Kartra Review: The Good, The Bad, And Everything In Between

If you’re running an online business or managing a company’s online marketing activities, a marketing platform will be your savior. And we don’t mean this lightly.

Hiring professional marketers will dent your expenses – which is the last thing small business owners would want. And you can’t possibly juggle the C.E.O. role and marketing campaigns all by yourself without going crazy.

This is where Kartra comes in!

Kartra Overview

Simply put, Kartra is an all-inclusive marketing platform.

From landing pages to sales pages to email marketing and marketing campaigns, your Kartra account will bring you a step closer to flourish your own business – that is, if it’s the right platform for you.

This article will help you determine if this marketing software will be worth the investment!

What Is Kartra For?

While Kartra’s features are undeniably good, it still has pros and cons that you might need to note. As a Kartra review, of course, we want to be as honest as possible.

Kartra will help you build your sales, but that’s not its most vital point. So if that’s what you’re looking for, you might not get it here.

Kartra is mainly for marketing and business management.

The activities and analytics of your entire online business will be consolidated in this marketing automation platform, making it so much EASIER to manage everything.

You can get leads, track their analytics, and send them emails using Kartra. The interconnectedness of everything increases efficiency, which we know is an important business strategy for a profitable business.

P.R.O.s

We’ll discuss Kartra’s features below. Before we get there, here are some of our favorite advantages that have proven to help other Kartra users:

• Kartra Integrate
• Efficient for Business Management
• Easy-to-Use Marketing Tools
• Cloud Software
• Considerably Affordable
• Connect to social media platforms and WordPress site

Kartra Integrations

When they said “all-in-one platform,” they meant it. The Kartra enterprise has many features that connect so you can interact with your clients with fewer steps.

To explain how all the tools connect, here’s a scenario:

First, you create your web pages and landing pages with Kartra Pages or your Kartra Page Builder.From there, your Kartra Funnels & Campaigns will be your sales funnel builder to help you create a marketing strategy and use Kartra Leads to track the leads and analytics you’ll garner from there.

Once they sign up to be part of a mailing list, for example, you’ll use their email marketing software Kartra Mail to send them email marketing content.

Once they decide to sign-up, Kartra Membership serves as a membership site where your clients can access the materials needed. The drag and drop builder makes it easier for you to design the page by yourself.

 Efficient for Business Management

Because all the features are well-integrated, the efficiency follows too.

You no longer have to jump from one marketing tool to another. And since it’s a marketing automation tool, everything’s automated! You don’t have to do it yourself; Kartra will do it for you.

You can focus on other aspects of your business while Kartra does its job.

Excellent Client Support

The Kartra Helpdesk has proven to be trustworthy as client support. Some of the features can be overwhelming for a newbie Kartra user, and having a reliable helpdesk is a lifesaver.

They also have web-hosting webinars to help you navigate through the membership site. Though we have to admit they don’t give much information about Kartra FOR FREE, they do have some effort.

Their testimonials page might help convince you.

Easy-to-Use Marketing Tools

What’s the point of marketing tools if they’ve complicated to use? We’ve used too many business subscriptions sites to know how counter-productive that is.

The time that could’ve been spent planning campaigns and strategies was wasted trying to figure out how the features work!

Kartra’s drag and drop features save a lot of time. Building membership sites and sales pages aren’t accessible, but they made it fool-proof – which we appreciate.

Cloud Software

You don’t have to worry about your files and documents or worry about losing hard drive memory space. Well, you probably know how the cloud works!

Kartra has cloud software that stores them safely, and it can be easily accessible by your team members.

Considerably Affordable (for large to medium-sized businesses)

Taking all these into account, it’s already considered affordable.

Kartra offers essential marketing management features (email, analytics, sales funnel, landing page, etc.), which means you’ll still avail these tools nonetheless even if you don’t subscribe to Kartra’s.

So, subscribing to Kartra will cut those costs and the time spent drastically since all the software tools you need are in one.

Other Kartra alternatives brand themselves as an all-in-one platform – and they’re expensive.

Cons

But despite the good things, don’t jump in immediately without considering these:

• Will uproot your current marketing system
• Expensive for starting owners (but you can think of it as a long-term investment)
• Has limitations on features (which will then require you to pay more to add more features)
• Not as established with third-party integrations
• No blogging option
• Not really for selling physical products (it’s more for services such as selling online courses, web-hosting programs, etc.)

Will Uproot your Current Marketing System

The thing is, since it’s an all-in-one platform, that means you’ll have to transfer everything here. You should store your marketing campaigns, affiliate marketplace, and all data here – or else, what’s the point? 

