Why You Don’t Need InfusionSoft

Published July 20, 2015 | By Katie Krimitsos

After reading this title, you may have thought this blog post was about how horrible Infusionsoft is or that I was going to bash this robust system.

Well, you’re wrong. One, I don’t write posts and bash products or services. I think it’s very unlady like. Two, Infusionsoft is an amazing system, but isn’t for everyone at every stage of their business and that is what this post is about.

I want to share two scenarios with you involving different entrepreneurs.

Scenario #1: A couple of weeks ago, I attended one of my bi-monthly networking meetings. We go around the table and allow the members to present something to the group we need help with and all in attendance provide any expertise and suggestions they have to help.

One of the members was trying to decide if she should keep Infusionsoft. She is a new business owner (in business less than 90 days), does not have a list, has no products to sell, and has not done much to market her business.

Scenario #2: In another conversation I had with one of clients last month, she was very excited to share some news with me. She had recently signed up for an email marketing system. When I asked which one, she replied, “Infusionsoft.”She has no list, has not had a first client, has no sales funnel, no workflow, and she had done absolutely nothing to market her business and also had no products to sell. She too had not decided on her target market or niche.

I listened in awe to both of these women discuss their situations and their experience with the famed Infusionsoft. The entrepreneur in my networking group was trying to figure out what she should do, keep it or let it go. While she had not 100% made her decision, even though she knew deep down inside she knew what she needed to do, she was upset with herself for spending the money and purchasing something she wasn’t ready for. In fact, her response was: “He was a really good salesperson.”

It saddened me to hear she spent such a large amount of money on something she was not ready for and she was upset with herself with the amount of money she was going to lose. With both women, I was astonished at how they both felt they “needed”Infusionsoft.

If you are not familiar, Infusionsoft is what I like to call the Cadillac and Range Rover of systems. It’s not only an email marketing system, it’s a CRM, shopping cart, lead tracker, can score leads to let you know your leads behaviors with social media, visits to your website, engagement with your emails and so much more! As you can see, Infusionsoft is not your typical system, which is why it is usually not the best system for someone just starting their business.

Why you don’t need Infusionsoft

If Infusionsoft is such a wonderful and amazing tool, why am I saying you don’t need it? Because you aren’t ready!

When I talk with new business owners, what I have discovered is that they are looking at Infusionsoft for the email marketing aspect only when it is so much more. In the end, they are paying for functionalities they just aren’t ready for at the time. Can they grow into the system? Absolutely!

Five of the many things you should consider before deciding on Infusionsoft are:

Do you have a list?
Do you have products to sell?
Are you actively networking and meeting people whom you need to keep track of and stay in contact with?
How is your website traffic?
Does your business bring in enough money to pay for the upfront cost that can cost as much as $2,000 and on top of that $250 per month?

If you answered no to these questions then you don’t need Infusionsoft. It’s not time.

I have found that many businesses just starting are seeking only an email marketing system at the beginning. Do you need a CRM, and if you are selling products, don’t you need a shopping cart? Absolutely, but this post focuses specifically on the email marketing aspect because most choose Infusionsoft focusing solely on email marketing.

Why do you need an email marketing system?

When you are visiting a website, I am sure you have seen an area asking for information such as your name and email address with fields to place your information and a submit button; that form came from an email marketing system.

Your email marketing system will allow you to collect your subscribers information so that you can email them at anytime. You can also collect needed information to help get to know your market. Typically, the the longer the form, the lower the conversion rate and the longer the form, the perceived value of what your subscribers will receive must also be higher.

Your email marketing system will also create the form you will need to add to your website and provide the code that is needed.

Why not just use Gmail?

Personal email clients such as Gmail, Yahoo, and AOL do not follow the CAN-SPAM Act of 2009. An email violation of this act can cost as much as $16,000! Some of the requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act are:

You must tell your subscribers where you are located (an address).
Your subscribers must have a way to unsubscribe from your emails.
You must honor opt-outs within 10 business days

As you can see, Gmail, Yahoo, and AOL do not have the ability to handle some of the requirements above.

Choosing an email marketing system

There are numerous email marketing systems from which to choose and it can seem overwhelming with all of the choices, making it difficult to determine which one is best for you and will meet your needs.

What should you look for in an email marketing system?

To answer that question, there are a few things to consider. This list of course is not all-inclusive, but will get you started.

What is your goal with email marketing?

Are you doing it because it’s what everyone says you should? If that is your reason, you need to pause and take a look at your goals before you begin to look for a system. You should never make business decisions because someone said you should.

What level of support does the email marketing system provide?

You know how much help you may or may not need. If you are someone who needs a lot of help, look for a system that has support via phone, chat, and email. Not only do you want to look for how they are available, but how helpful are they? It doesn’t matter how often you can reach them if their support agents are not helpful! Give them a test run, call and ask some pre sales questions.

Is it mobile ready?

We know everyone is on the go and uses their phone for everything. You want to make sure your emails are attractive and easy to read on a mobile device. You don’t want your subscribers to have to zoom in and out and move their screen around to be able to read your email.

What is the cost?

Email marketing systems range in price from free to $250+/month. Based on your goals from question #1, the features you need and are a part of each plan, and your budget, what will work best? For example, Mailchimp’s free plan, does not include autoresponders. In this case, if you need autoresponders, your cost starts at $10/month, not free.

How does it integrate with other systems you already use?

There are some systems that may integrate with other systems you currently use which can make things easier. For example, I use Mailchimp which integrates with the membership system I use so that I don’t have to duplicate efforts by having to manually add them into Mailchimp. After I set this up, the 2 systems are able to “talk”with one another.

Is double opt-in required?

Double opt-in means that once your subscriber has clicked your submit button, they are then sent an email containing a link that must be clicked to confirm they want to receive information from you. If this link is never clicked, they will never receive your emails.

Single opt-in allows your subscribers to receive information from you and will be added to your list as soon as they hit the submit button.

There are pros and cons for each, but make sure you know which you prefer because some email marketing systems require double opt-in while others do not.

What do the statistics tell you?

You want the statistics to be easy to read and understand. You should be able to track open rates, unsubscribes, click throughs, emails that were delivered and undelivered, bounced emails, and more!

What are some popular email marketing systems?

In no particular order, below are some popular email marketing systems to review:

As you can see, there are several things to consider when choosing an email marketing system. When you are making a decision on which is best for you, I suggest doing your research first. Creating a spreadsheet to make note of what you discover is very helpful. It makes it easier for you so that when you are ready, you are able to make an educated decision based upon your needs and goals and not based on the fact that someone is a “good salesperson”and talked you into something you don’t need or aren’t quite ready for yet.

To help you with your research phase, I have created a spreadsheet that you can download to take notes and keep track of all you learn. It also contains the name of some popular email marketing systems.

Good luck with your search and if you have questions or suggestions as to how you decided on your email marketing system, leave them in the comments below!

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Lynn White MBA is a Web Designer and WordPress expert who helps women entrepreneurs build websites that allow them to shine online and meet their business goals in the process. She brings an approach to design and development that helps demystify technology and put women in the driver’s seat for their personal brand. Lynn is a frequent speaker on WordPress trends and issues.

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