What is ClickFunnels? A Complete Review
Before we get to know about Clickfunnels, what do we need for an online business?
1) Domain
2) Web host
3) Web page builders
4) Payment integration
5) Email Automation
6) Affiliates to promote our products
7) Sales funnels to increase our sales.
8) Landing pages and Sign up forms
9) Follow-up funnels
10) Customer analytics
and even more, depends upon our growth in the future.
Could there be any simple way where everything above mentioned can be dealt with without any complexity?
Indeed, there is.
Welcome to ClickFunnels. A one-stop-shop solution for all your business needs.
PS: I cannot define it in any other words. It strives hard to be a one-stop solution.
ClickFunnels
More often than not the problem is…
You have a product to sell or an idea to pitch.
You may want to teach your course online or conduct a webinar
BUT…
You don’t know
Where and How to Get Customers!
What would you do? What are the options you have?
1) You can attach your product to an established e-commerce site like Amazon. You could teach your course on platforms like Udemy.
or
2) You can create your website and do all the supporting works by yourself.
What are the disadvantages of these two options?
1) Those platforms take care of everything. You don’t need to worry about anything. But you can’t prioritize your product in a 3rd party platform.
If you want to push it, you could do so by paying for ads. That would increase your cost.
2) In the 2nd case, you get the complete profit to yourself. But running your website and managing it without any help is a nightmare. There are many things to look after.
ClickFunnels take the advantages of both these options and nullify their disadvantages. Thus, creating a 3rd option for the users.
How does Clickfunnels work?
Let’s say, you’re a fantasy novel writer. You have a book to sell. You’ve chosen an E-commerce platform to host it.
That platform’s website would display your book along with many others. You cannot have the details about who are all checking out your books, who are all the possible customers. You cannot control the demography it reaches.
Sometimes, it may work. Sometimes it may not.
How to address these issues using sales funnels?
1) We create landing pages to publish our intent. We generate leads by using simple sign up forms or longer application leads.
2) Once we’ve got the potential leads, we advertise our products on the sales template pages. There are tons of drag and drop templates available here. They constantly update their templates too.
Inside the ClickFunnels the interface would look like this. We can edit our template page here. Everything is in a simple drag and drop format.
ClickFunnels has a built-in advanced Customization tool. Those who’d want more customization on their templates can use it according to our taste.
3) We take our product straight to the customer without any 3rd party intervention.
4) Landing pages usually include only the details of a product. In ClickFunnels, we can integrate the payment options within the templates.
Taking them to another page for payment may sometimes drive the customers away. Giving them an option within the template would boost the sale.
5) If we have another product to sell, we can include them in the template itself.
In ClickFunnels, we don’t have to worry about the shipping process.
Why so? Let’s see.
If you’re selling a ‘service’, you can host that on your website. But if you’re selling a physical material, you’d need a shipping service.
ClickFunnels gives us an option to integrate our product with a delivery company. We can do this inside the ClickFunnels itself. We don’t have to go to a 3rd party.
This is an overview of what happens inside ClickFunnels. Using this means, the writer can sell his novel straight to the readers.
There are other features that support and improve the workflow more streamlined.
Clickfunnels Features
Email-Automation
Email automation is an important process in running a small business. Since we’re connecting to our customers through emails, it is more intimate than the other means.
If we use this tool properly,
We can retain our potential customers for a long time.
1) We can include an autoresponder sequence for those who sign up for our contact lists.
2)We can also use them to group our customers.
3) Pre-designed email templates are available to use.
4) Broadcasting our newsletters or future products, are integrated within the tool.
Follow-up Funnels
One of the best practices of marketing is Follow-up. Whether we provide a service or a product, it is important to make a follow-up phone call or email.
This way, we can sense the pulse of our customers. Using the feedback, we can improve our products and alter our methods.
ClickFunnels provide this option inside their tool. Without sounding like an automated message, we can customize it for every individual.
We can attract many people through our sales funnels. But Follow-up is the best way to keep our customers.
We can connect with them individually and cultivate a long-term relationship.
Split Tests
Split tests are like opinion polls. We can customize our page in 2 different formats.
Why is it important?
Some people may like our current design. But some may like it even better with a new design. Split tests give us options to refine our content to improve productivity.
It eliminates the fear to try various methods and import them in our designs. It keeps us from getting outdated.
