In the modern e-commerce world, transforming browsers into purchasers is the essential target for any online business. This is where sales funnel software comes into play, and ClickFunnels stands as one of the most popular names in this industry.
Started by Russell Brunson in 2014, ClickFunnels has reimagined the way marketers and organizations manage online sales, working to streamline the purchase process from first contact to final purchase.
But is ClickFunnels cost-effective? Does it live up to its hype? Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or launching your first venture, this comprehensive review will provide you with the complete picture you need to make an calculated decision about ClickFunnels.
Introducing ClickFunnels?
ClickFunnels is an unified marketing platform created to help businesses build optimized sales funnels without calling for technical expertise or a team of developers. At its foundation, ClickFunnels allows users to build landing pages, make email sequences, handle payments, and handle customer relationships-all within a unified platform.
The Fundamentals of Sales Funnels
Preceding diving deeper into ClickFunnels, it’s essential to understand what a sales funnel is. A sales funnel shows the route customers go through from first encountering your product or service to buying.
It typically includes stages like recognition, engagement, evaluation, and transaction.
Standard websites are often built without a clear path for visitors to take. This can produce high bounce rates and missed potential customers. Sales funnels, on the other hand, are methodically developed to lead visitors through a defined path, enhancing the likelihood of conversion at each step.
ClickFunnels’ Philosophy
ClickFunnels has streamlined the process of creating these funnels with its user-friendly editor and ready-to-use templates. The platform’s strategy centers around not just building web pages but creating high-converting conversion paths that turn visitors into customers and customers into advocates.
Primary Elements of ClickFunnels
1. Funnel Creator
The foundation of ClickFunnels is its easy-to-use funnel builder. Users can decide between a variety of funnel types, including:
- Opt-in funnels: Made to collect email addresses
- Sales funnels: For selling products or services
- Webinar funnels: To market and register users for webinars
- Membership funnels: For ongoing products
The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to add features like text, images, videos, forms, and buttons without creating a single line of code.
2. Template Templates
ClickFunnels includes over numerous pre-designed templates for various industries and purposes. These templates, created by industry professionals, are engineered for success and can be personalized to match your brand.
3. Experimental Testing
Recognizing what connects with your audience is essential for maximizing conversions. ClickFunnels’ A/B testing capability allows you to create multiple versions of your pages and compare different elements to see which is more effective.
4. Automated Emails
ClickFunnels integrates email marketing capabilities, allowing you to build automated email sequences initiated by specific actions. This feature helps cultivate leads and move them further down the sales funnel.
5. Payment Integration
The platform effortlessly integrates with payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, and others, allowing you to accept payments instantly through your funnels without moving customers to external sites.
6. Member Sections
For entrepreneurs selling courses or subscription content, ClickFunnels includes the ability to create secure membership areas where users can access restricted content.
7. Data Analysis
ClickFunnels furnishes extensive analytics on funnel metrics, including page views, conversions, and earnings. These information help users optimize their funnels for better results.
8. Affiliate Tracking
If you have an affiliate program, ClickFunnels makes it effortless to oversee your affiliates, measure their performance, and process commission payments.
ClickFunnels 2.0: The Upgrade
In 2022, ClickFunnels released its most major update: ClickFunnels 2.0. This new version signifies a complete revamp of the platform with expanded features and capabilities.
What’s New in 2.0?
- Improved Website Builder: A more comprehensive website builder that allows for complete website creation, not just funnels
- Advanced E-commerce Capabilities: Better product management, inventory tracking, and order fulfillment
- Blog Creation: The ability to establish and run a blog directly within ClickFunnels
- Sophisticated Customization: More freedom in design and functionality
- Improved User Interface: A more elegant dashboard and editor
- Speed Enhancements: Faster page loading times and better mobile responsiveness
- Advanced CRM Features: More powerful customer relationship management tools
The upgrade to 2.0 resolves many of the limitations users experienced with the original version, making it a more all-encompassing marketing solution.
Cost Options
ClickFunnels features different pricing tiers to serve businesses of various sizes:
Starter 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
Professional 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
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 try the platform before deciding financially.
The Positives of Using ClickFunnels
1. All-In-One Solution
Perhaps the greatest advantage of ClickFunnels is that it merges multiple tools into one platform. Instead of handling different services for landing pages, email marketing, payment processing, and membership sites, users can handle all these aspects in one place.
