What Is ClickFunnels? What Does It Do? What Are The Benefits? (2023)

What is ClickFunnels
What is ClickFunnels

What is ClickFunnels? How does ClickFunnels work? Does ClickFunnels work at all?”

These are just some questions we get a lot every time we introduce ClickFunnels to the uninitiated in our circles.

If you are wondering what exactly ClickFunnels is, know that you are not alone.

Lots of business owners, marketers, and consultants also come to us asking about ClickFunnels and whether or not it will help them generate more leads and grow their business.

Big-time online marketing gurus like Sam Ovens and many others are constantly pushing business owners to use ‘sales funnels.’

But why?

In this article, we will walk you through the ClickFunnels platform. And we will introduce you to some top ClickFunnels features and some ClickFunnels benefits you can get.

This article is particularly helpful for you if you want to sell, market, and deliver products and services or collect leads online.

Ready to try ClickFunnels? Click here to sign up for ClickFunnels 14-day FREE TRIAL.

If you are a visual person, you can watch the video below specifically to answer the question: “What is ClickFunnels?” Otherwise, you can read on.

What Is ClickFunnels?

ClickFunnels is a sales funnel builder designed to help businesses automate their sale process from start to finish. It gives you the power to control every stage of the buying journey.

With ClickFunnels, you can create regular websites, landing pages, opt-in pages, squeeze pages, membership sites, and webinars, among other things. And it makes it easy for anyone of any tech skill level to create sales funnels with a variety of pre-designed, highly customizable funnels available.

Often entrepreneurs and businesses use ClickFunnels to sell and promote products or services online. Others use it to supercharge their lead generation campaigns for their businesses.

Part of the reason ClickFunnels became so popular in this online marketing boom is that it offers an all-in-one marketing solution.

Traditional online funnels — more often than not — require you to have a separate:

  • Content management system (ex. WordPress, Joomla)
  • Web host (ex. SiteGround, Bluehost)
  • Page builder (ex. Elementor, Beaver)
  • Email autoresponder (ex. MailChimp, Aweber, GetResponse)
  • Order form
  • Shopping cart
  • Web analytics
  • Other marketing tools

ClickFunnels is everything these tools are, so you can create marketing and sales funnels from the ground up in a unified dashboard.

Digital marketer and entrepreneur Russel Brunson co-founded ClickFunnels in 2014. Brunson self-funded this SaaS company in its early days before attracting quite a few investors.

And in 2017, Forbes estimated ClickFunnels’ value at $360 million.

What Is ClickFunnels’ Sales Funnel?

A sales funnel is a sequence of steps that guides a potential customer through a sale.

A sales funnel is known for so many other terms such as marketing funnel, purchase/purchasing funnel, revenue funnel, customer acquisition funnel, and sales process.

It may have several names, they all have the same stages: top of the funnel, middle of the funnel, and bottom of the funnel.

But what makes sales funnels on ClickFunnels different from the traditional online sales funnels?

Traditional online funnels will take your customers through different pages and posts and require them to take several actions before finally landing on the most important checkout page. It’s confusing and reduces the chances of conversion.

By contrast, you can create sales funnels on ClickFunnels that has one page, one offer, and one chance to take action.

Get the Free 14 Day ClickFunnels Trial

Does ClickFunnels Work?

If you are wondering: “Does ClickFunnels work?” Well, ClickFunnels would not have become a $360 million company if it didn’t work for its users.

ClickFunnels allows you to integrate all major sales and marketing elements to come up with a functional and effective sales funnel. Instead of having separate platforms for your CMS, web host, landing page, autoresponders, and more, ClickFunnels can handle all these for you.

Like any other sales funnel, ClickFunnels’ sale funnels follow the classic marketing funnel to move the target audience to the different stages of the funnel, namely: Awareness, Interest, Decision, and Action.

How Does ClickFunnels Work?

So, how does ClickFunnels work?

It’s pretty simple.

Say, you have a product or service to sell or promote. It could be a book, course,  software, coaching, consulting, webinar, or anything.

The first step is to create a landing page for that product or service. This landing page could be opt-in form to capture the email addresses of your prospects.

