7 Tools to NOT Use in Your Online Business
Ready for some extra hot, habanero-level spice of a hot take? Read on, my dear, because after years of working in the virtual assistant and online business manager world, I’ve got opinions, and they’re not sugar-coated.
When I was in the early stages of starting up my business, I didn’t have a course, mentor, or coach to refer to, so I had to seek out resources and answers on my own. When it came to figuring out my process and what software to use, I had to guess at what might work, and learn from my mistakes at a cost.
Now looking back, I realize that one BIG headache I could have avoided was subscribing to tools that ultimately were not the ideal choice for an online business. Back then, I would just Google “build a website” and choose the first option, assuming if it was the most popular, then it had to be the best.
While it may have been a popular choice, it was certainly NOT the best option for me and my online biz. So, if you’re still deciding on which tools to use, let me save you some time…avoid these at all costs (trust me on this one).
MailChimp
If you’re just looking to send a few “one-off” emails, MailChimp may be fine for you. Their free subscription includes nice template options, and you can send to a max of 2,000 contacts. However, if you’re looking to scale your email marketing game, skip MailChimp. With MailChimp you don’t get the advanced segmentation and automation features you’ll need. Even if you’re not quite ready for an advanced email strategy, don’t waste your time learning how to use this tool, if ultimately, you’ll have to switch to another platform down the road. Check out this article for an in-depth pros and cons comparison.
Wix
I’d always suggest having a pro design and build your website, but I realize that’s a BIG investment you may not be able to make starting out. So, you can probably make a nice-looking website for yourself with Wix. The problem is what YOU see on your Wix website isn’t what Google sees. Optimizing a Wix website for Google search is tricky, and you’d have to be very experienced with SEO tactics to get yourself seen on a Google search. Definitely not useful for an online business! I’d say skip this one altogether.
A PC COMPUTER
I feel a debate brewing on this one already. Here’s my take: PCs SUCK for running an online business. If you’re creating your own graphics – use a Mac. They’re still leading in terms of design quality. Ultimately, my reason for using a Mac is because updates are intuitive and Apple’s customer care has been a massive help when I run into tech issues. If you’re still on the fence on this one because your gamer buddy is trying to sell you on a PC, check out this detailed review from Business Insider.
WordPress
Does anyone in the virtual service provider realm actually like using WordPress? I think not. WordPress sites are vulnerable, they crash without cause, and it’s super challenging to optimize a WordPress site for SEO. Plus, if you want customizations, you’ll need to install a bunch of plug-ins that require frequent updates…which in turn will make your website slower. More red flags than a dating app IMO.
Mailerlite
I’m really hoping to save you some time with this one. A quick search of reviews may tell you that Mailerlite is a good choice compared to MailChimp. However, in my experience (and after diving deeper into the reviews) I found it was NOT a good alternative. The loading is frustratingly slow… and it can feel like sitting in a traffic jam waiting for this site. A few other reasons for the bad review: the templates feel clunky, the segmentation sucks, and it takes way too long to try and figure out. If you’re looking to scale your email marketing game AND keep your sanity… beware of Mailerlite.
Kajabi
Kajabi has a ton of great reviews that can make it seem like this online course platform would be totally worth the $$$$. My take - it’s WAY too expensive to justify the cost. I mean, you practically have to factor in the cost of a car payment every month just to have the software. And if you don’t have the sales yet to cover the cost? You’re just eating away at your profit for no reason.For someone starting up, I’d highly recommend using a more affordable option!
Basecamp
I know a few teams who really love using Basecamp…but they aren’t in the virtual service provider industry. The chat function, customization, and advanced feature options are quite limited. Worst of all, there is NO TIME TRACKING. If you’re working on making your business run as efficiently as possible, you’ll want a time tracking software to help you organize, prioritize, and manage our projects. Great for some, not for me (or for you, I reckon).
Too spicy? Need some milk on that burnt tongue? Usually, I like to showcase the positive spin on things, but these reviews are here to save you time, and that’s worth a little fire to me. Stay tuned for more helpful tips on business tools.
