Making money online through Niche Marketing

Should You Use Calendly for Appointment Scheduling? [App Review]

Right now, Calendly is one of the most popular scheduling apps. So, it might seem like a natural choice to automate your appointments. But, because of all the work that goes into setting up systems, selecting software is a big decision.

You can’t just hop on a bandwagon without knowing where it’s headed. Here’s everything you need to know about Calendly so that you can decide if its the right platform for you. 

Here’s what’s in store:

So, keep reading if this might answer your questions.  

What is Calendly? 

Calendly Logo

In a nutshell, Calendly is modern, cloud-based scheduling software. The platform integrates with other online tools to streamline appointment, meeting, and event scheduling and can be used by virtually anyone from anywhere. 

Business owners, independent service providers, and coaches can use Calendly to set appointments with clients and customers. Teachers can use it to schedule meetings with students or parents. Healthcare practitioners can use it to plan office or telemedicine visits with patients.  

The versatility doesn’t end there. Calendly is dedicated to a streamlined end-to-end experience for international users and supports multiple currencies and languages. 

Review Calendly

The best part is that it enables you to get appointments scheduled without the hassle of back and forth emails. 

How Much Does Calendly Cost?

Calendly does offer a free basic plan. From there, the price goes up as high as $10 per user per month for premium and $15 for pro. Annual billing can save you $24 to $36 per year. 

The free version is limited to integrations with Intercom, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and GoToMeeting for conferencing. Premium allows you to enable Zapier and custom web hooks.  Pro users have access to Salesforce, Hubspot, Mailchimp, Stripe, PayPal, Google Analytics, and Facebook Pixel integrations. 

Calendly free

The most obvious reason people upgrade to a paid version is the fact that Calendly’s free plan only allows one “event type.” 

What this means is that basic users can’t enable invitees to select the type or length of meeting being scheduled — only 30-minute meetings are available. All appointments scheduled via a free Calendly account will be the same by default. Both premium and pro plans offer unlimited event types. 

Calendly login

Calendly Pro is for the user who wants to take advantage of all the bells and whistles this software offers. 

Is Calendly Secure?  

If you’re going to collect customer data, it’s crucial to comply with regulations. So, is Calendly GDPR compliant? And, for folks in healthcare, is it HIPAA compliant? Here’s what you need to know. 

Calendly is in compliance with the latest GDPR legislature. So, general data collection is secure and safe — your clients and customers can trust that they won’t get spammed or have their information stolen. 

Calendly review security

However, while full security measures are taken, sensitive patient data should never be shared via the platform. Technically, the app itself isn’t HIPAA compliant. So, healthcare professionals should never include personal or medical questions when scheduling with this system. 

How to Use Calendly: An Overview 

When you first sign up, you will automatically enter the pro plan on a 14 day trial, which is great. This provides enough time for you to find out which features and integrations you will need. 

Next, you’ll be asked to connect your Google account to give Calendly access to your Google Calendar. 

With the basic plan, you can use only one calendar. This means that the plaform will not check for scheduling conflicts between multiple calendars with the free plan. With the premium plan, you can connect two calendars and up to six with pro. 

Note that Calendly uses your schedule and existing calendar appointments to determine your available times and dates. So, if you schedule an all day reminder for a two week online course or webinar and forget to check the “available” box, Calendly will book you out the entire time (at no fault of their own).  

Once you’re all set up, you simply share your personalized link via email or on your website and invitees can select an available slot. In my experience, this saves a ton of time that would otherwise be spent emailing back and forth to find an hour that works for multiple parties. 

Calendly embed

If you want to fully leverage the system, take Calendly across all platforms. 

Calendly Apps, Chrome Extension, & Integrations 

As a standalone app, Calendly is useful, but the available apps, integrations, and extensions can help you automate most of the appointment scheduling process. 

First, the Calendly Mobile iOS app and Android app make it easier for you to share links to your calendar from anywhere. From your phone, you can use the mobile app to copy and share links or view upcoming meetings.

