ClickFunnels review 2024: Pros and cons
Explore ClickFunnels: A comprehensive review of its features, templates, and benefits for efficient sales funnels and online marketing.
Our Verdict
Our Verdict
ClickFunnels, a marketing software, aids in converting website visitors into leads and customers via features like a website and landing page builder, sales funnels, and email marketing. Although its landing page builder simplifies funnel creation, it requires time to master and comes at a high cost, starting at $127 monthly with annual billing. Determine its suitability for your needs through our thorough ClickFunnels assessment.
Pros
- Integrated CRM system
- A/B testing functionality
- Simple landing page builder
- Ability to construct complex sales funnels
Cons
- Known for slow page load speeds
- Limited selection of website themes
- Higher pricing compared to competitors
Monthly cost
$147Marketing automation
YesSales funnel creation
ClickFunnels offers built-in marketing automation featuresHow ClickFunnels operates
ClickFunnels functions as a software-as-a-service (SaaS) marketing solution, aimed at assisting businesses in constructing sophisticated sales funnels to enhance lead generation and boost sales. It provides a range of features essential for converting leads into customers, including website creation tools, landing page builders, customer relationship management systems, automated workflows, and email marketing automation. By integrating these elements, ClickFunnels aims to establish an efficient lead conversion system.
Essential features of ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels primarily serves as a tool for building sales funnels, but it extends beyond that. It includes a drag-and-drop website and landing page builder, a customer relationship management (CRM) system, email marketing capabilities, analytics, and additional features.
Website builder
In addition to its funnel-building capabilities, ClickFunnels provides a drag-and-drop website builder. While relatively user-friendly, it lacks design diversity with only eight themes available, fewer than many other website builders. The editor is not as intuitive for advanced website components like product integration, and users often encounter slow website speed issues, impacting both user experience and SEO.
Sales funnels
ClickFunnels' primary feature is its sales funnel builder, offering users a wide range of pre-designed funnels tailored to various objectives like lead generation, product launches, and webinars. Users can also create their own funnels from scratch using the sales funnel editor, which boasts a modern interface but may require some time to master due to its complexity.
Analytics
ClickFunnels offers automatic analytics tracking to provide users with insights into their funnel performance. The analytics dashboard allows users to monitor overall performance and individual funnel performance. While the insights aren't very deep, they include metrics such as total orders, opt-ins, page views, conversion rates on a daily or weekly basis, as well as data on total product sales and customers.
Email marketing
ClickFunnels features a built-in email marketing platform, though it's considered less user-friendly. Despite having DKIM email authentication for improved deliverability, its functionality is limited compared to top email marketing software. Users often find it cumbersome to use, with examples of poor design evident from the outset. For instance, accessing email templates requires inputting basic information, and selecting a sender email address can be confusing, as it doesn't automatically include the user's signup email.
Distinguishing features of ClickFunnels
ClickFunnels excels in its specialized sales funnel builder, setting it apart from competitors. While it encompasses features similar to other providers, like website and landing page builders, CRM, and email marketing tools, its primary emphasis lies in funnel creation. It distinguishes itself through extensive educational resources, not only covering platform usage (which can be overwhelming) but also instructing users on leveraging funnels effectively for sales growth.
ClickFunnels pricing structure
Funnel hacker
ClickFunnels' top-tier plan, Funnel Hacker, is priced at $208 per month for annual billing or $297 per month for no-contract billing. It encompasses all features available in the Basic and Pro plans, with the addition of two more websites (totaling three), support for up to 15 users, unlimited funnels, and up to 200,000 contacts.
Basic
The entry-level plan from ClickFunnels, called Basic, starts at $127 per month for annual billing or $147 per month for monthly billing. It includes one website, supports up to three users, allows for up to 20 funnels, and accommodates up to 10,000 contacts. Additionally, it provides unlimited access to workflows, courses, pages, projects, products, and email sequences. However, unlike the Pro and Funnel Hacker plans, it does not offer API access. This plan also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee for annual subscriptions.
Pro
The Pro plan is priced at $157 per month for annual billing and $197 per month for month-to-month billing. In addition to the features of the Basic plan, it includes support for one website. It offers benefits such as support for up to five users, up to 100 funnels, and up to 25,000 contacts. Other features remain consistent with those included in the Basic plan.
ClickFunnels user-friendliness
ClickFunnels is widely acknowledged as lacking in user-friendliness, a sentiment echoed by many of its users. Despite offering an all-in-one solution, it falls short in terms of intuitive usability, requiring new users to invest time and effort to become proficient in building effective funnels.
Interestingly, this initial time investment often leads to users sticking with ClickFunnels despite their dissatisfaction, as they are reluctant to abandon the work they've already put into the platform.
An example of its unintuitive design is the process of setting up redirects, which differs from most content management systems. While it's not inherently difficult to configure redirects, ClickFunnels' approach can be confusing for users accustomed to other platforms' methods.
Alternatives to ClickFunnels and their comparative analysis
ClickFunnels vs Wix
Comparing ClickFunnels to Wix reveals a fundamental difference: while Wix primarily serves as a website builder, ClickFunnels focuses on funnel construction. Wix offers extensive customization options through its wide array of apps and integrations, making it a versatile website-building platform rather than a dedicated funnel builder like ClickFunnels. However, Wix boasts robust marketing capabilities that aid in lead generation and conversion.
In terms of pricing, Wix is significantly more affordable, starting at $16 per month with annual billing, and offers a larger selection of templates compared to ClickFunnels. Both platforms include built-in CRM and email marketing tools.
For the average small business seeking an easily customizable website with comprehensive marketing features, Wix is likely the preferred choice. Conversely, ClickFunnels is better suited for businesses seeking to enhance their sales performance within an existing website framework.
ClickFunnels vs Shopify
ClickFunnels and Shopify are distinct platforms that share some common features. While ClickFunnels primarily serves as a funnel builder, Shopify focuses on e-commerce website creation. However, users can create websites with ClickFunnels and implement sales funnels with Shopify. In terms of pricing, Shopify offers more affordability, starting at $29 per month, significantly lower than ClickFunnels' starting price of $127 per month.
Unlike ClickFunnels, Shopify lacks a native CRM system. However, it integrates with various CRM platforms and offers several selling tools, including email marketing with automation, live chat for customer support, and a form builder for lead generation.
In summary, Shopify is ideal for online retailers seeking a user-friendly website builder with integrated marketing tools, while ClickFunnels is better suited for established businesses aiming to optimize their sales funnels.