Five stars! Buy here! Buy now! If you’re anything like me, you’ve searched the internet high and low for a platform that does what you need it to do.
Leadpages gets the job done for people with small budgets.
Pricing starts at $37 /month and goes up to $321 /month.
Leadpages is easy to use but a bit cumbersome and clunky.
Leadpage offers quick email support 7 days a week.
Five stars! Buy here! Buy now! If you’re anything like me, you’ve searched the internet high and low for a platform that does what you need it to do.
If you’re looking for the best sales funnel software and you’re not pleased with and you’re looking for a solution, you’ve probably read a lot of fluffy reviews about how great each and every one of these solutions are and why you should subscribe immediately.
You subscribe, only to be disappointed after only a few days. The platform doesn’t have the features you need, and if it does, it’s hard to understand or it costs a ton of cash.
I’m not going to sugarcoat anything while reviewing Leadpages: it’s good, but for many marketing needs, there are simply better options – but they come at a price.
In this Leadpages review, we take an in-depth look at the software by a real user. Some things I liked, and some things I didn’t. By the end of this review, you’ll have enough information to either pull the trigger or walk away.
If you’ve ever seen a landing page or pop-up, you’ve seen something like what Leadpages helps you create. A landing page is a webpage that aims to achieve a single goal. The goal is typically to capture information – like an email address – from the user. You offer something like a webinar or a newsletter in exchange.
Leadpages is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, landing page builder on the market. The company promises that it’s “The #1 Landing Page Builder,” which means they think highly of themselves.
It’s hard to argue with 43,000 users and $27 million in funding. They are the biggest SaaS landing page tool on the market, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon. However, the company has experienced some internal turbulence, causing layoffs and some restructuring.
Also, keep in mind that being the biggest doesn’t mean being the best. There are a lot of landing page builders out there, and we’ll talk about a few of the alternatives in a bit. Plenty of them is a lot cheaper, too.
What Leadpages does right is marketing. That’s how they got to be the biggest. You can reap the benefits of all of their hard work by checking out some of their free marketing courses. Their affiliate program is also pretty powerful.
Leadpages is for people who take comfort in knowing that their businesses are backed by plenty of support and stability.
Maybe the most advanced tools aren’t that important to you, but knowing that the company providing the software you buy isn’t going to shut down tomorrow is comforting.
They also have some powerful lead generation tools and a drag-and-drop editor that does make it easier to create pages for those who aren’t very tech savvy.
However, it’s not for people who want to be able to build their pages from scratch because it does not allow you to create pages outside of the templates in its editor.
Leadpages has a simple pricing plan which includes three different subscription options:
However if you pay for a full year, you will get a 39% discount:
The major differences between these plans is the inclusion of features such as online sales and payments, advanced integrations, unlimited split testing, opt-in text campaigns, advanced integrations, and email trigger links.
Leadpages gives marketers a whole host of features that makes it an attractive offer that we are going to take a look at.
One good thing I will say about Leadpages is that there are a lot of templates. They’re categorized by type – thank-you pages, opt-ins, and webinars – as well as how well they increase conversions. They’re all mobile-responsive, so you don’t need to worry about optimization.
You can sort these templates by conversion rate so you know which are proven. Leadpages has done a lot of research on its 43,000 landing pages to determine these conversion rates. When you sort by highest converting, it reorganizes the list with best converting pages at the top.
Here’s the problem with that: Leadpages doesn’t define conversion percentage or provide any other data, like how long the template has been active or the conversion rate variance. I suppose they don’t have to, but I’d have more confidence in the templates if they did.
It’s also important to remember that a lot of things affect conversions, so as you customize your template in the editor, it may gain or lose effectiveness accordingly.
There are more than 500 templates to choose from. Some of them are free, but more are premium. This is both good and bad. Premium templates cost money over and above your Leadpages subscription, but they offer higher conversions and better designs by far.
Free templates suffer from overexposure. Everyone wants something free, so you run into the trouble of your page looking dated and overused. Surprisingly, the highest converting pages are some of the ugliest. If you’re willing to use something unattractive to get those conversions, go for it.
The premium templates are much better. They’re simpler, they use full image backgrounds, and they’re more modern. In general, they’re more visually appealing and easier to make consistent with your brand.
Leadpages templates are built specifically for their two editors and can only be used there. You may find this to be a drawback when you want to edit templates in another editor. It’s also a problem if you ever decide to move away from Leadpages and want to keep the same page design.
