All-in-one platform or custom tech stack for healers, coaches and therapists
Is it better to build your business on an all-in-one platform or choose individual tools to suit your needs?
Can anyone guess my answer? It depends. đ
There is no one âright wayâ to build a business. It's all going to depend on where you are at in your business build, your preferences, your budget, and your skillset. I'm here to help you make an informed decision that works best for you, your team, and your community. I definitely have some thoughts and some pros and cons to consider. AND, apparently since I have a lot to say on the subject, I'll split this into a 2 parter emails series. First off, let's talk all-in-one platformsâŚ
What are all-in-one platforms?*
You may have noticed that a lot of platforms have been going in this direction where they are offering (almost) everything you might possibly need to run a business in one single platform. This might include webpage or landing page builders, email marketing, social media planners, project management, CRM, course management, bookings, payment, etc. The reason? Software companies have caught on that customers are having tool fatigue and there is greater market share and better experience if you can provide an all-in-one solution.
Examples of all-in-one* platforms:
Pros
Ease of use (for you and customer) - all your information is in one spot and often times functions are deeply integrated. For example, if someone fills out a form, they automatically get added to your CRM, data collected in same space, giving opportunities to personalize future interactions without any work on your end.
Reduced set up & maintenance time - while these platforms still take time to learn, most features come out-of-the-box, so set up time is quick and maintenance is minimal.
360 degree view of your connections - this is one of my favorite features of an all-in-one platform. In most cases, you can pull up a profile of your customer and see an activity log of what theyâve purchased, emails theyâve opened, and conversations theyâve had with you. This gives you broader context on where this person is in their journey so that you can serve them where they are at.
One login, one support - You only have to deal with one single account* and one support team, instead of multiple. This can be a god-send for those who get dysregulated by too many platforms.
Cons
Generalized functionality - you will often find that all-in-one platforms excel at some features and lack in others. This is simply because their focus and support are spread thin.
Feature bloat and bugs - because they are trying to be everything to everyone, you may be presented with a ton of features that you just donât need which can clutter your experience. More features introduces more risk for bugs since these platforms want to keep adding more to keep their customers happy.
Reduced customization - while these bigger platforms do often allow you to add your own colors, fonts, and photos, you generally donât get to do much more customization than that.
Centralized risk - when you put all your eggs in one basket, what happens when the system goes down? There is more risk when there are outages or data loss. This is a VERY RARE occurrence, but something that you should keep in mind and build contingencies for (data backups, alternative communication plans) if you choose to go in this direction.
High costs - most all-in-one platforms come with a hefty cost that may be challenging for those in the beginning of their build with smaller budgets. In most cases, the cost does equate to the alternative of piecing tools together, but something to keep in mind depending on where you are at in the journey.
Who might benefit most from all-in-one platforms
Those who are tech hesitant - these platforms are generally easy to use and have great documentation, resources and customer support that tech hesitant folks would appreciate. Youâre only having to learn and manage one tool instead of 10.
Those with a simple, straightforward offering - if you have a pretty straightforward funnel leading into 1-3 signature programs, an all-in-one might be a great solution for you. If you are still trying out different types of offers or have very specific needs and values, thatâs when I would point you to a more customized solution so you can offer something very close to (or better than) what you envisioned.
* Side note: I have yet to see a platform that can do it ALL, so expect to have one or two additional complementary tools to assist.
Crafting your own customized tech stack
Instead of doing all your work from own single platform, the alternative is to build your own back-end with a variety of tools that are highly specialized in their function. An example tech stack might look something like this:
Website - Squarespace
Booking - Acuity
Email - Flodesk
Payments - Stripe
Community Management - Mighty Networks
Project Management - Notion
To some, this might give you heart palpitations đ Managing a lot of tools does come with a âlil extra work, but Iâve seen some super streamlined businesses use this customized tech stack solution which is why I wanted to dive in deeper behind the pros and cons so you can choose the best option for you, your team, and your customers.
Pros
Specialization, better features - individual tools are primarily focused on their specialty so you are going to find more bells and whistles around very specific needs and functions.
Freedom and more customization - you get to choose the functionality you like in different platforms versus being locked in to potentially mediocre all-in-one platforms that are trying to build for the common denominator.
Quicker upgrades - smaller software companies are generally more nimble, have a closer connection with their customers, and release updates faster. This often means that if something is missing, you can ask for them to add it and they probably will.
Lower costs, gradual build - most individual, specialized platforms offer a free or low cost option which is nice if you want to build at a low cost until you are ready to scale.
Cons
Multiple logins, for everyone - each software account will require both you AND your customer to register and log in. Not all tools require customer login, but this is definitely something to keep in mind when you are thinking about your clientâs experience where they may need to create an account for your portal AND your course platform. Sometimes there is a way around this with a feature called Single Sign On (SSO), but not every platform has this option and itâs added setup and maintenance to install.
Dispersed data - if you are collecting data from each one of your platforms, that means there is no ONE source of truth. Yes, âSource of Truthâ is a technical term which basically means one database that holds all your information. Instead, your data is dispersed where emails are stored in your email platform, intake form data is in your CRM, payment information in your payment processing tool, etc. This can get messy real fast as you grow your business. Luckily there are tools like Zapier or native integrations that allow multiple tools to talk to one another, but again, that requires more cost and maintenance.
High set up and maintenance costs - with more tools, comes more responsibility đ . Instead of learning one tool, you may now need to understand 5 or more which takes longer to set up for you and your team.
Who custom tech stacks might be best for
Budget conscious beginners - since there are low entry fees and you donât have to get everything at once, this is a great option for those who are in their first 0-3 years of business and want to grow gradually. Once youâve settled on a signature offer model and have defined systems and requirements, then consider refining your customized tool stack or moving to an all-in-one platform.
Those with strong values and highly focused offer types - letâs say you value community and collaboration and want to offer memberships. This is where I would point you to a specialty platform that also values community and customer service, like a Circle or Mighty Networks and then add on tools where you may still have gaps. An all-in-one platform isnât going to give you the same experience. Or, letâs say youâre a big communicator and would like your email marketing platform to do the heavy lifting and connect with your clients around the clock without you having to lift a fingerâŚthen Iâd recommend something like Active Campaign that is really good at automatically delivering messages to the right people, at the right time. Match your offers to platforms that specialize in your values.
Stubborn, freedom-seeking visionaries - I had to throw this one in there, because thats me đ ! I donât want to get locked into a one-size-fits-all platform. I feel like there is more space and freedom in building my business in alignment with what I envision in my head and for me, that means piecing together the crème de la crème. Iâm willing to compromise or create workarounds for some of the costs of not having a single all-in-one platform, as listed above.
As you can see there are pros and cons with each direction. When making a decision, it's important to dial in your requirementsâŚthen, factor in your budget, technical proficiency, patience threshold, and preferences.
If you need help navigating any of this, I'd love to be of support. Check out Your Holistic Business Blueprint to get specific-to-you recommendations on how best to build your practice ~ on your own terms.