Calendly apps

Next, the Calendly Chrome Extension and Firefox Browser Add-On can provide access to your appointments when browsing from your computer. A browser extension can help you access event links without logging into your account each time you want to share them. 

With the Chrome extension, you can also offer specific times with ad hoc meetings that can then be added directly to emails in Gmail. 

Calendly review

Then, business owners, service providers, and coaches might want to enable their customers and clients to schedule appointments from their website. WordPress users can leverage the Embed Calendly Scheduling plugin by Shycoder (though, plugins can sometimes be a bit code-heavy, so proceed with caution). All others can use Calendly’s built-in embed features.  

Calendly WordPress

Then, Paypal and Stripe integrations make it easy to collect payments as an invitee schedules a certain type of appointment. This feature is especially helpful for consultants who charge for their time. 

Finally, Calendly can integrate easily with 80+ conferencing, sales, marketing, and CRM apps that you already use to streamline tasks associated with setting up an appointment or event. 

Does Calendly work with Zoom?

And, if you don’t see your tool on the list, there’s a chance you can use Zapier to create it

One of the most popular integrations is Zoom. Pre-COVID, an automated link to a Zoom meeting was a pro feature. Now, even basic users can leverage this option. My guess is that the feature will continue to be free into the foreseeable future. 

Calendly Alternatives: How Do They Stack up?

You know you have options. So, how do the top competitors compare? Here’s a quick breakdown. 

Appointment Scheduling Software Comparison

PlatformPricingSynced CalendarsIntegrationsMobile AppsBrowser Extensions
Calendly$0 to $15 monthly Up to 680+iOS, AndroidChrome, Mozilla
Acuity$0 to 45 monthlyUp to 3639+iOS, AndroidNA
Appointy$0 to $99.99 monthly2+5+iOS, AndroidChrome, Mozilla
Setmore$0 to $5 monthly2+41+iOS, AndroidNA
SimplyBook$0 to $59.90 monthlyUnlimitedZaps onlyiOS, AndroidNA

Acuity vs Calendly 

Being Calendly’s top competitor, it’s key to look a bit deeper how these two platforms compare before you make a final decision about which scheduling software to use. So, here’s a few key comparisons of Calendly vs Acuity. 

  1. Best Pricing: Calendly 

The most calendars you can sync with Calendly is six, which costs around $15 per month, depending on your billing choice. To integrate six calendars with Acuity will cost $23 per month when paid monthly. 

  1. Best Payment Processing Options: Acuity (Sorta)

Acuity has an integration with Square for payment processing. Calendly doesn’t. But, don’t let this deter you — you can still integrate Calendly with the payment processor used by millions of merchants…  

Calendly plugin

There’s a Zap for that

  1. Most Synced Calendars: Acuity

Now, if you have a large team involved in scheduled meetings and events or you run multiple companies with multiple calendars, Acuity might be the best option for one reason. Their platform enables you to sync up to 36 calendars. That’s 30 more than you get with Calendly’s pro plan. 

Final Takeaway

So, should you use Calendly for appointment scheduling? I say “yes.” If you’re a solopreneur or your team is small, as long as you can set a schedule syncing 6 calendars or less, Calendly is an excellent app. I love the software, use it daily, and highly recommend it. 

It would be nice to see a bit more diversification with calendar syncs, SMS in addition to email reminders would be nice, and an internal communication platform would be nice for teams. But, it hits the mark in a lot of ways. 

So, go try Calendly for yourself and let me know what you think. 

A Full Kartra Review 2020: Pricing Plans, Features, and Comparisons

So, you’re thinking about adding Kartra to your marketing toolbelt and you want to know if it’s a good idea. Well, this is a platform that I use in my business, and I’m here to tell you everything I know to help you decide if it’s right for you. So, here’s a comprehensive Kartra review. 