You also cannot use the Leadpages standard templates in the drag-and-drop editor, nor can you use drag-and-drop templates in the standard editor. They’re not interchangeable, so if you want to add customization to a standard template via the drag-and-drop editor, you simply can’t do it.
The standard editor came first. Before users began begging for a more customizable solution, this is what you got. I will say it’s simple and very easy to use, but the reason it’s easy is that it doesn’t provide much customization.
It’s quick, but the styling options are very limited. I went into this editor expecting these limitations and was still surprised at the lack of options for making even the smallest changes. There’s no option to move elements or add new ones. That includes maps, countdown timers, headlines, or anything else you might want to add to the page.
I was also frustrated by the lack of an undo button, the inability to replace a video with an image, and the inability to remove the shadow from a block of text. You can hide images, but because you can’t add one in its place, you’re left with a hole in the page.
All of these drawbacks make it hard to match your pages to your current branding, so they seem disconnected from your site when you implement them, creating a disjointed experience for your users.
Here’s how to use the standard editor:
The drag-and-drop editor does feature more customization options, but it’s far from perfect. It can be quite frustrating to go into the platform thinking you get full customization and control, only to find that you don’t.
You can add more elements like images, text, and functions. You can also move them around instead of hiding them. That was a bit of a relief. However, the process was a bit cumbersome at times. For the price you’re paying, you should expect more from a drag-and-drop editor. After all, it’s not a new concept and others do it better.
The most frustrating part of the drag-and-drop editor is that when you drag an element onto the template, it will snap to the closest open place. Most of the time, that’s not where you dropped it.
Here’s what’s happening behind the scenes: the templates have off-limits spots, so when you’re placing a widget, there are only certain areas where it will go. The rest of the template won’t accept the widgets, which is why elements snap into place rather than sitting where you want them.
Elements will also change size unexpectedly to fit where you put them. Resizing elements is hardly an option because they don’t offer a grab-able corner to drag and size. They simply pop into the closest spot that allows that type of element and automatically resize to fit the space, which may not fit the design of the element.
Drag-and-drop templates also don’t have A/B testing or the plethora of integrations that standard templates do. It’s missing a big icon library, customizable Leadboxes, and stylized countdown timers.
Here’s how to use the drag-and-drop editor:
First of all, A/B testing is only available for Pro users or above. Second of all, it’s only available in the standard editor. It is fairly easy to do in Leadpages, here is how you can set up:
You can create alternate page versions and then test how they function for your users. The tool works as it should, and I don’t have any complaints as far as functionality goes. It’s much like other A/B testing tools I’ve seen.
Finally, something I really liked. Leadboxes are pop-up boxes triggered by an action like a button click, exit intent, or time on a page.
Leadboxes allow you to send leads to a sub list, sign attendees up for a webinar, or send a lead magnet. You can find all of these functions in the settings, and you don’t even have to leave the Leadbox tool to see the changes.
More styling would be great, but it was so easy to use and I was pleased with how intuitive Leadboxes were to create. However, there really is only one Leadbox design. I don’t need hundreds, but a few options would have been nice.
Here’s more good news: you can customize Leadboxes in the drag-and-drop editor. Sure, there’s only one design, but you can customize it so that it looks different, which is a relief because I didn’t want to feel boxed in (pun intended).
Only a small portion of Leadpages users will need the Leaddigits feature, but it’s a nifty tool. Leaddigits has been around since the inception of Leadpages, and it hasn’t changed much in that time.
Here is how you can use it for your business:
It allows your customers to opt into your list via text. All they have to do is text a phrase to the five-digit number provided, and Leaddigits will ask them for their email. You’re capturing both phone numbers and email, plus adding them to your list.
This is a good option for speakers at a conference sending out slides to those who text, or a business owner putting Leaddigits on brochures and marketing materials to get newsletter signups.
However, it’s hard to measure conversion rates from Leaddigits. They’re hard to track because a lot of people are hesitant to opt in for fear of receiving marketing calls. The need for Leaddigits definitely isn’t as widespread as the need for Leadpages, but it’s there if you need it, and it’s pretty simple to use.
Leaddigits are easy to create. From the main screen, choose the Leaddigits option. Click Create New Leaddigit. Enter your country and your phone number then choose the phrase you want your customers to text in. You may also choose to customize your opt-in message.
