Introduction:
These days it seems one can’t be a legit online marketer without seeing ClickFunnels being mentioned at least once a day by other marketers.
Well, maybe this is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point.
There’s just no denying that ClickFunnels has almost reached cult-like status among marketers. The 2 Comma Club and the golden disc awards aren’t helping things.
The masses will almost have you believing that just ClickFunnels will make you rich faster than you ever thought possible. Of course, this is not true.
At its core, ClickFunnels is a funnel builder. It’s a tool just like any other tool. How you wield it will determine your success online. While it has its fans gushing praise, it also has detractors spewing hate.
It’s easy to get swayed by all the opinions online, but once again, let’s not forget that ClickFunnels is a tool. So we have to look at it based on its merits as a funnel builder and not Russell Brunson’s charisma or the successful marketers hyping it up.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of ClickFunnels…
The Pros
- Stable funnel builder
Whether or not ClickFunnels was the first funnel builder to hit the scene is a point to be debated. But it definitely burst on to the scene like no other funnel builder before it.
The tool itself works and it works well, despite some people having problems with it. There are many marketers successfully running 6-figure businesses on ClickFunnels. So it works… and in this space where products don’t deliver on their promises, that’s definitely a good thing.
- ClickFunnels makes things easy
Unlike page builders such as Thrive Architect or OptimizePress, with ClickFunnels you don’t just build sales pages but you can EASILY link them all within the ClickFunnels interface.
This simplicity is a huge selling point that appeals to beginner marketers. The hassle of connecting the sales pages and upsells on their own with a 3rd party marketing platform just seems too complicated.
ClickFunnels is an all-in-one solution that makes life easier. It’s easy to add upsells and the visual layout tells you exactly how your funnel will work.
- Templates
There are over 280 templates in ClickFunnels. You can easily load an existing one, make edits to it and have a beautiful sales page in 30 minutes or so.
The interface is clean and intuitive. It’s just a matter of dragging and dropping elements in the page.
In the same way, you can build landing pages too. Though one could argue that the landing pages in Leadpages look better (true), but ClickFunnels still gets the job done – and you can build your list with it.
- Has an affiliate program feature
Thinking of running your own affiliate program for your product/s?
ClickFunnels has you covered here too. It’s all built within the platform. Marketers who are not using ClickFunnels will need a 3rd party plugin such as iDev Affiliate and they’ll have to set it up on their site, sync the products and so on. Quite the hassle.
No such issues here, because simplicity seems to be ClickFunnels’ motto.
- Lots of integrations
ClickFunnels integrates with many popular 3rd party apps/tools such as: Active Campaign, AWeber, ConvertKit, Facebook, GetResponse, GoToWebinar, Hubspot, InfusionSoft, Kajabi, Maropost and much more.
You can see the full list of integrations on the official site. So, you can get the best out of ClickFunnels by using it in conjunction with other powerful tools.
- In-built autoresponder
If you’re wondering whether ClickFunnels has an autoresponder built within the software – yes, it does. It’s called Actionetics and works as an email marketing tool that comes with your package.
However, Actionetics on its own doesn’t quite compare to the other solid autoresponders such as ConvertKit, AWeber, etc. You’re better off using ClickFunnels as a funnel builder and integrating it with a better email marketing tool.
- Share your funnels
A very unique feature in ClickFunnels is that you can share your funnels with other users.
For example, if one of your sales funnels is doing very well, you could share it with your friend or a partner and just by editing the elements and making it their own, they’d have a higher chance of achieving success. Better to use an existing winner than try to create one from scratch.
- Analytics
ClickFunnels does provide you with analytics so that you can study your conversion stats and other metrics to improve your business.
- ClickFunnels hosts your pages
You know what’s truly interesting?
You could actually build a 6-figure online business without ever signing up for web hosting. If you can drive traffic to a sales page built with ClickFunnels and you have an autoresponder in place, you could run your business just fine – BECAUSE ClickFunnels will host your sales pages, thank you pages, etc. on their servers.
You could use a service like Dropbox to store your download files, etc. Of course, this is a very lean operation and you may want to have your own hosting, but just knowing that your pages are hosted by ClickFunnels makes things seem simpler.
- 24/7 Support
If you’re having problems with your pages, etc. you can always contact ClickFunnels’ round the clock support via live chat or phone support. They have a very capable team in place to help you.
The Cons
Well, the haters will have a lot to say. But generally, ClickFunnels can seem glitchy every now and then. but that’s to be expected from a software tool that’s so advanced.
ClickFunnels works most of the time with only occasional hiccups. It’s not perfect but that doesn’t mean this is a deal breaker.
As for the pricing, it costs $97 a month but after 100 pages (or 20 funnels), you’ll need to upgrade and the price jumps significantly to $297.
If your business is generating enough income, you’ll gladly pay the extra. But if not, the new price might make you balk. If you decide to quit, moving your pages out of ClickFunnels can be a hassle.
Should You Get It?
It all depends on your budget and your needs. If you’re a beginner marketer on a tight budget, ClickFunnels is not for you. Forking out $97 a month can be burdensome.
However, if you’re a beginner but you can afford the monthly fee and prefer simplicity, ClickFunnels might be exactly what you need.
Intermediate marketers may decide to give it a try and many will prefer it. Others may not be too happy with it. Either way, you’re covered by a 30-day money back guarantee. So you can try it out risk-free and see if it works for you.
The truth is that ClickFunnels really is a solid brand and millionaires are using it in their business. If it’s good for them, it’ll probably be good for you too.
So try it out and you’ll be glad you did.