Here, you’ll find answers to the following questions: 

  • Who uses Kartra and is it a CRM?  
  • How much is Kartra monthly with available plans?
  • What features can you leverage and how are they presented? 
  • Is it the best platform on the market for your needs? 
  • What is Kartra agency?… and more

If you’re ready to learn everything above and then some, read this full review of Kartra now.     

Kartra reviews
Real Kartra reviews from Capterra users.

[Kartra reviews from Capterra users]

First, What is Kartra? 

Kartra is an all-in-one marketing platform with CRM-capabilities, but it is more than that. It’s used by beginning and advanced online business owners to build lead funnels, sell products and services.

From start to finish, Kartra is designed to help you create, launch, and maintain complex marketing campaigns. The system can help you attract leads, create customers, and process sales transactions. Learn more about the specific features below. 

Next, Kartra Pricing: How Much Does it Cost?  

Kartra pricing plans vary in cost based on the selected features. You will pay between $79 and $499 per month with annual discounts for a Starter, Silver, Gold, or Platinum account. 

Kartra pricing packages are discounted up to 25% when you pay annually. And, you can cancel, scale, or switch from monthly to annual pricing at any time. 

And, here’s a simpler look at Kartra’s pricing plans. 

What does Kartra cost monthly?

Kartra Agency is open to users of the top three pricing tiers. This feature enables you to manage multiple marketing campaigns from one dashboard and is especially valuable for marketing service providers who would like to leverage Kartra to help their clients.  

What does Kartra cost?

Then, What Kartra Features Can You Take Advantage of?

As stated, Kartra is an all-in-one platform. But, from a software perspective, that could mean anything. So, what functionalities does the system offer? Here’s what you’ll get: 

1. Checkouts

The platform can enable you to sell your products and services by processing payments directly from your website pages. Offer your clients and customers the freedom of paying via credit or PayPal on one-time sales, subscriptions, and installments. 

Furthermore, the checkout feature allows you to easily establish automated free and low-cost trials or initial setup fees. You can streamline pricing and coupons for individual customers, freeze subscriptions, and edit payment options. 

Financial reports in Kartra

Plus, you can configure upsells, down-sells, cross-sells, and order bumps. And, payments are tracked so that you can create thorough reports to understand your business finances. 

Customer Value Tracking

One of my favorite features of Kartra is the lifetime value (LTV) tracking or, as Kartra calls it, “Customer Value.” So, if you acquire a new member, client, or customer and you make $50 from them on day one and another $50 on day 7, the Customer Value or LTV will be $100. The platform will find your average LTV for you from the total of all customers.   

You can then use this number to determine your maximum price per customer for acquisition. So, if each customer is worth $100, and you spend about $25 to acquire that customer, you would have made $75. Use this feature to set an informed marketing budget. 

2. Pages 

In just a few minutes, you can design landing pages from over 500 templates in a simple drag and drop builder. You can also choose to build pages from scratch if you have the instincts for good design, so there’s quite a bit of freedom. 

Create landing pages

And, each page element can be customized (fonts, colors, etc.) and is responsive. You won’t be limited to what you can achieve. 

3. Leads

As you build your list, you will be able to manage individual profiles along with their history with your business. Add notes, create segments, collect data, and deliver an enhanced user experience on a case-by-case basis. 

Build a robust lead list

This feature establishes CRM, support, sales, and marketing possibilities in a customized and holistic environment. Track each customer’s journey for data to power your sales marketing campaigns. 

In addition, the system will automatically score leads and customers, providing insights about who your best customers and clients are. This feature is as good as any other CRM or customer support software I’ve tried.

4. Funnels & Campaigns

From within the platform, you can create and launch complete sales funnels in under an hour. Connect your original content, use plug-and-play campaigns, or import campaigns from other users for multi-page flows, email sequences with if/then automations, and lead-tagging to drive sales.

The drag and drop sequence builder in the platform allows you to create funnels as simple or complex as you need them to be. And, your leads are tracked each step of the journey. 

