Constant Discovery

Introducing You to New Products

One of my favorite things is to introduce people to new companies and products that they don't know about. It is part of the way I feel like I can be helpful. But it often results in me having way too many tabs open.

How do I do it?

It's actually pretty simple. I am active on Twitter, and involved in a few Facebook groups. In those “communities” I pay attention to any reference of a product or company that I have never heard of.

When I hear something new, I open a tab and search for the product or company. Finding it, I bookmark it (in case all my tabs crash), in a category called “New Stuff.”

Then in the evenings and weekends, I dig in more. Sometimes it means signing up for a free trial. Other times it means reading reviews. Occasionally I'm excited enough to make a purchase.

Either way, I get to know the products. More importantly, I look for what they do well, and where they won't work so well. That's the whole point of being able to make an intelligent recommendation – knowing where to apply it best.

My Ten Questions

When I find a new solution, I ask a series of questions:

1. Who did they build this for?
2. Who did they not build this for?
3. What problem are they solving?
4. What problems are they not solving?
5. How long does it take to learn?
6. How well have they documented things?
7. Where will this fit perfectly?
8. Where will this not work?
9. How much does this cost?
10. Does the price change who I recommend it for?

Recent New Discoveries

Over the last few months I've told you about many of these new discoveries. Here they are – with links to their sites, but also links to where I've written about them already.

• Bannerbear – I mentioned them yesterday. They automate the creation of images and video. The API can connect to other no code solutions like airtable.
• Recapture.io – I mentioned them earlier this month. They handle abandoned carts for both Easy Digital Downloads and WooCommerce.
• SavvyCal – In January I told you about my favorite calendar app. They're the replacement for Calendly, and they're fantastic.
• Testimonial.to – Tied for my favorite on this list, and you know if you read this blog. They provide a fantastic solution for video and text testimonials.
• Bento – Another favorite, Bento is a new incredible CRM/marketing automation solution that is worth checking out.
• Newsletter Glue – I told you about Newsletter Glue just a bit ago. This makes it easy to write your newsletter directly in your WordPress site.
• Fast.co – I've mentioned them several times. They make your eCommerce fast by making your checkout a single click.
• ZipMessage – I've shown you how to use ZipMessage for coaching. It's the perfect solution for asynchronous video messaging.
• SparkLoop – The newest one on my list is one I'm testing out and will soon write about. But it's all about growing your newsletter list with referrals.
• Fathom Analytics – I told you when I switched to Fathom. They're a privacy-first analytics solution for websites (like mine).

So there you have it – my ten questions and ten of my latest discoveries. I hope one of these (or more) is new to you. Check them out.