ConvertBox Review: The Good And Bad Points Of This Opt-In Software And How It Compares (UPDATED)

In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s no shortage of tools out there for managing opt-in forms. Some of them are Wordpress plug-ins… others are hosted software tools.

It can be pretty overwhelming, actually.

In addition to the usual opt-in form stuff we all expect, I think there’s a growing demand for a more powerful kind of tool. One that works more closely with a marketing automation platform, helps enable more advanced segmentation, and perhaps even “talks” to your CRM to deliver more on-target calls to action.

That last point is an area I’m particular excited about. Executed properly, it will allow on-site segmentation and personalization. Consider this…

• Being able to customize CTAs on your site based on what you know about them in your CRM (for instance, displaying a CTA only to subscribers with a certain tag)
• Being able to easily enrich the data you know about your subscriber based on questions asked on your site

Being able to show/hide the form to different people is almost impossible with most tools. Thrive Leads can do it only using SmartLinks. Plus, Thrive Leads currently has no ability to react to data that is in your CRM and likely it never will.

It requires a TWO-WAY interaction of data to have your site CTAs react to the data in your CRM. And most tools cannot do that.

Two tools I have played around with that CAN do this are RightMessage and Convertflow. Both very powerful tools in their own. You can read my review and comparison of these two tools here.

ConvertBox is a powerful and affordable alternative to both.

It is quite powerful. Not only that, but the pricing is really, REALLY attractive right now. You can still buy ConvertBox with lifetime pricing. This means no recurring, monthly billing.

But, is ConvertBox a good solution? What are the missing features?

How does it compare to other tools?

Let’s take a look…

What Does ConvertBox Do?

ConvertBox is a hosted software option for building and managing your opt-in forms and calls to action. While it has a Wordpress plug-in, the software is fully hosted just like OptinMonster, RightMessage, ConvertFlow and a host of others. The purpose of the plug-in is simply to assist integration.

Building CTAs and Opt-Ins

As of this writing, ConvertBox allows the following form types:

• Sticky Bar
• Callout Modal (in the bottom corners)
• Center Modal (like a standard popup form)
• Full page take-over
• Embedded sidebar (suitable for skinny places like sidebars)
• Embedded wide (suitable for integration into your site theme in various places)

With the form types that we have, ConvertBox actually provides a lot of flexibility. Each form type has a number of starter templates to start with (or you can just start from scratch).

Any CTA can be customized using text, buttons, videos, images, custom forms, dividers, countdown timers, or even just raw HTML. The amount of customization is nice and easy to use. When I last looked at RightMessage, it was severely limited in the customization you could do, so ConvertBox totally blows it away in that department.

The ConvertBox editor is very intuitive. Drag and drop, basically. Not cluttered. If you want to edit anything, just click on it and you get properties contextually to edit. Things like text are edited right on the form in true WYSIWYG fashion.

I personally find the editor easier to use than ConvertFlow or even Thrive Architect (which is used by Thrive Leads). And the reason for that is simply because it is simpler and purpose-built. ConvertFlow has more options to customize, but the result is a more cluttered editor. And Thrive Architect is built to do a LOT more than opt-in forms, so while Thrive Leads gives you near infinite flexibility, it comes with more potential confusion. ConvertBox is just right.

Display Options

Once you build a form, you show how (and where) it appears. You can control:

• The trigger (immediate display, exit intent, timed display, etc.)
• Frequency (for setting how often they will see the same form). You can throttle any form to only show it a certain number of times per day
• The Location. You can show site-wide, select certain pages (using inclusion/exclusion URLs), and if you are using the Wordpress plug-in, you can also target specific Wordpress categories/tags to decide where to show your CTA.

The trigger options

Choosing Wordpress options is only available if you’re using the Wordpress plug-in

Targeting Options

The targeting options is where you control WHO will see the form. It is in this section where ConvertBox differentiates from some other options such as Thrive Leads.

By default, your targeting would be for all visitors. So, as long as your display options qualify, it would appear to everybody.

If you select to target only specific visitors, it opens up a selection of rules to select who will see your form.

You can also now mix and match these rules using AND / OR logic.

Some of the REAL POWER of ConvertBox comes in the last options on that list of available conditions…

If the person has already filled out any of your forms, then ConvertBox is able to link them to their profile in your CRM. From then on, you can control CTAs based on tags on their profile.

Numerous options become available this way:

• Showing different CTAs to people already on your list
• Giving upsell offers to your visitor traffic when they are already a customer
• Offering a paid offer to people who have already gotten the lead magnet

When I first began using ConvertBox, it only had the ability to operate on one tag at a time. But, since then, they have released a major update that now allows you to mix and match these rules (including tags) to your heart’s content. The amount of flexibility you now have is really impressive.

Further Reading:14 Pro-Level Strategies Using ConvertBox To Grow Your Business And Make More Money (ConvertBox Review)

What Does ConvertBox Integrate With?

