When picking a platform or any technology for that matter a lot of us will crowdsource suggestions. Which is where most people go wrong because what worked for sally might not work for Suzy. You don’t want to be Suzy who buys an expensive WordPress plugin because someone raved about how amazing it was only to realize you don’t have the budget or tech skill you need to properly build your course on WordPress. Trust me that’s not a mistake you want to make and that’s probably why you’re reading this because you want to know how to avoid picking the wrong platform.

In case you were wondering, the Suzy scenario is not uncommon. More importantly, it’s not Suzy’s fault for picking the wrong platform. Here’s the thing, as humans we love to survey other humans to see what they’re doing and buying. It happens so much in the digital business space. When we have great success with something a lot of us like to shout it from the mountain tops to help our fellow entrepreneur friends but sometimes those rave reviews steer some people in the wrong direction. And it happens to everyone. It happens to everyone.

So if this scenario sounds like you don’t worry you’re not alone and I’m going to help you pick the right platform.

Step 1: Get Clear on Your Needs

The most common mistake I see first-time course creators make is that they aren’t crystal clear on what they need from their course platform. They haven’t fully thought through the workflow of how new customers will come on, how they want to deliver course information or how the platform will fit into their existing business tools. That coupled with crowdsourcing suggestions in Facebook groups is a fast track to picking the wrong platform. So before you do anything else get clear on what you need from your course or membership platform so you know which features to look for. Some questions you can ask yourself at this point are…

• What do I need? What is it that I need this tool/app/software to do?

• What is my budget?

Step 2: Trusted Recommendations

The key here is trusted. You want to make sure you’re reading honest reviews and getting insight that’s not sponsored or heavily influenced. These days everyone has affiliate links. I recommend starting with your peers. People you know and trust especially if they have a business model that is similar to yours or what you’re looking to accomplish. Once you have tapped your inner circle then you can expand to crowdsourcing suggestions and reading/watching reviews online. Ask yourself, Who do I trust that can provide some insight or a recommendation? Write them down and send them a quick message to see if they would be willing to chat. It’s always a nice gesture to buy coffee or send them an e-gift card for their time.

You can also take my platform matchmaker quiz to help you determine which type of platform you need.

Step 3: Analyze your options

It’s time to reflect in what you’ve found. Compare your options and see which ones best fit your criteria. Some questions you can ask yourself.

• Does it satisfy the gap I’m trying to fill?

• Does it integrate with my current tools?

• Does it fit in the budget? OR Does it have features that make it worth going over the budget for?

• Does it have onboarding support/good customer service?

• Does it have positive reviews from trusted sources?

Step 4: If you’re still unsure…

Jump on a free tech consultation with me and I will help you figure it out. To be clear I only offer these free calls to those who have taken the quiz, want more insight and are serious about creating their online course or membership site. So if you’re interested take a minute to take the quiz and at the end when you receive your result you’ll have the option to schedule a call with me.

So there you have it! With this 3 step system, you can compare platforms effectively and be confident in the picking the best platform for you and your course or membership site. If you have more platform questions make sure you’re connected with me on social where I share a lot of tips around tech like this.

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