Once you have designed a good landing page, you need a sales page selling your product or service. It’s important that you know the pain points of your prospects so it would become easier to position your product or service as a solution.

There are literally tons of proven effective ways to create a sales page, so make sure to research those. If you don’t want to take on this burden, seek the help of a sales or direct response copywriter to craft a compelling copy for your product or service.

Having a good sales copy is key to increasing your conversion rate. If your prospects decide to buy your product, they will be led to an order sign-up form.

After that, you have the option to offer an upsell to your buyer. This will net you a bigger return.

As soon as the sale has been made, you can then deliver your product or service to your customer.

All these steps happen in one platform only. This is one of the main benefits of using ClickFunnels.

If you want to see sample funnels, we’ve made available some funnel templates we use in our business to help clients grow.

ClickFunnels Features

ClickFunnels is brimming with features. There are literally hundreds of them. Take a look at some top ClickFunnels features.

1. Prebuilt Sales Funnel Templates

ClickFunnels will do the heavy lifting for your business with its library of marketing and sales funnel templates. Whether you need a funnel for a product launch or a membership site, you get access to a shit-ton of proven and tested sales funnels. 

The funnel templates are categorized under lead capture funnels, sales page funnels, event funnels, and membership funnels. Some popular funnel templates include sales letter funnel, product launch funnel, 2-step tripwire funnel, invisible funnel, homepage, squeeze page funnel, lead magnet funnel, bridge funnel, survey funnel, and more.

All funnel templates include pre-designed landing page templates — both free and paid — that you can tweak to meet your needs.

2. Drag and Drop Editor

If you want a unique landing page, ClickFunnels allows you to create one or more for your business using its funnel editor.

No coding skills required. About 40 free templates are available to customize. Even if you make a landing page from scratch, ClickFunnels boasts a drag-and-drop editor to make page building so much easier for you.

3. Share Funnel

The Share Funnel feature allows you to generate and share a link to your funnel. Why is this even relevant?

Some users join the ClickFunnels affiliate program to earn some extra cash while selling or promoting a product or service. Others use ClickFunnels to build and share landing pages with clients. With share funnel URLs, you can get a princely 40% commission if the visitor joins ClickFunnels using your link.

If you want to be like them, the Share Funnel feature is a lucrative way to generate more passive income.

4. A/B Testing

After creating a landing page for a product or service, you want to test multiple variations of its elements.

ClickFunnels allows you to split test multiple sets of your funnel, so you would get an idea which element performs better.

Why is split testing important? The short answer is conversion optimization. Split testing prevents you from wasting your time and ad budget on poor performing elements or a landing page in general.

5. Payment Gateways

ClickFunnels allows you to accept payments at the end of your funnel without sending your buyers to a third party. It supports various payment system integrations with PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, Android Pay, and more, as well as affiliate programs like ClickBank and JV Zoo.

6. SSL Certification

Most ClickFunnels websites and pages deal with payments and sensitive credentials. This is why ClickFunnels has made security its top priority ever since.

ClickFunnels makes sure all websites or pages created through it are encrypted to keep both buyers and sellers safe from phishing, identify theft, and other malicious attacks.

The easiest way to tell if a website is safe is through the SSL certificate (URLs that start with HTTPS). All ClickFunnels websites and pages have SSL certificates.

7. Email Automation

ClickFunnels has its own autoresponder, but it also supports third-party email service providers for good measure. This makes ClickFunnels a perfect lead generation and email marketing tool. It supports MailChimp, Zapier, Drip, ConvertKit, Aweber, and more.

8. Tracking

ClickFunnels, of course, comes with its own analytics tool to track your funnel’s performance, including click-throughs, conversion, opt-ins, and visitors, among others. It also shows you an overview of your audience’s activity right on your dashboard. With the help of other tools, ClickFunnels makes it so easy to track down sources and manage users.

9. Multiple Domains

Multiple domains and sub-domains can be connected with ClickFunnels. You can use so many ClickFunnels features to take advantage of multiple domains. Whether you want to run a sales offer or host a webinar right off your website, without spending a single dime on premium plugins or themes, that’s possible with ClickFunnels.

10. Actionetics and Backpack Tool

Although available only in ClickFunnels’ more expensive plan, Actionetics and the Backpack tool are two incredible features of the software.