ConvertBox works with all the major email list providers. On the list now are:

• GetResponse
• Mailchimp
• ActiveCampaign
• Aweber
• Infusionsoft
• Convertkit
• Ontraport
• Drip
• Gist
• MailerLite
• Klaviyo
• Platform.ly
• SendinBlue
• Demio
• Hubspot
• MooSend

You can also use custom HTML form to effectively make ConvertBox work with any system under the sun.

It also integrates with Google Analytics so that you can send metrics into your GA reports.

Can You Run Multiple Sites Through One ConvertBox Account?

Yep. 🙂

You just add your site URL in your account. You will then get a dropdown box for your different sites and you can manage all your CTA forms for each site separately. 

One thing to note is that the list of integrations is the same for multiple sites. For instance, if you go to create an optin form for site B, you will still see options to add it to the email list for site A. You CAN add multiple integrations, however. So, as long as you name your integrations differently, you won’t get confused.

How Does ConvertBox Compare To Other Leading Solutions?

Well, let’s take a look. Keep in mind, I’ll give you the highlights here, not a point-by-point breakdown.

ConvertBox Vs Thrive Leads

Thrive Leads is very powerful and integrates deeply with Wordpress. Since it uses Architect as the editor, it is nearly limitless in the amount of customization you can do with it.

Since Thrive Leads uses Architect, it has a pretty jam-packed editing interface that can be confusing to some.

ConvertBox is not a Wordpress-based tool. It is a hosted software solution. However, it does have a Wordpress plug-in that does more than just set up the ConvertBox tag for you. The plug-in also allows deeper integration with Wordpress, such as:

• The ability to display ConvertBoxes in certain categories or tags (or exempt certain categories or tags)
• The ability to target users on your site depending on if they are logged in or not.

Now that ConvertBox supports embedded forms, the plug-in also allows you to set up embedded site areas and then insert them either through a DIV or a Wordpress shortcode.

I think ConvertBox is easier to use. The interface is less cluttery. Thrive Leads can get kinda complicated once you’ve built up a bunch of LeadBoxes and Lead Groups.  ConvertBox has a better, more modern interface. CB can group forms into groups, but the whole interface is just easier to understand.

It used to be that I was in “waiting mode”… continuing to use Thrive Leads because ConvertBox just didn’t do everything I needed. But, now that they have embedded forms capability, ConvertBox is now a total replacement for Thrive Leads.

Sure, there are a few things that Thrive Leads can do because of it’s deeper Wordpress integration, but it is more than overshadowed by the things ConvertBOX CAN do that Thrive Leads will never be able to do. And chances are, you will never use those things with Thrive Leads anyway.

So, I am now 100% using ConvertBox on this site and I stopped using Thrive Leads.

ConvertBox Vs OptinMonster

OptinMonster is further along in it’s development cycle than ConvertBox so there are some things it does that ConvertBox cannot.

OptinMonster offers more form types. It has a much stronger integration with Wordpress. It has more flexibility in the editor.

But, the two-way integration with the CRM that ConvertBox provides makes it WAY more attractive than OptinMonster. OptinMonster just doesn’t do that so it does not have the same ability to function along with your full marketing stack.

I should say, too, that ConvertBox is currently WAY more affordable than OptinMonster. If you look at it from that standpoint alone, ConvertBox offers way more bang for your buck.

ConvertBox Vs RightMessage

RightMessage’s core value proposition is the ability to personalize CTAs based on the data in your CRM. It does a very good job at that. It is because I see ConvertBox doing the same thing that I think ConvertBox is aiming to be a solid competitor to RightMessage.

RightMessage also has the ability to easily segment your list using questions (aka RightAsk). The cool thing is… ConvertBox can do that as well. You can set up forms where just by them clicking a certain button, you can trigger automations in your CRM.

ConvertBox easily wipes the floor with RightMessage when it comes to customization. RightMessage remains VERY limited in this department and I have no idea why. It is like they are deciding for us that we must have the most simplistic opt-in forms ever. That just doesn’t work for me and I vastly prefer the flexibility of ConvertBox.

But, let’s be clear…

RightMessage has the visual workflows for controlling calls to action and, as of now, that feature is untouched by the competition. Also, you have easy metrics on all the segmentation data asked by RightAsk. While you can segment similarly with ConvertBox and send it to the CRM, you can’t view it anywhere but your CRM.

So, RightMessage provides a much more holistic and global approach to managing your CTAs. It is quite good at that. It’s just that when it comes to capabilities with each individual form, you are much more limited in what you can do with it.

ConvertBox Vs ConvertFlow

I actually think these two tools are the most alike. Don’t get me wrong – ConvertFlow is way more powerful at the moment. It is further along in it’s development so it is more capable. However, the way these two tools operate is closer. And I think, eventually, ConvertBox is going to be a close alternative to ConvertFlow.