Campaign marketplace

Moreover, you can sell your campaign ideas in a designated marketplace for an additional income stream while you help others with your knowledge.  

5. Mail and SMS

Automate your email sequences to send leads through your sales funnels and convert more site visitors. Features include behavior-based automations, intelligent split-testing, beautiful templates, and customization tags. 

The platform’s if/then automations are robust. Segment your lists based on subscriber behavior to ensure that the right people get the right messages at the right time. And, you can queue both email and SMS. 

Email campaign tracking

Plus, you can monitor the success of your campaigns based on opens, clicks, goals, revenue ratios, and unsubscribe rates. Using these insights, you can optimize your communication campaigns to continually deliver better results. 

6. Memberships

Run your knowledge business using the memberships features that Kartra offers. You can deliver training materials with ease inside the system. Structure lessons with beautiful templates and colors using an easy-to-use drag and drop interface. 

Use Memberships to drip content over time based-on when a user signed up and how far through your funnel they’ve made it. You can create multiple memberships tiers for enhanced control over user experience and results. 

Build a membership platfrom

And, gamification features like leaderboards, progress, and points can improve your retention rates. 

7. Videos

The system’s video players are pretty great and provide everything you need to create personalized videos with watermark branding that you have a high level of control over. For example, you can enable your videos to autoplay or mute on load. And, you can remove video player controls if you want to force play on certain pages. 

Control how visitors view your videos

The best part, though, is that you can tag users based on watch behavior. For example, anyone who makes it through 60% of your video might be tagged “watched X video.” Use this feature to segment your lists further than what’s possible with email segmentation alone. 

8. Helpdesks

Give your customers and clients an outstanding support experience without the need for additional tools. Multiple agents can collaborate inside the dashboard for an enhanced support experience. 

Deliver excellent customer support

Customers can be filtered into categories and sent to specific departments quickly. Plus, the helpdesk is integrated with billing so support agents with permission can process payments for your users via live chat and email. 

9. Calendars

Calendars can streamline meeting schedules. Brand your calendar with your logo, configure your schedule, and allow clients and customers to schedule calls with you. The system will automatically configure timezones and currencies for convenience. 

If you have multiple hosts, it won’t be a problem because the calendar can also be configured to work around multiple admin’s schedules at one time and find the right person for consultations, meetings, and phone calls. 

10. Forms

Choose from over 50 GDPR-compliant form templates for various uses: contact, subscription, etc. Build your newsletter lists and give traffic a way to submit personal information that will be stored in the platform along with the rest of your lead and customer data.

Create stunning forms

Match your branding and convert more readers with Kartra’s responsive forms. 

11. Affiliates

If you’re interested in establishing your own affiliate program, Kartra can help. Manage all of your affiliates from one tab in your dashboard to see who helped you convert what and how much. 

Manage your own affiliate program

This eliminates the need for you to establish an account with Rakuten or another mass affiliate platform, which can potentially weed out applicants who may not be serious. And, you don’t have to create your own applications or terms because Kartra has templates you can use for this. 

And, What is it Like to Use the Platform? 

When you first sign up for a Kartra account, you will be taken to a thank you page that tells you exactly what steps to take next. And, these instructions are especially relevant since some of the most important emails may end up in your junk folder.  

You’ll soon be directed to your Kartra login then a video that promises to be “one of the most powerful videos you’ve ever watched” and set the stage for newfound success. 

Kartra video: How to get out of your own way and pursue your ultimate dream

This video, titled ‘How to Get Out of Your Own Way and Pursue Your Ultimate Dream,’ is about an hour long and features a motivational presentation — there’s smoke and fire and excitement. And, while it’s not completely related to the software, it is hyper-relevant to a marketing audience. 

At this stage, you’ll know that your experience is going to be entertaining if nothing else. 

As soon as you log in to your dashboard, the system will walk you through the platform features with easy-to-follow videos. They recommend that you move through their onboarding system in sequential order, which will teach you how to use all points of the system without getting lost along the way. 