Actionetics is a marketing automation software that monitors the statistics of your leads as they arrive in your sales funnel. If you are not new to sales and marketing, you definitely understand how crucial knowing your audience, their behavior, and their needs are. As a result, Actionetics can help you better tailor and market your products to your prospects.

Meanwhile, the Backpack tool helps you create your own affiliate program. Whether it is a product or service you are offering, this is quite a nifty tool to propel your business forward.

Get the Free 14 Day ClickFunnels Trial

ClickFunnels Benefits

Whether you are a tech-savvy user or not, ClickFunnels offers a shitload of perks and benefits that you can take advantage of.

Here are some common ClickFunnels benefits that users rave about:

Easy to Use

Good user experience takes precedence with ClickFunnels, so that explains why it’s made easy to use. Regardless of the skill level of a user, you can take delight in ClickFunnels’ user-friendly interface.

App Integrations

ClickFunnels doesn’t have everything you need, but you can definitely integrate other tools necessary to make your entire sales funnel work. With ClickFunnels, app integrations of email autoresponders, payment gateways, web analytics, and the like are a breeze in just a few clicks.

Saves Time and Money

Effective landing pages call for good design and compelling copy, but they often come at the expense of your time, money, and effort. With all the pre-built sales funnels, landing page templates, and integrations available, ClickFunnels enables you to cut down on your most important resources.

Setting up funnel pages can be done quickly with ClickFunnels as well as a complete funnel workflow. Proven and tested templates are also available after choosing a sales funnel.

One-Stop Solution

ClickFunnels is a one-stop solution to your sales and marketing needs. If you don’t intend to keep the website of a product or service forever, it’s not smart to spend your budget on domain names, web hosting, email autoresponders, and others.

In this case, ClickFunnels is the perfect alternative because it has everything you need to set up a website or landing page without actually having to spend 3 or 5 years’ worth of hosting service and domain name registration.

ClickFunnels Alternatives

ClickFunnels is not the lone wolf in the sale funnel builder category. There are so many names out there that can give ClickFunnels users a run for their money.

These tools are GrooveFunnels, Shopify, Leadpages, Instapage, and Infusionsoft. Find out how ClickFunnels stack up against these alternatives.

ClickFunnels vs. GrooveFunnels

GrooveFunnels is the newest all-in-one online marketing tool that created so much buzz when it launched in 2020. Why the buzz? GrooveFunnels offers 3 full websites and allows you to sell unlimited products — all for free!

As a result, over 43,000 jumped on this unlikely opportunity upon launch.

As an all-in-one tool, GrooveFunnels is not just a funnel builder. It also carries a range of sales and marketing tools on board. These include an ecommerce builder, email marketing software, content management system, web hosting, and webinar software, among many others. In a sense, it has everything you need to run an online business.

One of the many tools GrooveFunnels has is GroovePages, the sales funnel builder that directly competes with ClickFunnels. And with it, a lot of people in my circle have said that ClickFunnels has finally met its match.

But did it, though? Does GrooveFunnels deliver?

I would say GrooveFunnels is really promising based on what we’ve seen so far. The full GrooveFunnels suite has a total of 16 different apps and tools. That’s a lot! However, most GrooveFunnels tools are still in beta. Others are yet to be released. So, do take note of that.

In terms of design and features, GrooveFunnels does not disappoint. It has a user-friendly interface and easy-to-use tools to accommodate different levels of users.

And like ClickFunnels, GrooveFunnels also has a generous affiliate program that you can join in.

Although promising, GrooveFunnels have yet to prove that it really works on all accounts. Otherwise, it might just become a jack of all trades, master of none.

The GrooveFunnels Platinum Lifetime Plan — which gives you all of the apps and tools and future updates — costs $1,397 if you pay in full. GrooveFunnels also has installment plans for 3, 6, and 12 months.

Choosing between ClickFunnels and GrooveFunnels is a matter of knowing what you need. If you need an entire ecosystem of online marketing tools, GrooveFunnels is a good option. If you want a proven-and-tested sales funnel builder, ClickFunnels is the best option.

