Where can you locate a platform that is creator friendly? Four successful creators share their advice |

Each creator needs tools that meet their requirements and help them grow -however, they don't always provide. Here's what 4 successful creators look for in platforms that are supportive of creators.

"It was a complete nightmare" declares Em Connors of The Creative Bodega .

When Em first began the Canva course, a plugin she had installed for her WordPress site was not working. She had students signed up for the course, and at the beginning of the day, there was no way anyone was able to log in.

"We couldn't figure out why. It was a case of anxiety! I don't think my heart rate has ever been as high, and there was no one I could speak to," she remembers. Em furiously searched for answers through forums and on the internet which included the Facebook forum for plugin users however, she found there was nothing.

However, it could be an experience that is familiar to many creators. A lot of platforms in the market for creators do not put their creators' interests firstand operate with unsound practices that include a absence of transparency, false costs, and lack of offering support.

Every creator deserves creator-friendly tools, which prioritize their needs and support their growth. To get a sense of what the concept of "creator friendliness" -- and its absence- actually looks as, we talked to four creatives on their experience:

Em Conners  is a solopreneur who is a marketing and branding expert teacher, the founder of The Creative Bodega.

Becky Mollenkamp  is a feminist lifestyle coach, podcaster, and creator of the Gutsy Boss Club community.

Adrian Dalsus , musician, marketer, teacher, and founder Despegue Musical. Despegue Musical.

Khe Hy , a.k.a. "Oprah to Millennials", the founder of RadReads as well as a Notion pro.

What is it that makes a platform user-friendly?

There are many aspects that create a platform that is user-friendly however, it comes down to whether creators are confident that they have the support of the platform.

1. Support for accessibility

When you're stuck, you should be able to get assistance. Although it sounds easy, it isn't always available. For Em the term "creator friendliness" means being able to talk to a real human being to work through any questions or issues.

"Creator friendly is being able to pose a question to someone and get answers quickly. I just want to speak to someone else, which isn't often in the present."

Em Connors Em Connors, Creative Bodega

In their work as entrepreneurs, creating experiences and creating relationships, the majority of makers want to do it the same way within their own businesses. "I'm going to help you the best you can." Em says. "Ask me any questions you have- I may not always know the answer but I'll attempt. It makes me think it helps people feel very at ease."

Becky says: "Knowing that the company will be responsive to customer needs will ensure that you're able to have the support you need quickly way. If a company doesn't do this at the outset and then you're left with no choice but to run."

2. Ease of use

Tools that support creators also have to be easy to use for all backgrounds and levels of experience. Just because a product feels natural to a particular group of people doesn't mean it's easy for all users.

"Addressing the demands of myriad different age groups is crucial since anyone is an author at any time!"

--- Becky Mollenkamp

Becky believes that she is a good yardstick:

"One method I use to tell if a software has been designed by a creator is if I am able to intuitively understand the best way to utilize it without wanting to scream. Although I'm pretty tech-savvy, I am in my forties and no an ideal target of tech firms."

She goes on to say, "Too often, tools were designed by people who grew up on the Internet, not folks similar to me. If I'm able to easily discover how to utilize some thing, it means that they thought outside of the twenty-somethings, and is committed to making a tool for every creators."

3. Provides for the creator journey in the future.

The platform must also be able to serve creators at every stage of their path, according to Khe Hy -- whether you're making your sales pages user-friendly or making a checkout process very smooth. This includes having features that handle workflows involving affiliates or upsells.

"Creator-friendly means that a product is aware of and anticipating the needs of a creator."

-" Khe Hy, RadReads

The ability to create is coming next for the person who created it "before they even know the steps to take to reach their goal," he explains. "A often, people are starting by offering something simple, and then expanding their product offering."

The anxiety of creating unfriendly platforms

It's a bit frustrating feeling as if you're unable to get the assistance you require from a platform you rely upon to manage your company.

Like Em, Becky has found herself receiving the silent treatment. "I started my course-creating experience on a platform that offered terrible customer support," she shares. "When I encountered issues with my course, I was required to send an email. There was no automatic response to acknowledge that they were aware of the issue. There was no response to the majority of inquiries I put in."

The importance of being a good friend to creators doesn't stop at help requests. Businesses have the chance to place the needs of creators first throughout the entire customer experience. By ignoring or not taking advantage of these opportunities creates a feeling that creators are at the mercy of the platforms' whims.

For Adrian, a platform's disregard towards creators can be seen in the sudden adding or dropping options that force him to learn how to operate the tool. Communicating with supposed experts isn't supportive in the event that, as Adrian points out, "you can clearly see that they're trying to convince users to invest additional time and money within of the tool."

The worst experience Adrian was through as a web developer and business owner was using a website tool. "It required a lengthy learning process to do very easy tasks, and it could be susceptible to errors at any moment because of a plugin change, or unfortunate luck," he remembers. "Knowing that my websites as well as the landing pages for my company as well as clients may cease to function in any moment, no matter the cost hiring all the essential tools for a professionally designed site, is outrageous."

You can almost see his blood pressure rise as he tells us, "Just thinking of [these] platforms makes me feel very frustrated, deceived, helpless, overwhelmed, confident and worried about everything that can happen which I can't do anything!"

Where can you find platforms that are creator-friendly?

As with most purchasing choices, creatives are lured by the brands. But as Adrian explains, they're learning from hard-won experience how to recognize a brand that puts creator needs first:

What's the result? Creators think they've made the most appropriate choice but end up repeatedly frustrated when they must figure things out on their own with the help of their service providers."

And what are the things to avoid? "Tools with higher costs as you grow [your database]. This is the case with the majority of email marketing providers. These services have additional fees or hidden costs in their memberships for access to templates, training or even information."

Also, watch out for equipment that is expensive particularly when you're just starting with. Khe cautions that "Creators are willing to make a payment for services but if you get started with a price that is too high -- whether via tiering or how you design your plans -- it could be expensive or too early." Adrian states, "Having to pay over $100 per month upfrontin order to understand how to use a platform or try to discover how to earn money there simply doesn't make sense for most creators."

What are the attributes you look for? Adrian recommends seeking for tools that were designed by the designer of HTML0 in mind right from the start, with affordable pricing along with customer support as well as transparency from the company.

"Although it sounds cliche It is important to know the core values, mission and mission of the organization? What is their plan for the future? Do they actually want to expand? Did they create a product or service that they're trying to market, with no interest in developing it?"

-- Adrian Dalsus, Despegue Musical

There are many additional factors which make an online platform user-friendly, from how transaction fees are structured to the ability to accept direct payment . (Learn more about how 's the CEO, Spencer Fry, thinks about creator friendliness and the reasons it's a founding principle for the organization.)

As Becky sums up, "There are always choices. I'll only give my money to companies who actually are concerned about me and my experiences, not just about getting my money."

The Creator Friendliness Index

The Creator Friendliness Index uses 20 rating factors to determine the extent to which a firm's policies are for creators.            -- See which platforms have your back