The Podia Review: Digital Paradise or Scam?

Wanting to sell skills online but can't find the perfect match for your talent? Look no further. Podia can be your one-stop solution for every digital sale. But the question that lingers is whether this website is all that or do the customers have anything different to say.

This is why we bring you the conclusive Podia reviews today, covering every bit of the platform to understand it better, one bit at a time.

Podia Features in Store

Digital Products

The website can be used to sell all kinds of digital products online, including;

• ◾  Digital downloads (PDFs, eBooks, audio files, etc.)
• ◾  Webinars and workshops
• ◾  Coaching sessions
• ◾  Online courses
• ◾  Subscriptions/memberships

For the addition of products, click on the Create option from the main dashboard. From there, click Select and pick the type of product you want to sell.

In case you pick digital downloads, simply drag and drop the file you want to sell and upload the same in the product catalog. After this, hit the details option for adding the product title, product image, and description.

Use the categories feature for organizing the products and help with the website navigation and switch the visibility for comments on and off.

Move to the pricing tab for setting the price of the product, and make sure you have a PayPal or Stripe account so you can start accepting payments. Customizing the high-converting checkout process is possible with the upsells tab.

These are recommended products that are visible to customers when they checkout and can increase the average order values for revenue-boosting. At last, click on the availability tab to access more options. There are plenty of options for you to choose from.

After you are done with the same, click on publish to launch the product on the page.

Webinars 

Apart from digital downloads, the platform also allows you to sell webinar access that is hosted via YT and Zoom. Or even better, you can simply use them as a free lead magnet for growing the email list. Select products>new product>webinar to begin the proceedings. From there, connect your Zoom account or the video link for YT Live.

Up next, pick when you want to go live by choosing the start and end time/date, with the instructions for the viewers so they know how to join. You can add the replay video option if you want customers to be able to access recordings after the event ends, which can come in handy.

Not to mention that you can set reminders for customers before the event begins for maximum attendance. Once all the settings are complete, click on publish and launch the sign-up page. The payment and registrations will be handled by the website, while access will be available on your site as per a Podia review. 

Website Builder

It offers a pretty basic website builder that can help you create an online store to take the first step towards online presence. The website will be exactly where you host the courses, the community, and all the digital products. Customers get the option of purchasing products straight from the website simply by logging in to the member's area to access the same.

Get started by logging in and accessing the dashboard to access a personalized goal checklist. From there, click on the "set up website" option from the checklist or the "edit date" option, available at the top of the screen.

Following that, pick a template that matches the end goal. Users get the option of starting from a blank site or with a pre-built email lander, link page, or even a full website template.

After that, move forward with the setup wizard for adding the header logo, select the brand language and color, complete the bio, and link your socials. As soon as you have done that, you will see the drag-and-drop website editor, where you can do website customization and add content without any design or coding skills.

The editor available is pretty basic and makes use of a similar interface that most WYSIWYG builders use. Use the left-hand sidebar in case you want to add new sections, and use the real-time preview window for moving the same around.

Things like FAQs, testimonials, etc., already have pre-built sections ensuring that you can build a professional-looking landing page within 15 minutes.

In case you have chosen the full website template, the platform will already set up some important pages, such as a homepage, services page, about page, ToS pages, etc.

The pages can be added or removed by using the homepage icon from the top right corner, but the catch is that you have to customize each separately. Every page is responsive and can be switched between different device views to check how they look on screen sizes.

Keep in mind that although the website builder is pretty easy to use and great for rookies, it isn't exactly flexible and doesn't offer much control.

The editor is grid-based, meaning that you can't move elements around however you want. In a nutshell, the website builder is a little surprise. But if you are simply there for a basic website, this can get the job done.

Coaching

If you are looking to sell consultation services or personal coaching via the store, add a coaching product, and you can begin. You just have to paste the link for embedding the calendar, add coaching instructions in case there are any, and finalize the details such as pricing, availability, etc., and you are good to go.

Product Bundles

What most people don't know is that the platform allows users to combine multiple products to sell them in a single package. These are known as product bundles and are available for specific plans.

It can be a great way to increase the average order values and customer incentives. A bundle can be created by navigating to the products>new product>create a product and selecting bundle from there.