ClickFunnels vs. Shopify

ClickFunnels and Shopify are constantly compared on two aspects: ecommerce and sales funnel. Shopify is mainly an online store builder, while ClickFunnels is a sales funnel builder. The two, however, can do what each other can.

I have seen so many people using Shopify to build funnels. The reason for this is that these people host their store on Shopify. And they do not want to go anywhere else.

In the same way, there are a lot of people too who use ClickFunnels for ecommerce. And for a similar reason, these people do not want to leave ClickFunnels for an ecommerce builder.

Here’s the thing:

Shopify is a great alternative if you want to build out a full-fledged online store with tons of inventory. Shopify has all the right tools to help you build a website, manage your inventory, accept payments, and all that.

For the most part, you will not need any third-party tools to get your ecommerce moving. With ClickFunnels, however, you may need to integrate other tools to do as it is not mainly built for ecommerce.

ClickFunnels vs. Leadpages

Leadpages is one of the best landing page builders and lead generation software. It is mostly popular for budget-conscious marketers and businesses for its affordable pricing.

Although Leadpages is not as expensive as the others, it does not skimp on the most important features. That’s why a lot of marketers use it to build funnels.

Leadpages has a vast library of free landing page templates that you can easily drag and drop to modify according to your brand and taste. And you can edit them to become mobile-responsive. This is very important if you are dealing with end consumers.

For as low as $15 per month, you can get started with Leadpages.

If compared to ClickFunnels, Leadpages has a lot to work with. But if budget is the main constraint why you are looking for ClickFunnels alternatives, Leadpages is a decent option.

ClickFunnels vs. Instapage

Like Leadpages, Instapage is built as a landing page builder. Instapage takes pride in its ability to convert visitors optimally. You get 6 different tools to help you design and optimize your landing pages, whether it’s for lead generation or ecommerce.

As a sales funnel builder, Instapage gives you access to over 200 highly customizable landing page templates. And you can edit them using their advanced drag-and-drop editor.

Two nifty features you will enjoy with Instapage is its real-time analytics and heatmaps. These tools are critical for conversion-focused software like Instapage. Only a few of them has it. However, Instapage does not have a popup tool.

The most important thing you should know is the price. Instapage costs $199 per month, one of the most expensive options out there.

Now, is Instapage worth it?

Well, it depends. If you are looking to scale your lead generation or ecommerce business, this is probably for you. After all, Instapage is a conversion-focused tool.

But if you are looking for a dedicated sales funnel builder that is adaptable to your needs, ClickFunnels might be the better option here.

ClickFunnels vs. Infusionsoft

ClickFunnels does have a lot of direct competitors. The most popular that goes head to head with ClickFunnels is Infusionsoft.

Infusion is designed as an all-in-one sales and marketing platform. It includes the common landing page builder, email marketing software, and a CRM platform.

As a sales funnel builder, Infusionsoft enables you to create powerful sales funnels. However, it’s nowhere near as easy to use as ClickFunnels, which has various pre-built funnels for different types of businesses.

The landing page builder, though, is more user-friendly with a wide range of customizable templates. Total beginners can use edit them without breaking a sweat.

Infusionsoft is geared towards big enterprise companies given its pricing plans ranging between $199 and $999. ClickFunnels is more SME-friendly.

While some Infusionsoft users talk big on its ability to create highly sophisticated funnels, ClickFunnels can actually do the same thing, minus the complex processes. Other than that, Infusionsoft is not for the faint of heart or anyone who does not want to deal with the complexities of building a sales funnel.

Meanwhile, Builderall and Kartra are the other well-known ClickFunnels alternatives.

ClickFunnels Pricing

ClickFunnels has three pricing plans for different kinds of users. The regular ClickFunnels Basic plan — costs $147 per month, the ClickFunnels Pro plan costs $197 per month, and the ClickFunnels Funnel Hacker plan costs $297 per month. There is a discount is paid for annually.

Here’s what’s included in each plan:

ClickFunnels pricing 2023

Choosing the Right ClickFunnels Plans

Is the basic ClickFunnels plan all you need? Should you upgrade to Platinum? Is the Two Comma Club X worth it?

Let’s dive deeper into each plan to see which one is right up your alley.

