Description

 ClickFunnels for Digital Products & PLR Business: Which Option Is Right for You?

In today’s digital marketplace, entrepreneurs have multiple paths to creating online income streams. Two popular approaches include selling original digital products or leveraging PLR (Private Label Rights) content through platforms like ClickFunnels. But which strategy aligns best with your business goals and resources?

ClickFunnels provides a comprehensive ecosystem for selling both original and PLR digital products, with its sales funnel capabilities streamlining the marketing and delivery process. This guide examines both approaches to help you make an informed decision for your online business.

 What Are Digital Products & PLR?

Digital products encompass any downloadable or accessible online content you can sell, including e-books, online courses, templates, software, and membership sites. These products typically offer high profit margins since there are no physical production costs after initial creation.

PLR products, meanwhile, are pre-created digital content packages you purchase with rights to modify, rebrand, and sell as your own. This content ranges from e-books and articles to video courses and graphics.

The fundamental difference lies in originality and control: original digital products are created entirely by you, while PLR involves customizing existing content. ClickFunnels works exceptionally well for both models, providing templates and automation tools specifically designed for digital product sales.

 ClickFunnels Platform Options: A Technical Comparison

Before diving into strategies, it’s important to understand the platform differences:

Feature	ClickFunnels 2.0 ($147/month)	ClickFunnels Classic ($97/month)
Funnel limits	10 funnels, unlimited pages	20 funnels, 100 pages
Digital product delivery	Built-in course hosting	Requires integration
Membership capability	Native membership sites	Requires third-party
PLR integration ease	High – drag-and-drop	Medium – more setup required

Option 1: Building Original Digital Products with ClickFunnels

Pros:

Creating your digital products gives you complete creative control over content, branding, and positioning. These original offerings typically command higher prices and customer perception of value. You can craft products that perfectly align with your brand voice and expertise, building a reputation as an authority in your niche.

ClickFunnels’ drag-and-drop interface makes it straightforward to create sales pages that showcase your unique digital products’ value proposition. The platform’s order forms, payment processing, and delivery systems streamline the entire sales process.

Case Study: Sarah Johnson, a nutritionist using ClickFunnels, saw a 42% increase in average order value after switching from selling PLR health guides to creating her own signature 30-day meal planning system. “The Order Bump feature was particularly effective for my custom recipes collection,” Sarah explains, “with 37% of customers adding it to their purchase.”

Technical Implementation: For original digital products, the “Product Launch” funnel template in ClickFunnels 2.0 performs best, with conversion rates averaging 3.8% compared to generic sales funnels at 2.2%, according to ClickFunnels’ internal data.

Cons:

Original product creation requires a significant time investment for research, development, and production. The upfront costs can be substantial if you need to hire designers, editors, or developers. Additionally, the timeline from conception to launch is longer, potentially delaying your revenue generation.

 Option 2: Leveraging PLR Products with ClickFunnels

Pros:

The standout advantage of PLR products is speed to market. You can acquire pre-made content, make moderate customizations, and have a sellable product within days rather than months. This approach requires lower creation costs and allows you to test multiple product offerings quickly to see what resonates with your audience.

ClickFunnels’ template library complements PLR business models perfectly, as you can rapidly deploy sales funnels for different PLR products to test market response before scaling successful offerings.

Observed Pattern: Digital PLR products typically convert at 1.5-2.3% on ClickFunnels compared to 2.8-4.2% for original products, according to a 2024 survey by Digital Product Sellers Association. However, PLR sellers can launch 5-7 products in the time it takes to create one original product.

Technical Insight: When selling PLR products, ClickFunnels’ OTO (One-Time Offer) pages work particularly well for upselling additional PLR bundles, with 28% of customers accepting these offers compared to the industry average of 21%. For maximum effectiveness, use the ClickFunnels “Tripwire” funnel template, which has shown 32% higher conversion rates for PLR products than standard sales pages.

Cons:

The primary challenge with PLR is market saturation. Since multiple businesses can purchase and sell the same PLR content, differentiation becomes crucial. Many PLR products require substantial customization to stand out, which can negate some of the time-saving benefits. Additionally, PLR content sometimes lacks the depth and uniqueness that discerning customers seek.

Platform Limitation: ClickFunnels Classic users should note that the platform’s delivery system has occasional delays with large PLR video files (over 500MB). Consider using Vimeo or Wistia integration for more reliable delivery of video-based PLR.

 Hybrid Approach: Combining Both Strategies

Many successful ClickFunnels users implement a hybrid strategy. This approach uses PLR content as foundational material that you substantially enhance with original insights, case studies, or methodologies.

For example, you might start with a PLR course framework, but record your video modules and add proprietary worksheets. ClickFunnels makes this hybrid model effective through its ability to create multi-tier value ladders – perhaps offering a PLR-based lead magnet that funnels into your premium original product.

Expert Insight: Russell Brunson, ClickFunnels co-founder, recommends: “Start with PLR to test market demand, then create original products for the topics that gain traction. The hybrid approach can reduce your time to profitability by 60%.” This strategy is detailed further in his book “DotCom Secrets.”

Implementation Metrics: According to ClickFunnels’ 2024 User Success Report, hybrid approach funnels achieve average conversion rates of 3.1%, bridging the gap between pure PLR (1.9%) and fully original content (4.0%).

 Alternative Platforms Worth Considering

While ClickFunnels offers robust features, consider these alternatives based on your specific needs:

• Kajabi ($149/mo): Better native course delivery but higher cost
• ThriveCart ($495 lifetime): Lower cost for simple digital product sales
• Kartra ($99/mo): More comprehensive marketing automation

Each platform has strengths and weaknesses for digital product and PLR businesses, so evaluate based on your specific requirements and budget.

 Conclusion & Recommendations

When deciding between original digital products and PLR on ClickFunnels, consider these factors:

•  Available time and resources for content creation
•  Your unique expertise and value proposition
•  Target market expectations and sophistication
•  Long-term brand-building goals

For beginners with limited resources, starting with quality PLR that you meaningfully customize can provide a quicker path to generating revenue on ClickFunnels. As you build your audience and better understand their needs, transitioning to more original content often makes strategic sense.

Realistic Expectations: Be aware that success with either model typically takes 3-6 months of consistent effort. According to ClickFunnels’ user data, the average digital product seller tests 3-5 different offers before finding their first successful product, regardless of whether they use original or PLR content.

Whichever route you choose, ClickFunnels’ sales funnel capabilities provide the infrastructure to effectively market, sell, and deliver your digital products. Consider starting with their 14-day free trial  to explore how the platform might support your digital product or PLR business model.