ConvertFlow has some few things right now that ConvertBox does not, including:

• Ability to view and manage contacts and their activity right inside ConvertFlow
• Ability to create full landing pages (And customize what’s on it based on the individual user)
• Ability to control lead flow based on lead stage, etc.

ConvertFlow is a powerhouse.

Now that ConvertBox has embedded forms and a more robust targeting engine, it has done a great job of closing the gap with ConvertFlow. Plus, ConvertFlow is quite a bit more expensive, so in the end…

ConvertBox is a far better deal.

My ConvertBox Wish List (Revised)

When I first reviewed ConvertBox, I was waiting on several features that kept me from being able to use it 100% on this website. Let’s review the list of things I mentioned in December 2019 when I first reviewed ConvertBox:

Embedded CTAs (hopefully with some support in the Wordpress plug-in to make actually embedding those forms easier).

Ability to have more developed logic for targeting. Perhaps And/Or logic. 

A deeper integration with my CRM so I can use more than one, single tag to control a CTA.

A global exclusion list so I can control what URLs I never want to show a ConvertBox on so I don’t have to specify the same exclusions every time.

Obviously, ConvertBox has done a fantastic job of closing the gap. It now DOES so embedded CTAs. IT DOES have the ability to do more robust targeting with and/or logic. It DOES have the ability to work with more than one tag at a time from my CRM. And it DOES have an exclusion list.

So, clearly ConvertBox listens. It is constantly getting better. This makes me really freakin’ happy. 🙂

If I needed to come up with a new, fresh wish list for upcoming features for ConvertBox, they would be:

• The ability to create templates out of ConvertBoxes, making creation much faster. We can clone boxes, so that helps. But, an ability to save reusable components (such as forms or condition sets) would be a big time-saver.
• A little more flexibility with the editor, such as fine-tuned control over padding, ability to resize columns, etc.
• Ability to have the personalization fields (like first name) be able to sync with the CRM rather than being based solely on whatever the user initially entered when subscribing.
• Being able to target not just on tags, but using custom fields in the CRM. 

None of these things are mission-critical. But, they’d be nice to have. 🙂

The Lifetime Pricing For ConvertBox

I am a lifetime member of ConvertBox. I have been for probably close to 2 years (maybe 3). In fact, I was a member before it was even called ConvertBox. It was just ConvertBAR and all it was capable of was sticky bars with much less capability.

When they switched to ConvertBox, I was grandfathered in. When they released the massive update to ConvertBox 2.0, I was grandfathered in. Every time they release a new upgrade, I get it automatically without paying anything else.

Right now, you can still become a lifetime member. The ability to lock ConvertBox in for life is pretty awesome. And as you can see here, they clearly keep improving this software so it is just an incredible deal.

Even if it doesn’t do something yet that you want, you can lock in the lifetime pricing and you’ll be in when the upgrade comes. The lifetime price gives you 10 sites, unlimited CTAs. There’s no weird branding on the forms like some companies do. And it includes up to 250,000 views per month, which is likely to accommodate anybody reading this.

ConvertBox is one of the best investments I have made in my business. Bar none.

And one of these days, it is going to feel pretty awesome to have a lifetime account when others are paying a monthly, recurring fee. A hosted option like this with such aggressive development would usually be a monthly charge. A lifetime rate is quite an attractive option.

My Final Thoughts On ConvertBox

ConvertBox had turned into what I think is a major player in the online marketing space. It can do standard opt-in forms and do so nicely, but it has further developed into a tool that can do some pretty pro-level things for even the most advanced online marketer.

In the last 6 months, they have totally closed the feature gap that I was looking for before I could fully switch this site over to it. Now, I think ConvertBox is one of the best games in town.

ConvertBox is great software with a bright future. It has matured quickly. It is very powerful – enough that I now trust all of my own lead generation to this tool.

The fact that you can still purchase it with lifetime pricing and be exempt from the future monthly recurring payments that will come eventually cannot be ignored. It is a bit of an upfront investment now, but it is a great deal. A no-brainer, almost. And then, while future customers are paying monthly or annual fees for it, you won’t have to.

ConvertBox Essentials (Bonus Training)

You can watch over my shoulder while I personally show you how to get set up with ConvertBox and how to implement it in your business. My goal will be to help radically speed up putting ConvertBox to use without having to figure it all out on your own using just their documentation. Plus, I have a whole section on USING ConvertBox to show you some of the coolest uses for your account.

You can get access to this training FOR FREE as a special bonus for securing your lifetime ConvertBox account via our affiliate link. It obviously costs you nothing extra, but I will earn a commission. But, in exchange for your trust, I will hook you up with a full training course and my personal support as you implement ConvertBox.

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NOTE: Obviously, the links to ConvertBox on this page are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you choose to buy. But, I only recommend what I have used in my own business. That’s my personal policy.