DISQUS

The Savvy Entrepreneur: The Switch

  • Chuck Hester · 2 years ago
    Cristina:

    Sorry for your difficulties. It is, as most of our users know, atypical of our service to have those interruptions. We value your (and your readers') feedback.

    Let me know personally how we can make the transition better. We stand by our promises and will do everything we can to work with ALL customers.

    You made the right decision. Give it time!

    Best,

    Chuck Hester
    iContact
  • Tom Kulzer · 2 years ago
    Cristina,

    Not sure when Michelle last took a look at our site but we've been doing HTML design emails and templates for years and years. Long before other providers even existed. (Our 9th anniversary is later this month, woohoo!)

    Wish you the best of success in your transition. If for some reason it doesn't work out we're here to help.

    Tom Kulzer
    AWeber CEO
  • Cristina Favreau · 2 years ago
    Chuck and Tom! WOW, you guys are quick! I posted this message not 5 minutes ago, and you're already joining the conversation!! Thanks so much. I'm flattered that you both took the time out to visit, read and comment on my blog.

    Chuck, an additional thanks for contacting me personally.

    Tom, it's not personal (as you know!). No doubt you understand the power of word-of-mouth referrals! While I've heard nothing but wonderful things about AWeber in my community, I was swayed to register with iContact due to recommendations from people I personally know and trust.

    It shows you both care about and proudly stand by your products, making sure the word gets out. Thanks again guys!
  • Jenn Givler · 2 years ago
    Oh my goodness Cristina - Tom and Chuck must have a Google Alert set up and it pinged your blog ;)

    I use Aweber - and I LOVE it (thanks Tom :) ) - but I'm not here to sway your decision at all.

    I'm just here to offer some support from a fellow solo-preneur. And tell you you're not alone in your analysis paralysis (LOL!).

    In the end, you MUST do what feels right to you... what you feel right with in your soul. If you chose iContact, then I have no doubt it's the absolute RIGHT tool for your business.

    As you know, I've been blogging about honesty in business and being authentic... so whatever felt right to you IS right :)

    Now, issues that come up for me is that old "Well, if I don't follow the pack, will I be less successful?!?" Seriously - for all the authenticity conversations I have, there are times that I go through my own self-doubt around these things too.

    To get myself out of that, I leave the office, take a walk, get centered and ask myself in my soul what feels like the best choice for my business.

    Then, I think about how each choice feels. I visualize myself doing it both ways - the following the pack way, and MY way. I try to see which feels better to me, and what exactly I might feel during each step of the process.

    If something doesn't feel right to you while you're doing it, it won't feel right to everyone else either - and your results will be less than spectacular. For example - when you're putting together a marketing message - if you don't feel right about it, no one else will either.

    So, the decision to be authentic always wins... but sometimes, there's a twinge of panic that I have to pacify first :)
  • Heather · 2 years ago
    I was wondering why you moved from Constant Contact and what makes iContact a better alternative? I've been with Constant Contact for a couple of years and have toyed with the idea of looking at other options and your post has spurred me on to do some research. I was particularly impressed with the immediate responses you got from both Aweber and iContact! I'll be looking at both.
  • Cristina Favreau · 2 years ago
    Jenn, thanks for the confidence-booster!!
  • Cristina Favreau · 2 years ago
    Heather, there are a few reasons why I switched:
    <ol>
    <li>The first reason is that less than half my subscribers weren't getting my newsletter sent by CC. Providers like 1shoppingcart.com, AWeber and iContact work very hard to get all messages through to your subscribers.</li>
    <li>The second reason I switched away from CC is that they don't have any autoresponders (other than your "thanks for subscribing" message).</li>
    <li>Third is iContact offers a survey option (included in the price, that is, not separate like CC). If you've been following my blog a little, you'll know that I've turned into a survey junkie.</li>
    <li>Fourth, iContact is cheaper than CC and I get more options.</li>
    <li>Fifth, it has been highly recommended by colleagues I trust and respect.</li>
    </ol>
    I hope this helps you make your decision.

    Let us know who you choose to go with.