If you’re in the business of online marketing, you’ve probably heard of ClickFunnels. It’s one of the most popular (and powerful) marketing tools. But how did it all start? Who created it? And how does it stand out from the competition?
ClickFunnels started as an idea by co-founders Russell Brunson and Todd Dickerson to compete with LeadPages. They came together after Russell sent an email to his customers looking for a Ruby on Rails developer. Todd replied and said he would be glad to join the team as an employee or a partner.
ClickFunnels was launched in 2014 and has since grown to a user base of over 100,000 people. That’s pretty impressive! And it’s only growing in popularity due to its intuitive design and powerful features. The road to success had some ups and downs though, so let’s take a look at the history of ClickFunnels.
Who Started ClickFunnels?
Russel Brunson and Todd Dickerson are the masterminds behind ClickFunnels. These two entrepreneurs met in 2013 and started working on the software that would eventually become ClickFunnels. After the launch, the software quickly gained popularity among internet marketers and small businesses.
The two created the self-funded project within a week. Russell has a strong background in internet marketing, while Todd is a web developer.
The energy and work ethics of the entrepreneurs resulted in software that quickly became the brand to beat in the industry.
Russell has authored several books on internet marketing (DotCom Secrets, Expert Secrets, Funnel Hacker’s Cookbook, and Traffic Secrets).
He is also a popular speaker, known for his high-energy style and entertaining stories.
Todd is the co-CEO of ClickFunnels and has over 20 years of experience in web development. He is responsible for the technical aspects of the software.
Todd started his first digital marketing company while he was still in college in 2003. He has extensive knowledge in SEO, web design, and conversion optimization.
Todd’s educational background as a software engineer, information systems expert, and marketing guru makes him the perfect partner for Russell.
The two entrepreneurs have complementary skills that make them a great team.
The Story Behind ClickFunnels Initial Stages
Russel is an entrepreneur and a marketing expert who has been in the industry for over two decades.
Before launching ClickFunnels, he had already tried and failed at several businesses.
He started his first business while still at Boise State University, where he was a wrestler as well.
His love for radio and TV adverts shaped his desire for marketing. He even used to collect junk emails for inspiration and took up any opportunities that came his way.
During the 2008 recession, a company he was running got into severe financial trouble, and he was ready to declare bankruptcy.
However, Russel hired an attorney who helped him get out of the office lease and find a new location. They relocated to a smaller office and started to lay off employees.
By the end of 2009, they had to lay off about 93 members of their staff. While on his business exploration, Russell bid for a website (championsound.com), and he won.
Unfortunately, it was coded with Ruby on Rails which his team had limited knowledge of.
He reached out to his customers to see if anyone could help him, and that’s how he met Todd. Todd brought a lot to the table and helped Russel turn things around.
Then, in 2013, they read about a $5 million LeadPages funding, and that’s when they decided to start working on their own sales funnel software.
They wanted to create something that would be better than LeadPages and make it more user-friendly.
The market didn’t have a lot of funnel builders at that point, so they set out to create the best one possible.
After Launching ClickFunnels
On the launch day, they expected to gain around 5,000 sign-ups. Sadly, they didn’t get anywhere close to this goal at first.
That is when the company decided to change tactics. Russell put together a presentation and delivered it live.
To the team’s surprise, they closed deals with more than 30% of the people who watched the presentation. It was a game-changer for ClickFunnels.
The company started to develop webinars where Russell could share his knowledge and experience in marketing and sales.
After that, ClickFunnels started to gain traction and grow its user base.
But one hurdle was still unconquered. The company had to face the fact that they were competing with funded companies.
They had to be creative in their marketing. So the team came up with strategies that would get them noticed.
They started by using Facebook ads and targeting people who were already in the market for similar products.
This helped them get in front of their target audience, and they were able to grow their user base pretty quickly.
However, the cost per lead could be as high as $120, which was unsustainable. Russell and Todd decided to take a different approach to avoid the high expense.
Russell wrote his first book: Dotcom Secrets. The book proved to be an important part of the company’s growth.
Instead of advertising the software, the team focused on marketing the book. They gave the book for free and only asked for shipping costs.
This strategy worked out well, and they could get the book into the hands of their target audience.
People who read the book were interested in what ClickFunnels could do for them.
Potential customers could spend around $32 on ClickFunnels products and services.
This was a good amount considering the company spent less than $15 to generate a lead.
As experts in sales funnels, the team decided to use the skills to leverage against their competitors.
The approach proved instrumental, and soon the business was bringing in hundreds of customers every day.
How Many Users Does Clickfunnels Have?
As of 2019, ClickFunnels has over 100,000 users. The program is popular among small businesses, internet marketers, and entrepreneurs.
The combination of a user-friendly platform and powerful features make it a valuable tool for all businesses.
ClickFunnels allows you to create sales funnels, landing pages, webinars, and membership pages.
It’s no wonder this service has been so successful! The team behind ClickFunnels is constantly innovating and adding new features to the platform.
Today, ClickFunnels is among the top non-backed software companies in the world. The company is worth over $350 million and continues to grow.
ClickFunnels generates over $1 million in monthly recurring revenue. The once cash-strapped business is now one of the most successful software companies in the world.
ClickFunnels is changing the way businesses market and sell online. The platform has helped businesses increase their sales and improve conversion rates.
If you’re looking for a powerful marketing tool, ClickFunnels is definitely worth considering.
Launching Other Products
Because ClickFunnels was founded by great marketers, they understand that diversifying their products is important.
In addition to the sales funnel tool, the company has also launched products like:
- Funnel University
- One Funnel Away Challenge
- Funnel Hackathons
- Books
1. Funnel University
In 2016, ClickFunnels launched Funnel University. This online training program teaches people how to build sales funnels.
