DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson was one of the first books that was recommended to me when I first started looking to build a business online back in 2016.
I liked it so much, that I added it to my list of all time favorite affiliate marketing books.
But 2016 was a long time ago, and a lot has changed, especially when it comes to online marketing.
So, is DotCom Secrets still worth reading today?
Bottom line. This book is intended for online businesses and entrepreneurs. It teaches you how you can make 2 to 3 times more money from the exact same customers and products that you already have using marketing funnels.
In the book, Russell reveals his greatest secrets to growing and scaling your business online.
So, the short answer is: Yes, its concepts and teachings are still relevant today because while funnel technology has changed, the need for business growth and profit haven’t.
So let’s get into the DotCom Secrets book review.
Russell Brunson is well known as the face of ClickFunnels, but his real superpower is internet marketing.
When it comes to internet marketing he’s literally been there, done it, and SOLD the T-shirt.
His claims to fame include:
He is the co-founder of ClickFunnels – with 100,000 active users and sales of $100,000,000 in the first three years.
It’s fair to say he plays in the major leagues BUT his strategies are just as applicable to bootstrapped startups as they are to multi-million dollar businesses.
The DotCom Secrets book was the first of Russell’s books first published in 2015 and has since been updated with newer content to include a further 13 ‘secrets’ gleaned from over a decade of ClickFunnels funnel building and split testing.
The late Dan Kennedy was a marketing genius and is often referred to as the Millionaire Maker. He wrote the forward to the DotCom Secrets book and said:
“In truth, this is a proven playbook for growing your company with effective lead generation and sales/conversion methods, which can be used online and offline.”
In essence, DotCom Secrets is a playbook for the exact marketing funnels that Russell used to grow and scale his own businesses.
The DotCom Secrets book is for any online business owner or entrepreneur wanting:
If you’re new to digital marketing and funnels, then the DotCom Secrets book could potentially become your playbook for all your online marketing strategies.
If you’ve already had deep exposure to internet marketing, then the book won’t blow your mind, but you’ll still find Russell’s perspective and anecdotal stories of interest.
The current release of DotCom Secrets reveals 28 secrets within 4 sections:
The fundamental learning you’ll gain is how to create a high-functioning funnel so that you can create 2 to 3 times more income from the same traffic and products so that your business becomes more profitable.
The more profitable your business is, the more you can spend on acquiring NEW customers. The more customers into your funnels and Value Ladder the more profitable you become and so on.
The Sales Funnels Secrets section is a great introduction and sets the tone for the book. My key learnings include: The Secret Formula, The Value Ladder, and The Attractive Character.
The Secret Formula:
In this section, Russell introduces us to what he calls the secret formula where he challenges you to answer 4 questions:
Who are your dream customers?
Where are they congregating – where can you find your dream customers?
What bait can you use to attract your dream clients (this is the - hook, story, or offer that you can use to grab their attention)?
What is the unique result you can create for your dream customer that they will perceive as being of high value to them?
Here is an excerpt from this chapter that sums up the main message:
"People don’t come to you because they want your product, they come to you because they want a specific result."
The idea is that if you build a product that is going to solve a problem for your dream customer, then you have the sound beginnings of a business.
Image Credit: DotCom Secrets Book – Example Value Ladder
There is also a significant part of the Sales Funnels Secrets section dedicated to the Value Ladder and creating offers and stacks. This is illustrated nicely in the following quote:
"There is no strategic advantage to being the 2nd lowest price leader in town. But there is a distinct advantage to being the most expensive" – Dan Kennedy
The concept of a Value Ladder is to move your dream clients up a ladder of offers with the goal being to extract the most value out of each customer.
In the later part of this section, you can learn about how to build your Attractive Character (Leader, Adventurer, Reporter, Reluctant Hero) which is the personality and backstory that you can use to connect with your customers.
He emphasizes the need to be authentic with a real back story that resonates with your audience while fitting into one of the Attractive Character templates.
Delving deeper into the Value Ladder, the book introduces the funnels that can be used at different stages of the ladder and how to attract and hook your dream customers into your Value Ladder:
Image Credit: DotCom Secrets Book –Funnel Principles
This section is packed with techniques and actionable steps you can take to build your funnels. But Russell is also an advocate of modeling his actions on others who have been successful. He got his idea from a quote he heard:
" You can always tell who the pioneers are because they have arrows on their backs and are lying face down in the dirt."
Meaning that being the first mover in an industry isn’t necessarily an advantage. Sometimes being a late starter allows you to learn from the mistakes of others before you. And to really emphasize this point he shares the exact funnels he uses, for you to replicate (funnel hacking) and customize.