We can customize everything in split tests.
Data Analysis
Today Data is the new oil. If we learn how to use it, we’ve hit our mines. Data is such a powerful resource.
ClickFunnels by default provides the Data stats on our account’s dashboard.
Data analysis is even available for the email broadcasts. We could use that to improve our services.
Backpack
Marketing is an important process in any business. Marketing a Marketing business is much more important.
These days, social media plays a vital role. Instagram, YouTube influencers have a broad following. Blogs still stay relevant.
Affiliate influencers bridge their platform’s traffic to our content.
Even though the traffic is from an outside source, we can use follow-up funnels to keep track of those customers. In ClickFunnels, we can create our Affiliate program.
ClickFunnels Pricing
They have 2 plans.
1) ClickFunnels
The starter pack costs $97/month. Its features include Sales funnels, Webinar options, Membership sites, and more. It doesn’t cover the Email, SMS automation, and Affiliate backpack options.
2) ClickFunnels Platinum
Platinum covers all the features we’ve mentioned above. It costs $297/month.
Both plans come with a 14-day trial option.
ClickFunnels Alternatives
Builderall
There is one thing I’ve noticed in these single solution tool platforms. Since they are trying to cover many features, their websites look clutter. Some may even find it overwhelming. Because of the competition between them, they periodically update their tools and features.
Builderall has its website builder tool-Cheetah. Its features include
- Easy mobile integration
- Unlimited Membership sites
- Split testing
- Upsell, down sell and payment integration
- Email marketing
- Daily backup
And much more.
The one specific feature where it beats ClickFunnels out of the water is Pricing.
Builderall offers a free plan for absolute beginners. Even though it supports only 100 subscribers, it is a viable option for all those who’d like to try this tool.
Their premium plan costs $69.90. It offers unlimited subscribers, 10 GB disk space, Live support, and more. Economically it is far cheaper than ClickFunnels. But when it comes to sales funnel options, Builderall doesn’t have a chance.
If cost is an important criterion for you, check out the $29.90 Marketer plan.
Ontraport
A similar but advanced automated tool. It covers all the basic features we get from its counterparts. On the pricing aspect:
Pipedrive
The one thing you’d notice visiting Pipedrive’s web page is its simplicity. It is clutter-free. The descriptions of its contents are aesthetically pleasing. They offer 4 plans
ClickFunnels – is it worth it?
1) One-Stop solution
The selling point of these Marketing tools is ‘One stop solution’. Many non-technical people would be comfortable with these drag and drop tools.
Because if they are a beginner, they cannot concentrate on many tools to run their business.
But there is a downside to it too. Moving away from their platform would be a difficult and cumbersome process. Yes, they provide us the option to download our content If we want to move.
Can we do this with individual tools?
Of course, we can. We’d need
1) WordPress for building our websites.
2) Convert kit or its alternatives – For email automation, landing pages, and sign-up forms.
3) E-commerce integration.
4) Our affiliate programs.
5) Shipping contacts.
We may reduce our running costs by using these individual tools. But it is not for everyone. The majority of people would prefer the single dashboard to monitor all these.
2) Security
ClickFunnels is a cloud-based SaaS (Software as a Service) tool. Privacy and security are vital these days to run our businesses. Clickfunnels built every single tool from scratch. They update their plug-ins periodically offering the customers more security.
In terms of load management, it is hosted by Amazon and backed up by Cloudflare security. Their servers can manage the ultimate numbers.
3) Cost
Its cost is comparatively higher than the competitors. Moreover, they give only a 14-days free trial. But 14 days is a short period. Beginners cannot use the tool to its full extent in that timespan.
If the beginners don’t see progress in their business within the 14 days, they might get discouraged. Personally, a 30 days trial period would be optimal.
If you want to try ClickFunnels, do your homework before you sign up. Conceptualize your ideas and create the pages.
4)Resources
Conclusion
Yes, we can do our business without ClickFunnels. It is not an absolute need. Those who’d want to increase the efficiency of their workflow should consider it. It is an up and rising platform with a NetWorth of $300 million.
The documentation available within the webpage is overwhelming. They cover almost everything. So, we don’t need to refer to external materials. They have great customer support to back their products.
If you’re an amateur businessman with limited resources and manpower, Consider ClickFunnels.
If Clickfunnels pricing is bit much, try the alternative Groovefunnels.