This will be easy if your online business is still starting, but shifting to this new setup will be challenging when you’re already up and running with a system already in place.

If you think your online business is ready for that change – then go for it. But don’t impulsively subscribe!

Expensive for Starting Owners and Limitations on Features

We know we said it’s affordable – which technically, it is. But the pricing system (as you’ll see in the next heading) can still make a dent for start-ups.

This is also concerning the limitations on their plans. You have to pay more as you go, and you don’t immediately get all of the unlimited features in one go (i.e., unlimited membership sites, unlimited helpdesk portals, unlimited pages created, etc.).

Depending on your Kartra membership plans, there are also fees when you want to test software.

Not the Best for Physical Products

First of all, we’re not saying you can’t. They have Kartra Checkouts to help you with payments and checkouts, so you can 100% use Kartra for physical goods.

We’re trying to say it’s not ideal mainly because the features are more for digital goods. There are limitations on their parts for physical products, and it would be wiser to connect another shopping cart software if you want to use Kartra.

Kartra Pricing

Kartra’s pricing ranges from $99/month to $499/month.

If you decide to be billed annually, you’ll have cheaper monthly bills of $79/month to $379/month.

They have different tiers:

• Kartra Starter Plan
• Kartra Silver Plan
• Kartra Gold Plan
• Kartra Platinum Plan

Silver, Gold, and Platinum are already inclusive of Kartra Agency.

This is their feature that allows you to centralize your clients’ profiles. So other than yours, you can also see their data to manage them better.

What Features Does Kartra Offer?

Now that we’ve mentioned Kartra Agency, we’ll also introduce their other exciting features. We were amazed by the tools of Kartra when we first started reviewing it!

Page Builder

A successful online business needs a landing page that can convert. It’s more than just the design, and it’s the online marketing strategy in visual form.This is why Kartra’s page builder feature with an easy drag and drop design is something that many online business owners are grateful for!

Hiring a web designer can be expensive, so Kartra pages took matters into their own hands. They have templates and built-in features up and ready for you to use.

Form Builder

Another necessity for online businesses is forms. This is how you can quickly gather data from your leads.It’s essential to have a form automation tool to create practical formats and pool your data and analytics properly. Here’s a sample form you can start with Kartra:

You can also integrate this with your page builder to pop up the form on your landing page. Like the page builder, it runs on a drag and drop design with easy templates for your efficient use.

Sales Funnels

Most businesses take the sales funnel for granted. Getting leads is useless if you can’t convert the sales! Enter Kartra sales funnel.

The good news is, Kartra understands the significance of effective funneling. They have this fantastic flowchart that helps with their marketing automation. Leave the work to Kartra!

We also love how you can create marketing campaigns with this feature, and you can even sell the ideas you come up with in the Kartra Marketplace. Win-win!

Lead Management

Again, getting leads will be useless if you can’t manage it well. One way is through sales funnels, and another is to have a platform where you can profile your leads properly to better plan your next steps.

But you know what our favorite part is?

Kartra is generous to accept the leads that your business already has throughout your pre-Kartra era. You can import them quickly, and they’ll profile them comprehensively just the same.

Integrations

We’ve already discussed their software integrations above, so we’ll just list them down below with brief descriptions for each!

• Kartra Checkouts: for checkout forms and payments
• Kartra Pages: for your webpage designs
• Kartra Leads: for your lead analytics
• Kartra Funnels & Campaigns: for your sales conversions and campaigns
• Kartra Mail: for your email marketing agenda
• Kartra Membership Site: to reach your members and clients
• Kartra Surveys & Quizzes: for your data gathering
• Kartra Video: for your video marketing needs
• Kartra Helpdesk: for your assistance and support
• Kartra Calendar: for your timeline and schedules
• Kartra Forms: for your tagging and client profiling
• Kartra Affiliate Program: for your partnerships, recruitments, promotions, and commissions
• Kartra Agency: for your other clients
• Kartra Marketplace: for your buy and sell needs with other users
• Integrations and API: for your codes and add-ons

Kartra Video and Mail

Kartra also has impressive video hosting services made for video marketing. You get to control how your videos look, embed a watermark for your copyright, and tag your leads!

They make video editing so easy – which if you’re a video editor or have experienced editing videos before, this is an absolute blessing!

You can also build playlists, customize the timing during the video for a “call to action” form, and host your videos in a centralized dashboard.