The course is designed for beginners and covers everything from choosing a niche to driving traffic to your funnel.
2. One Funnel Away Challenge
The OFA was created to help businesses launch their first funnel and product.
The course will help you to:
- Launch a business within your area of interest
- Understand your target market
- Create a sales funnel
- Generate traffic to your funnel
- Convert leads into customers
For only $100, you get access to 30 days of training, support from mentors, and a community of like-minded entrepreneurs.
3. Funnel Hackathons
The Funnel Hackathon is an online live event where you get free training on funnel creation if you have the Platinum ClickFunnels Plan.
Here, you get an opportunity to interact with funnel experts and ask questions. Each hackathon focuses on a particular type of funnel.
The sessions are 30-45 minutes long, and each hackathon is recorded so you can watch the replay if you miss it.
4. Books
To help people learn more about funnels and marketing principles, the company has also published books like Dotcom Secrets, Expert Secrets, and TrafficSecrets.
- Dotcom secrets: Helps you to grow your business online.
- Expert Secrets: Teaches you how to create mass appeal for your products or services.
- Traffic Secrets: Helps you to generate more traffic to your funnels.
These books are available in physical format. You only need to pay for the shipping to get any of the books.
Why ClickFunnels Has Grown So Fast?
Since its inception in 2014, ClickFunnels has grown rapidly. In just a few years, the company has acquired over 100,000 users.
A powerful combination of factors has led to this success.
1. Marketing Prowess
You can’t sell what isn’t working for you. The people behind ClickFunnels are masters of marketing and sales.
They’ve used the same strategies to grow ClickFunnels into a 100,000-user company in just a few years.
Because the founders designed their product to fill a need, they know what customers are looking for.
As marketers themselves, they used their expertise to build and improve ClickFunnels.
They use the exact same strategies they advertise, so you’re not missing out on any big secrets when you sign up.
The strategies work, and the success of Clickfunnels proves that.
2. Innovative Features
ClickFunnels is constantly growing, and developers are always adding new features to the platform.
The software is easy to use and comes with many features that businesses can use to increase sales.
Some of the most popular features include:
- A/B Testing
- Email Integration
- Webinar Integration
- Membership Sites
The company is also constantly adding new templates and designs to the platform. This helps businesses save time on creating funnels from scratch.
ClickFunnels has a team of designers that create high-converting funnel templates.
3. Diversification
There is more to ClickFunnels than just sales funnels. The company has diversified its product line to include courses, webinars, books, and competitions.
This has made ClickFunnels a one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses.
The company’s products are designed to help people in different stages of their businesses. For example, the One Funnel Away Challenge is perfect for startups.
On the other hand, the Funnel University is great for people who want to learn more about marketing and sales.
Each of these products is designed to help businesses grow in different ways.
4. Shrewd Business Moves
In addition to its innovative products, ClickFunnels has made some great business moves.
The company has acquired several other businesses, including:
- Doodly
- Toonly
- Voomly
- Talkia
- Automatic Script
This move has helped establish the company as a sales funnel software industry leader.
They gained access to these companies and their assets so that they could improve their own. ClickFunnels is always looking for ways to grow its business.
5. Free Products
In addition to its paid products, ClickFunnels also offers several free products.
The company’s blog is an excellent resource for entrepreneurs. It’s full of articles on marketing, sales, and business growth.
ClickFunnels also offers many free courses, including the Funnel Builder Secrets Training and the Traffic Secrets Course.
These courses help entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Plus, they’re free!
6. Effective Affiliate Program
Where else can you get paid a 40% commission for referring people to a product you love?
The ClickFunnels affiliate program is one of the most effective options in the industry. It’s a great way to earn money by referring people to a product.
As an affiliate, you can promote ClickFunnels to your audience and earn a commission on every sale.
This is a great way to grow your business and make money at the same time.
Apart from that, you get training on how to be a successful affiliate marketer.
The ClickFunnels affiliate program is definitely worth checking out. You don’t even need to have an account to join!
7. 14-Days Free Trial
ClickFunnels offers a 14-day free trial, so you can try out the software and see if it’s right for you.
If you’re not satisfied with the product, you can cancel your account within 14 days, and they won’t charge you anything.
In most cases, people get a lot of value from the free trial and become paying customers.
The trial acts as a hook to get people to try out the software and see how it can help their business.
8. Efficient Email Marketing Strategy
ClickFunnels has an excellent email marketing strategy. The company uses several techniques to grow its email list and keep subscribers engaged.
Some of the techniques that ClickFunnels uses include:
- Creating high-quality content
- Offering free courses and resources
- Hosting webinars and events
- Running contests and giveaways
Using these techniques, ClickFunnels has grown its email list to hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
The company constantly finds new ways to engage its audience and keep them coming back for more.
9. Focus on Helping Businesses Make Money
It’s rare to see a company that is so focused on helping its customers make money. Most companies are more concerned with making money for themselves.
But ClickFunnels is different. The company’s entire mission is to help businesses grow and be successful.
For example, the addition of Order Bumps allows businesses to offer additional products to their customers at checkout.
This is an effective way for businesses to make more money and increase their sales. This approach sets the company apart from its competitors.
Key Takeaway
ClickFunnels started as a way to help businesses grow and be successful.
The company has grown significantly over the years and now offers several different products and services.
Russell and Todd’s experience in marketing and software development have helped ClickFunnels become the successful company it is today.
As Russell puts it, choosing the right business partner was the second-best choice he made after that of a spouse.
This can be seen in the growth of ClickFunnels from 2014 to the company it is today.