What I built
A standalone landing page that does what ClickFunnels, Leadpages, or Unbounce do: it pitches your offer, compares it to the alternatives, captures an email address, and delivers a downloadable PDF guide. The whole thing lives on my own domain, inside my own project, and costs nothing to run month over month.
If you run a local business and you've ever thought "I should have a page that explains this service and collects emails," this is that page — without the $97/month subscription and without hiring a developer.
What it replaces (and what those tools actually cost)
The "funnel builder" category exists because building a landing page used to require a developer. These tools solved that problem years ago. They still charge for it monthly:
| Tool | Monthly cost | 5-year cost |
|---|---|---|
| ClickFunnels | $97–$297/mo | $5,820–$17,820 |
| Leadpages | $37–$74/mo | $2,220–$4,440 |
| Unbounce | $74–$187/mo | $4,440–$11,220 |
| Instapage | $199+/mo | $11,940+ |
| Build your own | $0/mo (Netlify free tier + Formspree free tier) |
$0 |
That's not a typo. The cheapest option in the funnel-builder category costs more across five years than most local businesses spend on their entire web presence. And all of them do the same thing: show a page, collect an email, deliver a file. You're paying for a drag-and-drop editor you use once, then renting the result forever.
Why it matters for a local business
Most local businesses don't need a 47-step sales funnel with upsells, downsells, order bumps, and a webinar sequence. They need one landing page that says:
- Here's what I do
- Here's why it's better than the alternative
- Give me your email and I'll send you a free guide
That's it. That's the whole funnel. A plumber doesn't need ClickFunnels to offer a "5 Things to Check Before You Call a Plumber" PDF in exchange for an email. A dog groomer doesn't need Unbounce to hand out a coat-care checklist. You need one page, one form, and one downloadable file.
You don't need to rent ClickFunnels for that. You certainly don't need to rent it for five years.
How it actually works
The whole thing is one HTML page with four sections. No database, no backend, no subscription:
- Pitch section. A headline, a few sentences about what you do, and why someone should care. This is the top of the page — the thing people see when they land.
- Comparison section. A simple table or side-by-side that shows your approach vs. the alternatives. People skim this — make it scannable.
- Email capture form. Powered by Formspree (free tier handles 50 submissions/month — more than enough for most local businesses). Someone fills in their email, you get notified, they get a thank-you message.
- PDF download link. A direct link to a PDF hosted in your own project. No gated content platform, no Mailchimp integration required (though you can add one later). They click, they download, done.
The page is hosted on Netlify for free. Google Analytics tracks who visits, where they came from, and whether they submitted the form. You can see exactly which traffic source drives the most signups — no paid analytics tier required.
Want to build it yourself?
If you want to walk through it on your own, reach out and I'll point you to the right starting place. The video above shows the full build — it's the same pattern every time, and once you've done it once, you can spin up a new funnel page in an afternoon.
Want me to build it for you?
A lead funnel page is a core piece of both the 7-Day Liftoff and the Owner Bootcamp. You get a landing page that captures leads, lives on your domain, and costs nothing to run — plus the training to update it yourself whenever you want.
Not sure which option fits? Book a free 30-minute call and I'll tell you straight.