How do you use Kartra?

Step-by-step, you will make your way through the platform and come out on the other side with an understanding of each feature the platform has to offer. 

Kartra Academy: FAQs, Q&A, Strategies, Tutorials, & Training 

In addition to the user dashboard, Kartra comes with several bonuses. Kartraverse is the platform’s training and tutorial platform, unavailable to trial users. You will be able to access these modules once you’ve paid to use the platform after your trial ends.   

Kartra Bonuses: Kartraverse Training Modules

Kartranaut Training Program and Kartra Academy will teach you how to use the platform and implement marketing campaigns for optimized results. 

In the Kartra Academy, you will find a typical software knowledgebase that includes frequently asked questions, tips, and platform tutorials. Furthermore, you will gain access to a weekly Q&A with the greatest minds behind the system. 

Finally, How Does Kartra Stack-Up to Other Platforms? 

The last thing you need to know about the platform before you sign up is how it compares to other platforms. And, two top competitors are ClickFunnels and Kajabi. So, side-by-side how do these tools compare? 

Kartra vs ClickFunnels vs Kajabi

If you want to focus on funnels, you may want to choose a more established platform that is sure to have all of the features you need to build a fully-optimized lead flow. But, if you’re looking for a robust system that seems to be expanding at a pretty rapid pace, you’ll probably prefer Kartra. 

Recommended Reading: 

Conclusion

Is Kartra worth it? In my opinion, yes! The system is well worth every penny I’ve spent on it. And, I highly recommend it. However, you will need to decide whether or not you need a full-featured marketing platform or there’s a better option for your needs. If you’re interested in finding out if this solution is right for you, try Kartra for just $1 for 14 days.


Related Questions: 

Is Kartra a CRM? 

Kartra can be used for CRM processes but offers more features than the typical customer relationship management system: Checkout, pages, leads, funnels & campaigns, mail, memberships, videos, helpdesk, calendar, forms, affiliates, and more.  

What is Kartra Agency? 

Kartra Agency is a feature that can be used by Kartra users to manage multiple client accounts. It is available with Silver, Gold, and Platinum accounts.  

Does Kartra have an app? 

There is no Kartra app for iOS or Android marketplaces. But, Kartra does integrate with other tools. So, you can use the tools in tandem with other marketing apps that you use. 

How do I cancel my Kartra subscription? 

How to cancel Kartra: login to your Kartra account and select Billing from the top right dropdown menu. Scroll down until you see your plan and click the red Cancel link. When prompted, confirm that you want to cancel your account. You will be able to reactivate your account at any time. 

How much does Kartra cost? 

Kartra costs between $99 and $499, depending on which features you need and offers discounts on annual plans to save users between $240 and $1,440 per year. 

Who uses Kartra? 

Online business owners who want an all-in-one marketing solution to sell their products and services use Kartra. The platform is equally-geared toward beginners and seasoned users.

Expert Secrets Book Review (2020) – How Russell Brunson Built a Massive Following

Expert Secrets book by Russell Brunson
Expert Secrets teaches you how to build a strong following & sell more!

So I want to share my thoughts about the Expert Secrets book by Russell Brunson. It’s really great influencer book. I’ve read it at least twice! (And when I say read it, I mean that I bought the audible version and had it read to me in the shower and I’ve also read it on my Kindle and I have a paperback copy). So three copies of the book that way wherever you are in life, you have a copy of it with you while going through it! This is a great way to get a book read because you can pick up right where you are, whether in the car, home or on the go!

This book is really incredible because it teaches you “to find your message, build a tribe, and change the world…“. Essentially you will learn the process of narrowing down your message to your audience and getting them to not only like you but see you as the solution to their problem. Which ultimately, will result in many sales!

Why You Must Read it More than Once

You should definitely go through it more than once and its not just because you will hear something different each time. But read it at multiple stages in your business, because on your first go around you will learn the core strategies to get you up and running. Then as you start to advance your skills and your techniques and you make progress on what you’re reading about; read it again. What will happen is you will be able to implement a concept taught in the book that you couldn’t do the first time when you were just starting out.