On top of all that, these Kartra video hosting features can also provide reliable and advanced analytics so you’ll have an accurate view of how your business is performing.

For mail, the email marketing content is automated.

Kartra will be the one sending them once your leads bite on your calls for action. You’ll receive complete reports of how well (or bad) your email marketing is doing.

Believe us; email marketing goes beyond sending emails!

There’s a strategy to it that you’ll appreciate once you’ve tried using Kartra (or other marketing platforms, for that matter). It will help boost your online business significantly.

Membership Platform

Once you have converted your leads, where will these people go? To membership sites, yes!

Membership sites help you put out your content and other advertising content for your members to see. You can also share your affiliate program here for exposure.

Just keep in mind that unlimited membership sites will require extra payment fees. 

How to Use Kartra

As you can tell, Kartra is generally easy to use. But there are tips and tricks on you can use it more effectively.

This is where Kartra Academy comes in.

No, you don’t need to pay extra for this as it’s already part of the package deals. Since this is a members-only feature, we can’t fully show you the insides – but we’ll tell you how great it is!

Kartranaut Training

With this training, they will explain the settings and features to you. From how to use them properly to what they are for.

We think this shows that Kartra cares that you maximize what their platform can offer. You’re not entering blind with zero ideas of how to navigate the site.

They have webinars and masterclasses to teach you all about sale conversions, effective copywriting, and whatnot. You’re not required to take the training, but it’s there for you to expense.

You not only get to run your business on an all-in-one platform, but you also learn. How great is that?

Kartra Support Services

Last but not least, their helpdesk and support services are superb. How many times have we mentioned that in this Kartra Review?If you’re a member, they have a helpdesk that will address your concerns. If you’re not yet a member, their support page is still beneficial. Engagement is crucial here, and we’re all for

Kartra Competitors

For a full-blown Kartra review, let us also share their big-named competitors and have a very brief comparison.

As we’ve mentioned above, as much as we think Kartra has good features, it’s not everyone due to the varying circumstances. Maybe one of these platforms will be better alternatives for you.

Leadpages

When it comes to building lead pages, Leadpages (as the name suggests) specializes in that.

So we can’t deny that in this aspect, this competitor has the upper hand. It has more customization controls for designing your page.

But that’s it.

They don’t have video integrations, affiliate marketing, email marketing, and all of the essential features of an online marketing platform.

If you’re looking for a platform that specializes in lead pages ONLY, then this might be the better choice. Because of the limited feature, it’s cheaper too.

But with Kartra, you get that PLUS other features.

Kajabi

Kajabi is a stricter competitor to beat.

For one, Kajabi also brands itself as an all-in-one software. And they’re more well-known and established than the new Kartra platform.

The biggest downside of Kajabi is the price. Their packages are more expensive than Kartra, and they offer almost similar features.

Moreover, Kajabi doesn’t specialize in helpdesk, scheduling, and other video features – aspects in which Kartra takes pride. So if these are what you’re looking for, then go with the latter.

Kartra also proves to be an effective platform for both physical and digital products, whereas Kajabi specializes more in digital and selling of courses.

Given this information, choose according to the nature of your business.

MailChimp

MailChimp’s main feature is email automation. They’re one of the most known automation tools for email marketing strategies.

While they also offer other features, they lack important ones such as lead pages, video hosting, membership sites, etc.

This means you would have to subscribe to other platforms to get additional features – which will cost you a lot more.

Adding a domain – one of the most crucial parts of digital businesses – has an additional fee.

This separates Kartra from MailChimp since they have most of the essential features you’ll need to run your business marketing.

ClickFunnels

Kartra and ClickFunnels have similar features – and the latter exceeds the former in terms of sales funneling and third-party integrations. The ClickFunnels brand is also more well-established since it has been a leading tool for years.But all else, Kartra wins – customer support, email, affiliations, membership sites, video-hosting, etc.

If your primary purpose is for marketing and sales only – and you don’t need any business management help – then ClickFunnels will be the better option.

But then, it lacks a lot of features that Kartra is championing.

So, Is Kartra Better?

Well, we’re not saying just because this is a review about Kartra. But we can’t deny that they have the edge over some aspects as compared to others.

Kartra is a reasonably new platform built last 2018 only. Continous rooms for improvements are inevitable, but they are performing exceptionally well if you compare them to longer-standing ones – which we admire.

But the “better” choice will now depend on your needs. Even if Kartra is an all-in-one type of platform, it may not be the best for you if you don’t need the features it offers.

For instance, maybe you just really need a good landing web page and nothing else, then LeadPages would be better and more affordable at that.