The WordPress plugin makes it easy to publish pages straight from your dashboard. This is the way I recommend doing it, because WordPress is a great solution for hosting your site. If you’re already doing that, just install the WordPress plugin so you can publish directly.
Keep in mind that the WordPress plugin isn’t listed in the wordpress.org directory. You have to install it from the Leadpages website. This isn’t the most intuitive installation option, but once you do it, you won’t regret it.
If you don’t want to take my word for it, let’s look at some reviews. I’ve scoured the internet to find some user reviews that seem positive, but there are always other perspectives.
Some people find Leadpages easy to use and love it. They think it truly is the best tool on the market – and for their needs, it might be.
For instance, power user Colin Newcomer says, “If you want a super easy way to create gorgeous landing pages across multiple sites, as well as advanced features like Leadboxes, tons of integrations, and A/B testing, Leadpages won’t let you down.”
If you’re looking for a landing page builder, you’re likely looking for a way to increase conversions. You want a way to get incremental newsletter sign-ups or emails on your list. However, you’re also probably not super tech savvy, so you need some help.
Leadpages and other landing page builders are built with you in mind. They attempt to make it easy for you to build gorgeous pages without knowing how to code them from scratch. However, if you have a full-time development team and a UI/UX designer, then you should lean on them for design and implementation that’s consistent with your brand.
Setting aside my quarrels with Leadpages, you do need to consider whether you’re going to save time, money, and effort when building these pages. Especially if you’re not tech savvy enough to do it yourself, you have to find a way to crank pages out and increase conversions.
You can quickly create landing pages for all kinds of purposes using Leadpages or another solution. Plus, you can use other tools like Leadboxes and Leadlinks to market more efficiently. What you save in time, you pay for with decreased flexibility and customization, but the simplified editor does make it fast.
Leadpages has already done a ton of research on conversion rates and which templates are proven to increase yours. Make sure the platform you choose has done the research and gives you the ability to sort templates by conversion rate. Otherwise, there’s no point in using it.
Look for a landing page builder that offers A/B testing. You will never be able to estimate the power of simple changes like the color of your button or the capitalization of certain keywords. The value of an A/B testing solution cannot be measured. You really do need it.
Make sure the landing page building platform you choose offers support. Advanced support by phone, email, or live chat is always best, but make sure they at least have one way to reach out for support when you need it. That way, you won’t be left in a lurch if you don’t understand a feature.
Onboarding is a great offering from many of the landing page builders on the market today. With brief but helpful videos on how certain tools work, you can get up to speed quickly and may not even need to reach out for support.
If the company offers regular live webinars or training videos on YouTube, that’s even better. This isn’t a must, but it’s a nice way for you to feel like they care about your success with their software tools.
Some people feel like a landing page builder is useless if it doesn’t integrate with the solutions they’re already using. Look for integrations like 1ShoppingCart, ActiveCampaign, AWeber, Constant Contact, Drip, Emma, GetResponse, GoToWebinar, Hubspot, iContact, Infusionsoft, Interspire, Mad Mimi, MailChimp, Marketo, Ontraport, Salesforce, SendReach, and WebinarJam.
For the record, those are all of the integrations that Leadpages offers. There are plenty of other solutions out there that you may already be using to manage the different parts of your business, so consider which are the most important to you and find a platform that integrates with them. Don’t reorganize your entire process for one landing page builder unless you feel it’s truly worth it.
As good as Leadpage is, it is not a perfect by any means. Here are some things I don’t like about it.
By making such a simple solution for course creators, you ironically lose creativity by using Podia because you are limited by how you can design your course.
Don’t get me wrong, courses created in Podia look great. But your ability to get creative with your courses are limited.
Also by creating an ‘authority’ site, you will be creating a passive stream of income that you can use to help pay for the lifestyle you want. Or you could sell the site later on for a 30x-40x month multiple.
As I mentioned earlier, one of the key features I feel should be included in the base version is the ability to add third party analytics software like Google analytics and Facebook Pixel to Podia.
This makes things such as retargeting your audience based on their interests and interaction on your course limited.
There are a lot of landing page builders out there. Some are good, some are great, and some are just plain awful. I’ve tried a few of them, and here are my recommendations.
ClickFunnels is a great software solution for beginners. If you’re just starting out and you need a tool to help you build a sales process and learn as you go, ClickFunnels is easy to set up and use. You can read my full review here
The core functionality here is building sales funnels, but it’s also packed with other features like analytics, A/B testing, SEO management, form creation, templates, funnel blueprints, a drag-and-drop editor, and more.
