How do you discover a good platform for creators? Tips from four successful creators |

Every artist deserves tools that are able to meet their demands and allow for their developmentHowever, platforms often don't provide. Here's what 4 creatives who are successful look for in creator-friendly platforms.

"It was an absolute nightmare" declares Em Connors of The Creative Bodega .

When Em first started the Canva course, the course's plugin she had installed for her WordPress website wasn't functioning. The students had registered for the course, and on day one, nobody could login.

"We were unable to figure out what was wrong. It was a case of anxiety! I can't imagine that my heart rate has been as high, and there was no one in the world to talk to," she remembers. Em was searching for answers through forums and on the internet which included forums, including a Facebook group of plugin customers however, she found there was nothing.

This is a familiar experience for the majority of creators. Too many platforms in the market for creators do not put their creators' interests first- operating with questionable practices that include a insufficient transparency, misleading charges, and a lack of providing support.

Everyone deserves tools for creators, which prioritize their needs and help them grow. To gain a better understanding of creator friendliness and the lack of it -- actually looks like, we spoke with four creatives on their experience:

Em Conners  Solopreneur, expert in branding and marketing as well as an educator and the creator of The Creative Bodega.

Becky Mollenkamp  Feminist life coach, podcaster, and the founder of The Gutsy Boss Club community.

Adrian Dalsus  musician, marketer educator, creator of Despegue Musical.

Khe Hy , a.k.a. "Oprah to Millennials" The founder of RadReads and a Notion pro.

What is it that makes a platform user-friendly?

There are many factors that create a platform that is friendly to creators and user-friendly, but it comes down to whether creators feel like the platform has their back.

1. Accessible support

Whenever you get stuck, you ought to have the assistance you require. It sounds simple, but the assistance isn't always readily available. For Em the term "creator friendliness" means being able to connect with a real human being to discuss any concerns or concerns.

"Creator friendliness " is the ability to inquire about anyone and get answers quickly. I just want to be able to talk to someone else, which is rare nowadays."

-- Em Connors, The Creative Bodega

As entrepreneurs crafting experiences and building relationships, many creators aim to operate the same way within their own business. "I'm willing to assist you the best possible," Em says. "Ask me any questions you have- I may not always be able to answer your question, but I'm going to attempt. It makes me think it helps people feel very at ease."

Becky is in agreement: "Knowing that the company will be responsive to the needs of its clients will ensure that you're able to be sure to get the assistance you need in a timely way. If the company isn't doing this from the start, run the other way."

2. Easy to use

The tools that are created by creators must have a user-friendly interface regardless of backgrounds or experience levels. If a tool feels natural to a particular person does not mean that it is user-friendly for all.

"Addressing the requirements of a variety of different age groups is crucial since anyone is an author at any time!"

--- Becky Mollenkamp

Becky considers herself to be a good yardstick:

"One method I use to determine if a program can be considered a good creator tool is to see if I am able to intuitively understand the best way to utilize it without having to shout. Even though I'm extremely tech-savvy however, I'm now at the age of 40 and am no an ideal target for companies that work in tech."

She goes on to say, "Too often, tools are designed for those who grew up on the Internet but not people who are like me. If I can easily discover how to utilize something, that means the company thought beyond the twenty-somethings and truly cares about making a tool for everyone makers."

3. The creator's journey is in the future.

The platform must also be able to be able to support creators throughout their journey, says Khe Hy whether it's making a sales page flexible or a checkout experience really smooth, down to using features that manage the workflow of affiliates and upsells.

"Creator-friendly means that a product recognizes and anticipates the requirements of a creator."

-- Khe Hy, RadReads

Creative friendliness is a way to plan for what's to come for the creator "before they realize the steps to take to reach their goal," he explains. "A often it's the case that people start by offering something simple, before expanding their offer."

The stress of unfriendly creator platforms

It's frustrating to feel like you can't get assistance from a system you count upon to manage your company.

Like Em, Becky has found herself battling the silence treatment. "I began my experience of creating courses on a platform that offered horrible customer service," she shares. "When I ran into issues, I had to send an email. It was not a standard response acknowledging that they'd received the question. And I never got answers to most of the questions I submitted."

The importance of being a good friend to creators doesn't stop at support requests. Businesses have the chance to place the needs of creators first throughout the entire customer experience. In the absence of these opportunities, or ignoring them creates a feeling that creators are in the hands of platforms' whims.

For Adrian, a platform's disregard towards creators can be seen in the sudden adding or dropping functions that make him re-learn how to use the tool. Communicating with the supposed experts does not feel helpful in the event that, as Adrian states, "you can clearly see they're trying to convince users to invest extra time and money in the of the system."

The most difficult encounter Adrian experienced as a designer and entrepreneur was with the tool for creating websites. "It took a long time to learn the curve to achieve very simple items, and was susceptible to errors at any moment due to a plugin, upgrade, or even bad luck," he remembers. "Knowing that websites and websites of my clients as well as clients may cease to function in any moment, no matter the fact that it is expensive hiring all the essential equipment to run a professional site, is outrageous."

You can almost feel his blood pressure increasing in his words, "Just thinking of [theseplatforms makes me feel very frustrated, deceived, helpless, powerless, insecure, stressed, and anxious for all the bad things that could go wrong in the event that I don't have any control!"

How to find creator-friendly platforms

As with most purchasing decisions, creators can be attracted by companies. But like Adrian explains, they're making a decision based on their experience and learning to recognize a brand that puts creator needs first:

What's the result? The creators believe they've made the most appropriate choice but end up frustrated over and over again by having to figure things out on their own with no assistance from their service suppliers."

So what should you avoid? "Tools that increase their costs as you grow [your database], like most email marketing providers. Services that have extra payments or hidden charges in their memberships for access to templates, training, or even information."

Additionally, be aware of devices that are expensive, especially as you're starting off. Khe warns "Creators are willing to spend money on services, but if you get started with a price that is too high -- whether by tiering your plans or how you design your plan -- it can be too expensive and too soon." Adrian adds, "Having to pay over $100 upfront per month -in order to understand the basics of using the platform, or to find out how you can make cash there doesn't work for the majority of creators."

What features should you look for? Adrian recommends seeking out software that was designed with the creator in mind from the start, with affordable pricing along with customer support and complete transparency from the business.

"Although it may sound cliche Ask what are the values, mission, and mission of the organization? What are their future plans? Do they actually want for growth? Did they create a product or service that they're currently trying to sell but have no intention of improving it?"

-- Adrian Dalsus, Despegue Musical

There are several other elements which make the platform more user-friendly. These include the way transaction fees are structured to whether you can take directly-paying customers . (Learn more about the way in which's chief executive officer, Spencer Fry, thinks about creator friendliness and the reasons it's the guiding principle of the business.)

According to Becky puts it, "There are always choices. My money will always go to the companies that actually take care of my experience and not only about getting my money."

The Creator Friendliness Index

The Creator Friendliness Index uses 20 ranking factors to gauge the degree of how accommodating a business's policies are for creators.            - Find out which platforms can help you