Episode Overview

Podcast: The Russell Brunson Show
Episode: 68% Of Your Visitors Never Even See Your Funnel...
Date: August 30, 2017
Host: Russell Brunson

In this episode, Russell Brunson dives into a powerful but often overlooked factor in funnel success: page load times. Inspired by insights from his inner circle member Trevor Chapman, Russell unpacks data showing that the majority of visitors—68%—leave the page before it even finishes loading. He explores the implications for funnel builders, the connection between page aesthetics and conversion rates, and practical strategies for improving load times (and therefore, income) without any changes to copy or offers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Page Load Time Crisis

• Trevor Chapman’s Discovery (01:28–02:40)

  • Trevor, analyzing his funnel data via Google Analytics, uncovered that 68% of visitors leave before the page fully loads.
  • It's unclear whether this is an exact industry average or Trevor's specific site, but the problem applies broadly.

  “68% of people leave the page before it finishes loading.”
  — Russell Brunson sharing Trevor Chapman’s finding [02:04]

  • Russell notes the impact: If 2/3 of your ad traffic never makes it to the page, you're wasting precious spend and potential conversions.

The Direct Impact on Revenue

• Testing Faster Loads = Higher Profits (02:28–03:20)

  • Trevor improved his page load times by reducing image file sizes and simplifying page structure.
  • He reduced load times dramatically (from “25, 30 seconds down to 10 seconds, down to 5 seconds”) and saw his income double or triple—without changing ads or page content.

  “He like 2 to 3 X’d his income. Not by changing the page or the ad or anything, just by… increasing the page load time. Which was like super fascinating.”
  — Russell Brunson [03:06]

  • Russell realizes that his own main site (ClickFunnels.com) sometimes takes “almost 30 full seconds” to load, potentially losing most visitors.

Rethinking the “Ugly Funnel” Advice

• Why Simple Pages Convert (03:20–04:00)

  • Russell references common marketing wisdom: “ugly pages convert better.” Traditionally, this was attributed to their simplicity and lack of distraction.
  • Trevor offers a new perspective: Ugly pages load faster (less rich media, simpler code), so more users stick around long enough to actually see and use them.

  “The problem is…pretty pages take way longer to load, right?...That’s why people are leaving, where the ugly ones…it loads faster. Therefore…instead of 68% people leaving, maybe [it] drops down to 23.”
  — Russell Brunson [03:38]

Practical Strategies to Speed Up Funnels

• What Marketers Should Do (04:05–05:10)

  • Russell advises funnel builders to always check the file sizes (especially background images).
  • Gives an example: 3 megabyte image x 3 backgrounds = 9 MB “just in background images”—a huge mobile liability.
  • Mentions ClickFunnels’ internal continuous optimization (led by Todd) to speed up pages network-wide.

• New Tool Announcement for Funnel University (05:14–05:32)

  • Russell introduces an “image resizer” tool for Funnel University members, built to automatically compress large images for faster loads without sacrificing visual quality.
  • He personally uses it, processing “all my old images” to shrink sizes drastically.

The Direct Link Between Page Speed and Conversion

• Big Takeaway (05:32–05:50)

  • Unlike copywriting or major redesigns, boosting load speed is an “easy win” for higher conversions—possibly adding 10, 20, even 30% to conversion rates just by making pages load faster.

  “If you can increase your conversion by 10%, 20%, 30% just by images loading faster, that’s a lot of money without having to…write better copy or do any of those kind of things.”
  — Russell Brunson [05:34]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the severity of the problem:

  “68% of people never even see that thing. And I'm like, that sucks.”
  — Russell Brunson, talking about slow-loading homepages [03:16]

• On why ‘ugly’ wins:

  “I always thought it was because…‘ugly pages convert,’ but…pretty pages take way longer to load…that's why people are leaving.”
  — Russell Brunson, reflecting on Trevor Chapman's insight [03:38]

• On easy optimization with massive payoff:

  “If you can increase your conversion by 10%, 20%, 30% just by images loading faster, that’s a lot of money…”
  — Russell Brunson [05:34]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–00:30 – Introduction, recap setup, and Trevor Chapman shout-out
• 01:28–02:40 – Trevor’s analytics deep-dive and 68% abandon rate discovered
• 02:28–03:20 – Impact of reducing load times: doubling/tripling income
• 03:20–04:00 – The “ugly pages” myth revisited: It’s about speed
• 04:05–05:10 – Practical advice: optimize file sizes, new ClickFunnels tools
• 05:32–05:50 – Why page speed is a high-leverage win for conversions and income

Actionable Takeaways

• Analyze your funnel traffic drop-off points using analytics tools.
• Reduce large image and media file sizes to improve load times.
• Favor simple design (when possible) to decrease load times, especially for mobile users.
• Utilize tools or plugins to automatically optimize images and site assets.
• Test and monitor load speeds regularly—small improvements can yield dramatic ROI.

Conclusion

Russell Brunson spotlights an often-ignored chokepoint in funnel performance: page load speed. Drawing from Trevor Chapman's analytics findings, he challenges listeners to look beyond design and copy tweaks and address technical optimization—specifically fast-loading pages—to keep visitors engaged and dramatically boost conversions. In Russell’s words: embrace the “easy win” of page speed optimization—it just might double your results.