Upon doing that, try adding or removing products from the bundle by toggling the bundled icon available right next to every product. Once that happens, the process remains the same for every product. Set a price, add the product description, set availability, and publish.

Coupons

Creating coupons would allow you to offer discounts for products and memberships on the platform. Begin by clicking on the coupons tab from the top of the navigation bar and click on the new coupon to set up the initial discount.

After that, enter a code and select the items for which you want the coupon discount to apply, and pick the value of the discount. You can either opt for a flat discount or any percentage. Apply all the limits as decided and set the expiry date to complete the coupon creation.

Online Course Builder

This is by far one of the standout features of the platform of Podia. It can be used to put together the whole eLearning curriculum. Access the course builder by clicking on Products > New Product > Online Course.

One can find courses organized in lessons and sections. Start with the addition of sections to create a wider structure for the course, and add lessons to fill it with the content of your course.

The addition of different media is also possible, including texts, audio, files, videos, embeds, etc.

Want to add an assessment of any kind? Click on the add quiz and enter MCQ questions and answers. The catch is that, for now, Podia doesn't offer any other kind of assessments, which can be a problem for users trying to sell advanced assessments.

Other than that, you cannot offer feedback and student grades, which is disappointing since the feature is available on other platforms.

Paid Communities 

Another selling point for the platform is the community feature they offer. The feature can be used to build a community revolving around digital products for building a continuous stream of revenue.

To use the same, hit the community tab at the top of the dashboard, add a name and select the create community option. The platform would help set up a community space, similar to an online forum, where you and the members can make posts, type comments, and interact.

You can even customize the community forum area simply with the addition of topics to organize posts into different themed discussion boards. After that, access the settings tab and add a community description, banner, image, etc.

The community pricing plans can also be customized from the same. There are also chances of setting up multiple plan tiers within different price ranges along with different bundled products.

Not to mention that you can pick whether you want to grant free or paid access for every community plan.

Pros and Cons: Podia 

Podia Costing

There are four differences that we discovered with this podia.com review, namely Free, Mover, Shaker, and Earthquaker, with each offering different benefits, usage limits, and features.

For the free plan, there are no charges except for an 8% transaction fee for every sale you make. Here are the following features that it offers;

• ◾  Full website
• ◾  Email marketing
• ◾  Chat support
• ◾  Community
• ◾  One download
• ◾  One coaching product
• ◾  Draft courses
• ◾  Draft webinars
• ◾  250 broadcast emails
• ◾  Three emails per campaign
• ◾  One active email campaign

Next in line is the Mover, starting at $39 per month or $33 if you sign up for a year. Apart from the core benefits, here is what else the plan offers.

• ◾  No transaction fees
• ◾  Custom domain
• ◾  Unlimited downloads
• ◾  Unlimited coaching
• ◾  Unlimited courses
• ◾  Video upload in communities
• ◾  Upsells
• ◾  Coupons
• ◾  Unlimited active email campaigns
• ◾  Unlimited emails per campaign
• ◾  5k broadcast emails

Just $89 per month, users can get their hands on shaker or for $75 with the annual plan. Here is what the plan entails;

• ◾  Live chat
• ◾  Unlimited webinars
• ◾  Affiliates
• ◾  Bundles
• ◾  Course certificates
• ◾  Sign up limits
• ◾  15k broadcast emails

At a ground-shaking $199 per month, we have the Earthquaker, which comes down a notch at $166 for the yearly plan. This is by far the best plan and offers;

• ◾  5 team seats
• ◾  Priority support
• ◾  Onboarding calls
• ◾  Third-party code
• ◾  Monthly creator call
• ◾  50k broadcast emails

Keep in mind that the prices may vary, so try to check out the complete pricing range from the official website of Podia.

Where Does Podia Rank? The Trustpilot Review

More than half of the population on the platform had great Podia reviews all over their mind, meaning that the website has managed to come up with a great impression on third-party review sites as well. With a plethora of services available and features that can make you stand out in the digital crowd, Podia is surely worth visiting.

The Conclusive Podia Exclusive

What started as an online course program went on to become one of the best course builder websites on the internet. It is by a mile one of the best e-commerce platforms for selling digital products and services. This review only solidified the stand of the platform as a haven for entrepreneurs and small-scale businesses that are looking for effective and reasonably priced digital tools. So, find your plaything today.

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