For example, when I read the book the first time, I didn’t have a facebook group or a following on facebook. So I “heard” more about how to find your audience and how to talk to them. And after building up my group and my following, I read it a second time. Well, this go around, I could immediately implement some of the more advanced strategies because I actually had someone to try it on!

expert secrets free book

The big takeaways from the book is that it really teaches you how to create a message and how to create a following. And if you’re trying to sell something online, you want to be different, you want to stand out from the crowd, but you also want to learn how to create a culture of people that are going to like what you have to offer. And I think one of the big messages from the book is that you look at what’s happening right now in the industry (that your audience is already following). You find what the problem is and you solve that problem. Then you kind of exploit that (in a way) when you tell people, “Hey, are you tired of [PAIN POINT FOR YOUR AUDIENCE] but want A, B, and C?”

“Well, I’ve got A, B and C and eliminated [PAIN POINT FOR YOUR AUDIENCE]! Here’s how my NEW solution will [HELP YOU HIT YOUR GOALS].”

Its all about giving people a new solution. And a big part of what the book shares is that it’s not so much just giving people an alternative solution to their problems, rather giving them a new solution to their problems. If it’s the same old thing they’ve tried before, they’re not going to come over to you. They’re not going to buy your product, they’re not going to follow you.

But your product/service needs to comes across as a new solution (and it doesn’t even have to be something you invent. It could just be something you’ve improved upon, but you’re selling it as a new solution).

The Epiphany Bridge from Expert Secrets Book page 91
Source: Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson

The second big takeaway is how he teaches you how to tell stories. This why you need the physical book too, is there are many illustrations in it and one of them is the Epiphany Bridge story (Secret #6, on page 91).

In the Epiphany Bridge Story, you are not just selling the person in your message, you are telling them the story of why you got excited about something in the first place. The decision to buy becomes theirs, not yours. This is very important. You’re basically leading the person to the answer without directly telling it to them.

The first time you discovered your expert topic, SOMETHING happened that excited you. You had an emotional response that sold you on this new opportunity.

Source: Expert Secrets Book by Russell Brunson

You can use this concept any time you are talking to your audience, including (but not limited to):

  • Facebook Live
  • Facebook Post
  • Blog Post
  • Online Ad
  • Live Event
  • Webinar
  • When having a small chat at an event

Once you figure out how to structure your epiphany bridge, you could use it really for anything. And you could use it to talk for five minutes, an hour or even a whole weekend!

So let’s break this down with an example to help you understand the format… Keep in mind: You are the main character….

So in my case, I’m “Joe” and I want to go start my real estate business and I don’t have any money. (So not having any money is my “problem”. This is the brick wall that I hit). I can’t get into the real estate business cause I don’t have any money.

So what is the solution? Well the solution is I’m going to get business credit (I got an email that said I could get $100k in credit in just 100 days or something like that and I bit!). Now in my story, I would talk about how business credit helped me overcome that problem. How it helped me hop over that brick wall, get past my objections. And in my story, I talk about how I felt in that moment (felt great! It felt like I had hope again!).

It gave me capital and gave me money to start my business and to do deals and then I was able to actually quit my job and start my own business. I was finally free!!

So you put all that together in a nice pretty format and you come up with something that people can attract to and connect with. Which ends up causing them to follow you (and buy from you).

You basically connect with your audience on the emotional (most important) and logical level.

And if you can tell the story right, your audience will come to the same “aha” moment as you did and follow in your path. Learning the structure of story telling has really helped advance my career and I know it can do the same for you.

So here’s the thing, the Epiphany Bridge story is just secret 6 of 22 secrets in the Expert Secrets Book and I just told an abbreviated version of it. You really need to read the book to get the full feel of everything and absorb all the details (plus learn the other 16 secrets!).

The best part? The book is FREE.
You can get your copy right here.