Vendasta Review & Product Overview

Background

The success behind Vendasta was an ever-changing idea that evolved into the company you see today. Back in 2007-2008, eight software executives were creating a business that helps home service providers connect with their customers via social media. 

This first business was called MyFrontSteps and was extremely successful from the moment it launched. Soon, the founders realized the reputation management software they had created could be expanded to other types of businesses. 

Eventually, they rebranded and Vendasta was founded in 2008. Vendasta was founded in Saskatoon, Canada by Brendan King and 7 other executives. 

White-Label Marketing

White Label marketing is when a company will produce a product or service and a different company will use their own label to advertise it as their product. White label products are sold by retailers with their own trademark but the products themselves are manufactured by a third party. This might sound like plagiarism to some people when in actuality is one of the best marketing deals in the 21st century. 

Vandesta is Unique

Vendasta offers a robust white-label platform that empowers you to provide digital solutions to local businesses, all under your brand. This is what makes Vendasta so unique. Everything is done so local business clients can grow their customer base and brand. 

Vendasta is a digital command center for acquiring, retaining, and growing customers under your brand. Additionally, Vendasta uses a convenient marketplace interface so businesses can pick and choose which features they want and pay for them in one place, which makes all the difference.

Vendasta Services & Features

Vendasta is the #1 platform for selling digital solutions to small businesses. Vendasta offers over 200 products that are divided into categories to cover a wide range of needs for SMBs including social media, local business listings, website design & hosting, productivity and operations, SEO, content marketing, ecommerce, reputation management, and customer communication. Vendasta has seen much success since launching in 2008 and has served over 5 million small and medium businesses.

Impressive brands such as Apartments.com, Heartland media, and Yellow Pages have all worked with Vendasta and give positive customer feedback. A quote from the CEO of Borrell & Associates said, “I just saw a review of what Vendasta has to offer, and I’m impressed. The depth of their Reputation Management product is excellent and should be very attractive to SMBs.”

Vendasta’s products are organized into groups for industries like CRM, local marketing, marketing automation, and ecommerce. Brands love using Vendasta because it offers a wide variety of services that help turn prospects into profits.

Vendasta also offers ecommerce and b2b solutions.

Pricing

There are 5 price packages depending on what type of features your business needs. One of the nice things about Vendasta’s price packages is that they are posted publicly. This can show potential clients that they aren’t hiding fees or prices and are a trustworthy company. On the flip side, their packages aren’t customized for the business and some small business owners might be paying for features they don’t need.

Vendasta’s cost is cheaper than many of its competitors who are in the business reputation management industry. The Free and Startup packages are perfect for small business owners that don’t know exactly what they need and can’t afford a bigger expense. The Essentials package is nice for small-medium businesses that want the better day-to-day management, but don’t want the bells and whistle

Cons

While Vendasta has thousands of satisfied clients, there are negative reviews. An honest review by a marketing agency tells of the drawbacks to working with Vendasta:

• Translational Errors

One of the main drawbacks of Vendasta is that it’s advertised to be available worldwide and different nationalities can use it with ease. Many of these flaws revolve around the Business App. 

The Business App is the dashboard where customers can pick and choose what services they want and also pay for them. When the business app was translated into this marketing agency’s native language, it was riddled with spelling and grammar mistakes. 

Selling your products to customers when your page has multiple grammar errors makes your company look unprofessional and sloppy. Customers who are thinking of purchasing might avoid buying if their website looks sloppy and unprofessional.

• Scammy URLs and Buttons

Another flaw in the Vendasta software is how “scammy” some of Vendasta’s URLs and buttons look. This can definitely be a red flag for customers who are wary of this and might want to avoid purchasing altogether. 

• Worldwide Services not Available

Another issue with Vendasta was their advertisement about services worldwide is not entirely accurate. One customer mentioned how Vendasta claimed that many of their services are offered in Belgium, which isn’t true and many of their services were not available.

These issues are specific to companies that aren’t English speaking but it does speak to some flaws in Vendasta’s overall business.

• Billing Structure

An issue with Vendasta, in general, is the business model where the cost and payment structure are concerned. Many reviews stated that Vendasta offers products at wholesale prices. However, when compared with purchasing products individually from other companies, it was far more expensive. 

Not to mention, the way Vendasta sends invoices and bills is confusing and oftentimes businesses are not aware of what they are paying for. Even if you pay the membership fee every month, many features are not included. There is also not a clear distinction of what’s included with your plan.

• Customer Service

One of the other issues frequently mentioned is customer service. Reviews mention that the software can be buggy and not always work. Because of this, businesses have to spend time talking with customer support. This prevents issues from quickly getting resolved and slowing down businesses altogether. 

Alternatives

Vendasta serves the business reputation management industry for small and medium businesses. Other notable competitors are Podium, Yext, and Birdeye. Some of these competitors are cheaper alternatives but don’t offer the number of services Vendasta does. 

Vendasta FAQs

Recommendation

Vendasta is recommended for any business that is looking to drive sales and increase its customer base. English-speaking small to medium business owners might benefit more from Vendasta because their services are better suited for them. Vendasta is listed at #27 in Saas Mag’s 2020 SaaS 1000, according to their website.

For large businesses, there are better options available that will deliver more results. If you’re wondering if Vendasta is worth it, give it a try! Any business can benefit from the tools Vendasta provides.