Tool shopping?

The Lab Community forum is a pretty cool (and active) place, but I was going in there this morning to answer questions and I noticed something.

A decent chunk of the threads being started over the last few weeks have to do with TOOLS.

People asking for thoughts on membership platforms, email services, themes, yada yada.

And, I get it. This is part of what the Lab Community is for. But, I think it also invites me to send up a little flare to ensure you understand this…

Here’s the thing…

More than likely, the specific tool you select in your business will have very little to do with your success (or lack thereof). It REALLY doesn’t matter all that much.

For instance, one of my Lab members recently asked this in the community:

“I’m currently using Getresponse and would like to understand the specific benefits that Drip offers over it. Or is it an inappropriate comparison?”

Now, don’t get me wrong. I like Drip. I use Drip. But, clearly, he is using GetResponse and he’s pondering a switch.

Why?

Is there some big constraint he’s experiencing that would necessitate such a move? I mean, Drip and GetResponse work differently, but they’re both great tools. And, guess what… THEY BOTH SEND EMAIL. 🙂

And in most cases I’ve seen (and hell, I do it, too)… any constraints we have with regard our email has nothing to do with the tool. It has to do with US. We’re either not writing enough email, not utilizing email campaigns effectively, or are doing one-off broadcasts only without really using the tool we have. So, if that’s the case, why switch?

It is really easy to get side-tracked in shopping for tools…. almost as if the tool is going to make or break the business. And, in rare cases is that true.

If you need a theme and you get into an endless loop looking at Thrive Themes, StudioPress, Elegant Themes, etc…. the truth is IT DOESN’T MATTER. Just pick one and move on.

If you need a membership platform and you’re spinning your wheels comparing MemberMouse, s2Member, MemberPress, Wishlist… why? Truth is, all of them will do what you want. It is a rare membership site that actually needs anything but the most common features.

So, here’s the thing…

I’m not saying tools don’t matter. They do.

What I am saying is to not allow yourself to get sidetracked over them.

Tool shopping isn’t building your business. It’s a procrastination technique.

The way to make forward movement is to roll your sleeves up and do what needs to be done.

… and you can do that with almost any tool out there.

The ones I recommend are the ones I think are the best fit for the majority of my audience… and the ones I can personally support. But, it doesn’t mean you have to use what I use.

– David