You could check our guide on the Best Online Course Platforms for other options!

How to Maximize Kartra [Tips & Tricks]

This heading is just mainly a bonus – it has nothing to do with Kartra in itself. But we figured, why not give some tips to ensure you get the bang for your buck while you’re at it?

We’ve prepared the acronym K.A.R.T.R.A. so you can easily remember them!

Kartra Training

Some users tend to ignore the training the Kartra offers. Well, it’s not precisely required either – and in hindsight, it’s just a bunch of videos, right?

Wrong! This training is part of what you’re paying for. The academy is for members only, and it’s inclusive of the subscription fees you’re paying.

Ignoring these training materials would be such a waste. You’re not only given the nooks and crannies of the website but you’re also being taught to perform better as a marketer and business owner.

Utilize these resources as much as you can. Trust us!

Analytics

Next is to maximize the data analytics they provide. One of Kartra’s best selling points is its detailed analytics.

They show you the performances of your emails, videos, and other content. This also includes your clients’ which will help you manage them better as well.

Some people subscribe to platforms like this only for designing their web pages. And while that’s not wrong, it’s a waste not to utilize the same features that make the package deals expensive.

If your only goal is for web design, there are many cheaper and accessible platforms that you can use.

Research

Research about everything before and after dipping your toes. Before you try out your business or enter the industry, research first.

As we’ve mentioned above, there are ideal platforms applicable for each need. It’s not so much the quantity and quality of the features; it’s the relevance of elements to your needs.

To know if Kartra is suitable for you, research. To understand how Kartra works, research. To know how to improve further, research!

But you know, you reading this article is already a form of research – so yay! That’s a win.

Try Everything

We know this large platform can be overwhelming to use. It’s impossible to use all of their features at once – we’re not telling you to do that.

What we mean is to try out what they offer as much as you can. Maybe not all at the same time, but as you go and grow into building your business. 

If you observe their competitors, most of those platforms specialize in one aspect. For example, MailChimp specializes in email automation; Leadpages specializes in landing pages; ClickFunnels specializes in sales funneling.

The upper hand of Kartra is that they can do all these in one platform. If you won’t try them out, what’s the use? You can go for those platforms instead if your needs are particular.

Rely on HelpDesk

One of their biggest edges is the support and helpdesk feature.

Other platforms’ client support is through third-party apps or inquiry emails that don’t respond to you. If they do, you’ve probably solved the problem already.

With Kartra (and this is testified by most of their users), they have a highly reliable helpdesk that assists you in handling your concerns. Having real-time assistance will save you precious hours, especially for those not as tech and code-savvy!

The best part is, the helpdesk isn’t only from you to Kartra. It’s for your customers to YOU as well.

They have a highly organized ticketing system that allows you to pool the concerns when you’re offline. This consolidates everything so you can respond to them one by one when you come back. And if there’s an answer you don’t know, you can also ask the helpdesk for help.

Other features, such as self-billing, are also in Kartra’s hands too. You no longer have to create invoices and bill every one of your clients because it’s automated!

So (for the lack of a better term) “abuse” the HelpDesk feature. It’s part of what you’re paying for, and it’s for a good reason.

Affiliations

Another feature that Kartra specializes in is its affiliate programs. Compared to its leading competitors, it’s rare to see affiliation features.

Kartra has a feature that allows you to profile your affiliates properly. You can track and monitor them to see if they’re compliant. So if you feel that your business is ready to have affiliations or partnerships, we say go for it!

Managing affiliates can be challenging without assistance. On top of managing your business as a whole, most of us don’t have the time to track affiliates remotely. That’s why this is a handy feature that we appreciate.

It’s an open opportunity to create more exposure for your brand, earn some commissions, and partner with other businesses and promoters. All these are made possible with a close window menu!

Kartra Review: Frequently Asked Questions [F.A.Q.s] [Q&A]

To help you further, we’ll address some of the F.A.Q.s that we see and get. We hope this section will clear up most misconceptions and questions that you may have!

Where Can I Use Kartra?

You can use Kartra through their very own website. After signing up and setting up your account, you can use the offered features (based on your plan tiers) for your marketing needs.

Is Kartra a CRM?

For those who don’t know, CRM means Customer Relationship Management. A CRM platform allows you to connect with your clients and build a relationship with them.

In other words, CRM is service-oriented.

With Kartra’s features such as Kartra Agency and Kartra HelpDesk, connecting with your customers is 100% possible. And not just possible, it makes the work so much easier as well.