2. No Technical Skills Required
The platform’s visual interface negates the need for coding or design skills. This democratizes the funnel-building process, making it usable to entrepreneurs without technical backgrounds.
3. Time Savings
With template templates and a smooth workflow, ClickFunnels significantly minimizes the time needed to release a marketing campaign. What might take weeks with custom development can be finished in days or even hours.
4. Help Resources
ClickFunnels has created a thriving community of users who share 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 thorough documentation, tutorials, and responsive customer support.
5. Validated 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 creating from nothing.
6. Learning Materials
Beyond the software itself, ClickFunnels offers a multitude 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.
Downsides and Drawbacks
Despite its many merits, ClickFunnels isn’t without limitations:
1. Price Point
Starting at $147 per month, ClickFunnels represents a substantial investment, especially for one-person operations or startups with limited budgets. Many competitors offer more economical entry-level options.
2. Learning Curve
While designed to be user-friendly, mastering all of ClickFunnels’ features and understanding funnel strategy takes time and dedication. New users might feel daunted by the platform’s capabilities.
3. Restricted Design Flexibility
Though the intuitive editor is strong, designers accustomed to more advanced tools might find it restrictive. The balance between simplicity and flexibility sometimes leans toward the former.
4. Page Loading Speed
Prior to 2.0, some users reported issues 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 Limitations
While ClickFunnels offers 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 Competitors: How They Compare
The sales funnel and landing page builder market has become increasingly crowded. Here’s how ClickFunnels compares to its main competitors:
1. Kartra
Benefits 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
Shortcomings:
- Steeper learning curve
- Fewer templates specifically optimized for sales funnels
- Less active community
2. Leadpages
Benefits:
- More cost-effective entry point ($37/month)
- Strong focus on lead generation
- Excellent mobile-responsive designs
- Solid WordPress integration
Limitations:
- Less comprehensive than ClickFunnels (primarily focuses on landing pages)
- Limited checkout and payment processing options
- No built-in email marketing
3. Unbounce
Strong points:
- Advanced A/B testing capabilities
- Highly adjustable design options
- Strong analytics and conversion intelligence
- More affordable starting point
Shortcomings:
- Primarily focused on landing pages rather than complete funnels
- No built-in payment processing
- Less user-friendly for non-technical users
4. Systeme.io
Strengths:
- Significantly more inexpensive (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
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 well-suited for:
1. Digital Educators and Coaches
The platform works great 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. Online Retail Businesses
With ClickFunnels 2.0’s enhanced e-commerce features, online retailers can create effective product funnels that increase average order value through upsells, downsells, and order bumps.
3. Service-Based Businesses
Consultants, 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 perfect for affiliate marketers looking to improve their commissions from promotional campaigns.
5. Publishers and Content Creators
ClickFunnels provides effective book funnel templates that help authors market books while capturing reader information for long-term relationship building.
6. Technically Challenged Entrepreneurs
Those without coding or design skills will enjoy ClickFunnels’ straightforward interface and pre-built templates.
Who Should Explore Other Options Elsewhere?
ClickFunnels may not be the ideal choice for:
1. Micro Businesses with Limited Budgets
The monthly investment might be prohibitive 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 beneficial, 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 specialized solutions.
Getting Started with ClickFunnels: Tips for Success
If you decide to try ClickFunnels, here are some tips to improve your experience:
1. Start with the Right Funnel Type
Decide on a funnel template that aligns with 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. Use the Training Resources
Take advantage of the abundant 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. Analyze 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, 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 payoff on that investment can be substantial. The platform’s strength lies in its ability to uncomplicate the complex process of creating effective sales funnels while providing the tools needed to nurture leads and convert customers.
The decision ultimately hinges on your specific business needs, technical comfort level, and budget. If you’re intent 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 expanded capabilities of ClickFunnels 2.0.
For businesses that can afford the monthly subscription and are dedicated to 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, tackling previous limitations and expanding its capabilities to serve a broader range of marketing needs.
Whether you’re selling information products, items, or expertise, ClickFunnels offers a simplified path from stranger to customer-and that, for many businesses, is justified for the investment.