hours.
4. Network and Assistance
ClickFunnels has built a dynamic community of users who offer 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 thorough documentation, tutorials, and responsive customer support.
5. Verified Conversion Frameworks
The templates and funnel structures within ClickFunnels are derived from proven marketing principles and tested conversion strategies. This means users benefit from established best practices rather than creating from nothing.
6. Knowledge Base
Beyond the software itself, ClickFunnels offers a wealth of educational resources. Russell Brunson’s books, such as “DotCom Secrets” and “Expert Secrets,” provide insightful marketing insights, while the ClickFunnels training programs offer systematic learning opportunities.
Downsides and Drawbacks
Despite its many benefits, ClickFunnels isn’t without limitations:
1. Cost
Starting at $147 per month, ClickFunnels represents a noteworthy investment, especially for freelancers or startups with limited budgets. Many competitors offer more cost-effective entry-level options.
2. Training Requirement
While designed to be intuitive, mastering all of ClickFunnels’ features and understanding funnel strategy requires time and dedication. New users might feel intimidated by the platform’s capabilities.
3. Restricted Design Flexibility
Though the drag-and-drop editor is capable, designers accustomed to more advanced tools might find it constraining. The balance between simplicity and flexibility sometimes emphasizes the former.
4. Page Performance
Prior to 2.0, some users reported difficulties with page loading speed, which can diminish SEO and user experience. While ClickFunnels 2.0 has improved performance, optimizing for speed calls for attention.
5. Email Marketing Shortcomings
While ClickFunnels provides email marketing features, they’re not as sophisticated as dedicated email marketing platforms. Power users might still need additional tools for high-level email campaigns.
ClickFunnels Competition: How They Compare
The sales funnel and landing page builder market has become increasingly competitive. Here’s how ClickFunnels stands up to its main competitors:
1. Kartra
Positives relative to ClickFunnels:
- More complete marketing automation
- Built-in video hosting and advanced video marketing features
- More powerful email marketing capabilities
- Helpdesk and ticket system included
Shortcomings:
- Steeper learning curve
- Fewer templates specifically optimized for sales funnels
- Less active community
2. Leadpages
Benefits:
- More budget-friendly 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
Positives:
- 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 intuitive for non-technical users
4. Systeme.io
Strong points:
- Significantly more affordable (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 extensive 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
Disadvantages:
- 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 budget-friendly option if you already have WordPress
- Ultimate flexibility and customization
- Complete ownership and control
- One-time purchases versus subscription model
Shortcomings:
- 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 Would Benefit From ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is particularly appropriate 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 easy to deliver content to paying customers.
2. E-commerce Businesses
With ClickFunnels 2.0’s upgraded e-commerce features, online retailers can create effective product funnels that raise average order value through upsells, downsells, and order bumps.
3. B2B Service Businesses
Professionals, agencies, and service providers can use ClickFunnels to obtain leads, book appointments, and sell service packages without complex website development.
4. Affiliate Marketers
The platform’s optimization for conversions makes it suitable 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 offer books while collecting reader information for long-term relationship building.
6. Technically Challenged Entrepreneurs
Those without coding or design skills will value ClickFunnels’ intuitive interface and pre-built templates.
Who Might Want to Look Elsewhere?
ClickFunnels may not be the perfect match for:
1. Small 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 suitable, though ClickFunnels 2.0 has made improvements in this area.
3. Design Experts Seeking Complete Creative Control
Those who require flawless designs and extensive customization might prefer platforms with more design flexibility.
4. Large Scale Businesses with Complex Requirements
Very large organizations with complex integration needs and custom requirements might need more dedicated solutions.
Starting Out with ClickFunnels: Tips for Success
If you decide to try ClickFunnels, here are some tips to enhance 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. Focus on 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 extensive training materials, including ClickFunnels’ onboarding sequence and the FunnelFlix training library.
4. Join the Community
The ClickFunnels Facebook group provides important insights and support from fellow users who can help troubleshoot issues or suggest optimization strategies.
5. Analyze and Optimize
Use the A/B testing features to continuously 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.
Summary: Is ClickFunnels Worth It?
ClickFunnels represents a substantial investment, but for many businesses, the benefit 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 foster leads and convert customers.
The decision ultimately revolves around your specific business needs, technical comfort level, and budget. If you’re serious about 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 focused on implementing effective sales funnels, ClickFunnels provides both the tools and the strategic framework to succeed 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 information products, retail products, or professional assistance, ClickFunnels offers a simplified path from stranger to customer-and that, for many businesses, is deserving of the investment.