When it comes to professional networking, today's business networking websites are the “in” place to be. After all, would you rather it be you in there networking with the best minds in your industry, or would you rather it be your competition? When we came across the Ecademy website we thought “Oh, another site for those looking to reconnect with college buddies.” We couldn't have been further from the mark. Ecademy proved to be one of the best business networking sites out there. This review will tell you what had us so impressed.
What's New?
- Attend online networking events.
- See how many Ecademy members are currently on the site.
- Set up auto-responders for incoming messages to your Ecademy inbox.
Star Reviews' Favorite Feature:
We really like Ecademy's buddy program. If you're new to networking, it's priceless. You can have an experienced Ecademy member take you by the hand and teach you the Ecademy ropes. The “buddy” gets to add you to their network of contacts and you get to learn how online networking works. It's a win-win!
About Ecademy:
Ecademy was founded in 1998 and has more than 170,000 members to date. Sure, that's not the millions that some sites boast, but in the real world, quality is better than quantity and Ecademy is focused on keeping members who are serious about their business networking pursuits.
The Ecademy Experience:
The Ecademy website is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. When you come to the homepage (which is refreshingly well laid-out) just click the “Sign Up” link. The form is simple and easy to fill out. It took us less than a minute to complete.
Once you've filled out the registration form you'll be sent a confirmation code via email. Just don't expect the code to arrive instantly. We checked our inbox after registering and the email wasn't there. It took about five minutes of refreshing our inbox for the code to appear. Once you do get the code, enter it into the Ecademy website to confirm your membership.
After we had confirmed our Ecademy account we were taken to our Ecademy member page. When you first sign into your Ecademy account you may feel like something is wrong with the site – we know we did. Every time we clicked a link (no matter what link it was) we were brought to a page showing us the upgrade options for Ecademy. It seems users must choose what type of account they want before being allowed to browse the site – you're not automatically set up for the free one.
At this point in the game you're taken to a page where you create your community profile, invite contacts to your network list and send messages using the network directory. You can also join clubs or even enroll in the “Ask a Buddy” program.
If you don't want to use the “buddy system” take some time browsing the links on the left side of the page. The “Members Like Me” link is very helpful, allowing you to find members who have interests and goals that match yours. It's one of the best networking tools we've come across online. While there are quite a few links to navigate on the Ecademy website, once you get started it won't be overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time.
Ecademy Pricing:
The basic Ecademy membership is absolutely free and you get 14 days of PowerNetworker status for free with a basic subscription. If, after 14 days, you want to keep your PowerNetworker status or you want to upgrade to become a BlackStar member, there is a cost involved.
A Basic Ecademy membership is free and includes:
- The ability to join clubs, respond to messages and attend networking events.
- The ability to search for contacts.
- A free networking guide.
A PowerNetworker membership costs $14.95 per month and includes everything included with the basic membership plus:
- Respond to and send unlimited messages, run your own clubs & events and post unlimited blogs.
- Save up to 10 network searches and sign up for email alerts.
- Place unlimited marketplace advertisements for your products and/or services.
- Your member profile is optimized for Google.
A BlackStar membership costs $100 per month and includes everything included with the PowerNetworker membership plus:
- Your company logo and/or banner in rotation on the Ecademy pages.
- Accelerated networking clubs, mentoring groups and events.
Ecademy Customer Support:
There are various ways an Ecademy member can get help. First, there's the FAQ section – and this is not your average FAQ. There are dozens of topics covered with in-depth answers to each. We really were impressed with the scope of information. You can also email Ecademy's customer support. When we emailed them we got a helpful response the very same day. Ecademy members can also contact club leaders, Ecademy buddies, Ecademy mentors and you can even take online Ecademy training courses to get the help you need. We found all methods of support to be very responsive. If you're the type of person who likes easy access to help and quick answers to your questions, Ecademy is the place to be. The only thing missing was phone support.
Upside:
Great support system, free 14 day PowerNetworker trial, user-friendly website.
Downside:
Some may feel there are too many ads populating the site.
Summary:
What a great business networking site Ecademy turned out to be! Not only is it super user-friendly, we see real potential for successful business connections. While they currently host nearly 200,000 members (which isn't as astounding a number as some of the competition) they certainly offer their members a solid, resourceful business networking site. There is a useful 'Buddy Program,' wherein new members can pair up with experienced business networkers and learn the ropes, while being incorporated into their networks. You can also attend networking events, search for contacts and join clubs in a free membership. A PowerNetworker membership allows you to send and receive unlimited messages, as well as other bonus features all for $14.95 per month. Note, there is a free 14 day trial for this type of account, so why not give it a test run? There are helpful FAQs and timely email support here, so getting some help shouldn't be too difficult. Way to go, Ecademy!