The Funnel Scripts section addresses a lot of How-Tos:
There’s also a detailed break-down of the webinar funnel and “perfect webinar” script and other scripts that can convert potential customers into eager buyers.
The final secrets revealed introduce ClickFunnels and funnel building and cover topics like:
Sales and marketing funnels can help unlock 2 to 3 times more income from the same customers.
The Secret Formula that teaches you to identify your dream customers and to create a product that delivers them a desired result.
That by creating offers that go beyond the expected you can attract more of your dream customers.
Only when you have a deep understanding of your dream customer will you know their characteristics, preferences, and online behaviors. This knowledge is essential for effective targeted marketing.
The Value Ladder and how you can use different types of funnels for different levels of the ladder and move your dream clients through your ladder.
The idea that "funnel hacking" can help you leapfrog your competitors. Instead of re-inventing the wheel you can put your efforts into innovating and make deeper inroads into an already thriving sector.
There are significant differences between DotCom Secrets and Expert Secrets. Even though they teach different techniques and strategies, they complement each other in the overall blueprint of a successful business.
The messages in DotCom Secrets all lead back to the fundamentals of identifying your dream customer, building robust funnels and the Value Ladder.
Expert Secrets delves into buyer psychology and teaches how to get your message across and to attract and engage an audience of loyal customers.
Both books are important for any business and when applied, the information taught is a roadmap to building a stronger more profitable business.
When first starting out and getting their hands on these books, so many people ask which one they should read first. According to Russell Brunson’s Facebook page he states: If you’re starting out with your business then go read DotCom Secrets now.
But, both books offer different insights and both books are valuable to read.
The idea is that you implement the information from both books simultaneously to help grow your business in the most powerful and fastest way.
Ok. So the great news is that the DotCom Secrets book is FREE, you just pay for shipping ($9.95 USA or $19.95 Non-USA). More great news is that you get a few extra freebies thrown in (The Stack)!
The even better news is that there is a money-back guarantee. This seems like it is standard practice with Russell Brunson and ClickFunnels.
The bad news is that once you signup you enter a classic Russell Brunson funnel and Value Ladder. It’s ironic really. But you got to hand it to the guy. He really does practice what he preaches!
There are typically two to three upsells on the order page for DotCom Secrets.
The upsells change from time to time but usually include:
This deal includes funnel templates, images, and scripts with lifetime access to all the content. The Funnel University ‘Swipe Files’ is a way to funnel hack your way to a jump start.
The pack includes 125+ Premium Funnel Templates, Funnel Images Pro Account, and Traffic Secrets Scripts.
This order bump is everything you need to implement what you learn in The Secrets Trilogy.
This includes the One Funnel Challenge and an Exclusive Funnelology Masterclass. The upsell also includes The Secrets Trilogy Boxset with the Unlock the Secrets workbook for free.
The One Funnel Challenge is a 30-Day program of strategy, tactics, and implementation to build out your funnel. If you need a funnel blueprint to generate leads and turn those leads into customers, then the One Funnel Challenge is the solution to your problem.
This teaches you how to drive more traffic. It also includes some additional tools: Doodly, Toonly, and Talkia.
Doodly is a whiteboard animation software, Toonly is an animation software that specializes in creating explainer videos, and Talkia is text-to-speech software
In my humble opinion, I think Doodly and Talkia are both rudimentary and didn’t meet my needs. I canceled and got my money back. But I only had a basic plan, and this was a while ago now.
Given that you can get DotCom Secrets Free, the real question is: ‘Is DotCom Secrets worth my time’.
If you have a burning desire to really make your online business a success and need robust and proven strategies to get the show on the road. Then YES. DotCom Secrets is completely worth it and won’t disappoint.
Remember these are the SAME funnel-building principles and strategies Russell Brunson used to take ClickFunnels from zero to a near $1 Billion valuation in just 5 years.
However, if you don’t have the energy or passion or SHEER WILL POWER to put yourself out there and dig in and dig deep, then DotCom Secrets won’t change your life.
I guess I’m trying to say that no book on this planet is going to make you a millionaire. Only your own commitment, knowledge, and excellence in implementation will result in genuine success.
My Final Dotcom Secrets Review Verdict: Whatever your motivation to buy the book. As a minimum. I am certain you’ll find it an interesting read.
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Matthew Carter is our Hustle Life funnel building go-to-guy. His expertise across Kartra, ClickFunnels, and Leadpages has proven to be an invaluable resource!
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