ClickFunnels

The basic ClickFunnels plan allows you to create up to 20 funnels and 100 pages. You will also be allowed 3 payment gateways and 3 domains.

It also includes 6 pre-built funnels that you can customize. These funnel templates include a Best Seller Book funnel, Product Launch funnel, Perfect Webinar funnel, Real Stuff funnel, Fishbowl funnel, and Network Marketing Bridge funnel.

Whether you are running a small business or doing marketing for clients, the basic ClickFunnels plan is all you need.

Try ClickFunnels 14 days FREE.

ClickFunnels Pro

If you are thinking of running a business around building funnels, this plan could be the perfect fit. It gives unlimited funnels, pages, and follow-up funnels. On top of those, you also get up to 3 sub-users, 9 domains, and 9 payment gateways.

And you also get access to the weekly peer review Hackathon wherein coaches will guide you through building sales funnels every step of the way.

Meanwhile, FunnelFlix is robust enough for the basic plan. But with the Pro plan, it’s fortified with lessons you can’t find anywhere else.

The additional courses and training modules include topics like systems, traffic, sales, marketing, copywriting, business strategy, and peak performance. These include Tony Robbins Private Collection, One Funnel Away Challenge, Funnel U, 10x Secrets, Jay Abraham: The Anthology, Affiliate Bootcamp, Funnel Hackers TV, Funnel Builder Secrets, AdSkills, and so many more!

In total, these courses and training modules are estimated to cost $25,000! With ClickFunnels Pro, you get all of them — FREE!

Try ClickFunnels Pro 14 days FREE.

Funnel Hacker

The plan gives you unlimited funnels, pages, and follow-up funnels. You also get up to 15 sub-users, and 9 domains. On top of the priority support, you also get advanced analytics and everything you get from Pro, plus more.

If you are only starting out, the basic ClickFunnels plan is already a good starting point. The ClickFunnels Platinum plan, on the other hand, is a significant upgrade with unlimited funnels, pages, and follow-up funnels. It also has all the bells and whistles of ClickFunnels.

Try ClickFunnels Funnel Hacker 14 days FREE.

ClickFunnels Reviews

If you are still on the fence, ClickFunnels has a lot of users to help you decide. Let’s take a look at what other ClickFunnels users think of the software.

Jaime Cross, a mom of two and an entrepreneur from Colorado Springs, Colorado, has used ClickFunnels to supercharge her business along with her husband. Using ClickFunnels, the Crosses were able to generate over $130,000 in the first 6 weeks of their sales funnels.

Watch Jaime’s full testimony:

Sara Wells, a food blogger and affiliate marketer from Boise, Idaho, has taken advantage of ClickFunnels to support her food blogging website. She had been blogging since forever but did not make substantial money out of it until she discovered sales funnels. Sara created her funnels through ClickFunnels to sell recipe books and other digital products.

Watch Sara’s full story here:

Check out ClickFunnels for more testimonials!

Is ClickFunnels Legit?

Yes! ClickFunnels is legitimate with over 111,000 users from around the world! It’s backed by high-profile investors.

ClickFunnels has been around since 2014. Fast forward to date, it has generated over 1.64 billion contacts, created over 8.46 million funnels, and processed over $10.8 billion.

ClickFunnels offers a 14-day FREE trial. So you can try that to see for yourself.

Free ClickFunnels Templates

We have created a bunch of free high converting sales funnel templates that you can download and use directly in your ClickFunnels account. If you are in the fitness space, we have gym funnels, yoga studio funnels and funnels for personal trainers. We even have specific free funnels for realtors, agencies, dropshippers, chiropractors, and more.

Conclusion

That’s all for this quick ClickFunnels demo. We hope we gave you the answers to the questions “What is ClickFunnels?” and “How does ClickFunnels work.”

If you are wondering if ClickFunnels is worth it, I will set the record straight right here — YES! It’s worth the education, let alone use it to grow your business online.

Do you still have questions about ClickFunnels? Let us know in the comments. We’ll be happy to assist you!

Ready to grow your business online?

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Affiliate Disclosure: I am an independent ClickFunnels Affiliate, not an employee. I receive referral payments from ClickFunnels. The opinions expressed here are my own and are not official statements of ClickFunnels or its parent company, Etison LLC.

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