Though to clarify, Kartra is not CRM-specific. It’s not a platform particularly for CRM building, but that it’s capable of being one.

Who is Behind Kartra?

Kartra was launched in 2018 by Genesis Digital L.L.C. They’re a SaaS or SEO-knowledgable company that focuses on building platforms that work for digital purposes. The C.E.O. is Andy Jenkins.

If you’re familiar with WebinarJam, then you’ve probably heard of Genesis Digital. The same company powers them.

How Do I Blog on Kartra?

Unfortunately, you can’t.

Blogging is one of the lacking features of Kartra. There’s no option to create blog posts on your domain as of now.

To make up for this, you can amp up your lead page and other pages instead, which is entirely possible with Kartra. Utilize the features they have to design your pages so that all information you want to relay will be present even without blogs.

But we agree, Kartra should add a blogging feature.

Does Kartra Offer Free Trial Programs?

It’s not exactly free – there’s a $1 charge for their 14 trial sessions. We don’t exactly know why; could it be a marketing ploy to make you think you already paid for a tiny portion, so why not continue?

Or maybe because your usage is additional traffic to their site, so they have to charge you.

But either way, we think $1 is already a good deal since you’ll get to access most (if not all) of the essential features they offer.

And should you continue your plan but realize it’s not for you, they’re generous enough to give you a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Can I Cancel My Subscription?

Yes, you can also cancel your subscription at any time.

Although we’ll be honest, it’s not as easy as clicking a link or some type of button – though it’s not exactly difficult either.

All you need to do is file a cancellation request ten (10) days before your billing date or via the self-service portal in your profiles.

Is Kartra Safe?

First off, Kartra takes pride in being 100% compliant with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) and General Data Protection Regulation (G.D.P.R.).

This means your data as a cardholder and your data as a platform user, in general, is safe.

As for security measures, they’re well-equipped in this aspect too.

They have a 256-bit encrypted connection for your payment. To put it simply, the payment link is only between you as a user and the payment gateway.

Kartra doesn’t touch your money until the payment gateway itself transfers it to them. With this measure, you’re assured you won’t be scammed upon payment.

Firewalls and Cloudfare security are also integrated. Your database and documents that are saved to the cloud are safe.

Kartra also explained they don’t have a centralized database. Other platforms tend to have a database with all of their users’ information stored there.

Hackers can easily penetrate that database and steal thousands of information just like that. Thankfully, that’s not possible with Kartra.

Kartra Review 2021 Summary [TL;DR]

In summary, we think Kartra is a good marketing platform to invest in. It’s not as expensive, and it has all the tools you need to run your online business.

PROs

We’ve explained these pros thoroughly above. But for a quick overview, they are:

• Integrations
• Efficient for Business Management
• Easy-to-Use Tools
• Cloud Software
• Considerably Affordable
• Connect to social media and WordPress

CONs

Here are some disadvantages to watch out for:

• Migration of current database can be a hassle
• Expensive for starting owners (but you can think of it as a long-term investment)
• Has limitations on features (which will then require you to pay more to add more features)
• Not as established with third-party integrations
• No blogging option
• Not really for selling physical products

Pricing

Their pricing ranges from $99/month to $499/month. If you’re billed annually, you’ll have cheaper monthly bills of $79/month to $379/month.

General Features

Here is a list of the general features they offer:

• Page Builder
• Form Builder
• Sales Funnels
• Lead Management
• Video ad Mail
• Membership Platform
• Kartra Checkouts: for checkout forms and payments
• Kartra Pages: for your webpage designs
• Kartra Leads: for your lead analytics
• Kartra Funnels & Campaigns: for your sales conversions and marketing campaigns
• Kartra Mail: for your email marketing agenda
• Kartra Membership Site: to reach your members and clients
• Kartra Surveys & Quizzes: for your data gathering
• Kartra Video: for your video marketing needs
• Kartra Helpdesk: for your assistance and support
• Kartra Calendar: for your timeline and schedules
• Kartra Forms: for your tagging and client profiling
• Kartra Affiliate Program: for your partnerships, recruitments, promotions, and commissions
• Kartra Agency: for your other clients
• Kartra Marketplace: for your buy and sell needs with other users
• Integrations and API: for your codes and add-ons

Conclusion

So, yes – an all-in-one solution for your business is possible, and Kartra is living proof of that!

Despite being a young venture, it has all the tools you need to run a successful business.

Overall, we think a Kartra subscription will be worth your money. And if not, they have a 30-day money-back guarantee anyway!

Good luck!