As a beginner, you should make sure you have the support and knowledge base you need to get the most out of a new tool, and ClickFunnels does a great job of giving you live webinars, help documentation, and 24/7 support.
While you can use it to build landing pages, membership sites, squeeze pages, sales funnels, and webinars, one of the primary benefits here is that you can take advantage of their funnel template blueprints, which are easy for a beginner to understand.
The ClickFunnels editor allows you to add widgets, edit text, drop in images, add buttons, create surveys, include pricing tables, make countdown timers, and a whole lot more. They also have one of the best affiliate marketing programs I’ve ever seen.
ClickFunnels is more expensive than Leadpages, but in my opinion, it offers a lot more functionality.
There are some features that are unique to Leadpages like Leaddigits, Leadlinks, and Leadboxes, but with the right sales process in place, you can get around using those things most of the time.
For building a sales process using the funnels you need, ClickFunnels is the better choice. To be honest, though, you should never pay for something you don’t need, so if you’re not looking for a funnel builder and you strictly want the page builder, don’t pay for ClickFunnels.
What Clickfunnels offers over Leadpages:
If you create online courses like webinars, Podia is my preferred choice. It helps you reach your audience so you can be seen and heard. It gives you the ability to create a digital storefront for all of your products, digital downloads, courses, and memberships. You can read my full Podia review here
While you can’t create your content on Podia, you can use their tools to promote the content you’re creating elsewhere. You can generate income from marketing and selling your content using Podia.
It really is the most creator-friendly option on the market. A lot of digital storefronts make it insanely hard to make money. They take huge fees and don’t provide instant transfers. Podia offers instant payouts from your sales with no transaction fees.
It’s a comprehensive tool with intuitive designs. You can run a lean website with a great checkout experience so your customers will enjoy working with you and want to come back. Take advantage of the free trial to see what it’s all about. It’s a pretty affordable solution once you decide to convert, too.
They offer 24/7 support and they’re constantly making improvements. However, one of the downsides is that you can’t customize the digital storefront, so there’s a bit of a lack of control in that regard.
What Podia offers over Leadpages:
The main advantage of Unbounce lies in allowing you to manage multiple clients. If you run a business creating pages for other people, the Unbounce CRM tool will help you tremendously.
You can create beautiful landing pages right in the editor, and you can even duplicate them for other clients when you find one that works. Don’t reinvent the wheel by using a different template every time. Just change out the colors and text to suit each client.
With Unbounce, you can also create sticky bars and pop-ups to increase engagement. It’s easy to create almost everything without needing experience with HTML, PHP, or JavaScript.
Unbounce has an endless supply of templates, much like Leadpages. The platform will help you categorize them by industry, which makes it easier to choose one that works for you. They’re all optimized for mobile already, so you simply have to customize them.
Much like Leadpages, Unbounce has also done a ton of research to let you know which pages are the most successful at leading conversions. The editor is easier to use than Leadpages’ because it truly is a What You See Is What You Get solution.
Unbounce provides integrations and A/B testing, but where it truly differs from Leadpages is in the agency tools. If you’re a coach or an agency, you want the CRM tools to help you manage your clients. Change permissions for each user and save a ton of time.
The downside to Unbounce is that it doesn’t integrate with any analytics tools, so if you’re providing analytics to your clients, you’ll have to find another way to do it. There are no webinars or tutorials, either, so you’re on your own if you need help.
What Unbounce offers over Leadpages:
If you’re looking for a inexpensive landing page builder that provides both a standard editor and a drag-and-drop editor for increased customization, Leadpages has what you need.
There were times when it wasn’t as intuitive as I wanted it to be, but it still has a ton of templates to choose from.
Pro tip: the premium templates are worth the money.
If you can get past the drag-and-drop editor’s cumbersome qualities, you’ll likely have a pleasant experience. A lot of people really love it. If you go in knowing what to expect, that makes your experience a bit easier, too.
The great thing about Leadpages is that they’ve been around for a while, they’re backed by a lot of funding, and they are constantly making improvements. You won’t find yourself out of luck if the business shuts down and you lose your data, because that’s not likely to happen.
Check out what Leadpages can do for you and learn why they say they’re the number one product on the market for creating landing pages that convert.
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