Scott Alan

Hi,

I've narrowed my choice of providers down to Avid and Lime. I'd like to hear from those that have used one of these two providers and their opinions.

PLEASE DO NOT MENTION OTHER PROVIDERS OR SYSTEMS SUCH AS TWILIO.

I'm just interested in hearing from Avid & Lime users.

Thanks,
Scott

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

Danielm

It would probably help if you specified what you'd be using the system for and what is most important to you. I just started under Avid so I don't yet have the experience to really tell you a lot but I'm sure one of the two platforms might excel at specifically what you are looking to get out of it.

Scott Alan

I'm looking for a stable company that will be around awhile (I know there's no guarantees), so I don't build up a large clientele list and then have to start over by transferring everything over to a new company.

I have an extensive background in marketing & customer service, so I know how important and critical both are. I'm looking for a company that offers extensive marketing training that pertains to mobile text/mobile websites (including marketing material ideas).

I'm also interested in WSO's that would help.

Thanks,
Scott

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

HypeText

I have looked at both and I believe that Lime has the superior Platform.

Avid charges additional fees to access features that are standard on Lime's Platform.

Additionally Limes overall cost is much lower than Avid's cost.

I am not, in any way, badmouthing Avid...they have a decent platform but for the most bang for the buck...

We chose to work with Lime

Scott Alan

Thanks for the replies so far.

I like the fact that Lime doesn't compete with you, but also see Avid's point that by them having been out selling to businesses for four years, they have real world experience. They said that they only go after National brands now.

As far as extra fees, the person I'm talking to at Avid said that he would include the extras at no additional monthly fees. They are also running a promotion where the monthly fee is just $119 at the starter level.

My biggest concerns are finding a company that hopefully will be there for the long haul and a company that offers great training.

Both companies appear to be excellent companies, which is why I'm having a hard time deciding.

Thanks Again for the replies.

Scott

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

Rojak Moon

Watched a Lime Cellular webinar last week and they have come out with some new pricing on their packages that I found to be very competitive. For example...

Standard - White Label Mobile Marketing Solution
5,000 Monthly Message Credits
5 Free Vanity Keywords per Account
Free Unlimited System Keywords
Full White Label with Unique URL
All Advertiser Features Included
$4 per active account (demo accounts are free).
1.9 Cents for Additional Messages.
$147.00 Per Month

The other thing was a kicker for me is that they are in the process of launching into the mobile optimized website business model which looked really good.

I'm sure a rep from Lime Cellular can address this more.

BKH

Between the two I would say I prefer Avid's platform, however, it is at a much higher cost. Lime offers a nice medium between platform and cost! The big question is going to be which of the two best suits what you need to accomplish with it so that you can be the most successful with it.
b

Danielm

Maybe the pricing I looked at was different, I was quoted 119/month for Avid, including appointment reminder module and 3500 messages monthly with 1.9 cents per message after up to 25k then it goes down. Comparing to the costs 2 posts up it doesn't seem far off.

Scott Alan

Thanks again for all of the replies.

Since I feel that both companies are solid, it's really going to come down to the training. Avid with experience in the field and Lime with their training bootcamp.

I'm wanting to really concentrate on building this for 2012. I feel like this is such a great opportunity for those who really focus on it and put in the work.

I'd like to scale this up.

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

mrtrance

I was watching your Demo video and I had question regarding the control panel. Do we have to login to every client account if we are managing their accounts or is there a master login for us where we can control all of the accounts in one place such as scheduling texts, adding keywords, etc.?

WaynesWorld

Scott, if you're looking now at which provider is going to give you the BEST and MOST amount of support, isn't it a bit limiting to only look at these two providers?

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Scott Alan

I've actually researched many providers and narrowed it down to these two.

I feel that these two are offering more of what I'm looking for.

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

relate2u

Thanks for the post Scott. I too have been looking into various SMS platforms and have narrowed it down to Lime & Avid as well. I am leaning more toward Lime Cellular. They offered a 30-day trial and Avid only 24 hours. I will be making my decision this month and then it is full steam ahead. Much success to you!

Scott Alan

In the past few days, I had almost decided to go with Avid, but my gut is telling me to go with Lime. So like you, I'm leaning more towards Lime. I will choose one today and then post updates on my experience with the company that I choose.

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

limecellular

There is a master login, we allow for you to go into specific advertiser accounts from your administrator account without having to log in. You simply go to 'Advertisers' under 'Manage', and click the support icon next to the appropriate advertiser. The only caveat is, this logs you out of the Admin account and into the other one. Hope that helps.

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Jodik

Scott, i am at the same stage as you. I have been conversing with Avid and really like the people. They really emphasize the support being domestic and the versatility. I was looking at tier two which is $200+ a month but white labelled in the process as well. Also I like the short code. i am interested in seeing the difference in Lime before I commit as I have learned that these are not integrated. meaning if you start with one you cannot move the optins to another.

SirThomas

Is Lime's webinar today?

Preston Igemar

yeah, at 2pm est. I think someone quoted their message for the link but the original post with the link got deleted.

Jodik

I attended the webinar but have many questions. So I am still not decided as to Avid or Lime

Scott Alan

Anyone here familiar with their customer support? Do they offer phone support on every package or just the upper ones?

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

HappyGayleen

I am an AVID reseller. They are really nice to deal with. I signed up about 6 weeks ago after talking with Mark Cowan who was really patient with all my questions.

For ongoing support they have real live help by telephone anytime. They also have alot of training videos and recorded webinars for us to learn from. I am at their lowest priced program and haven't yet made sales as I'm still setting my biz up, however I have turned to them for help and they have been there every time - sometimes immediately, sometimes within hours, but always within 24 hours.

Their platform is easy to manage and they generate QR Codes free and they have a great mobile web design feature. I am not using that because I don't want them hosting the accounts as at the beginning level I am at it will be too obvious to my clients who I am using. I want a client to have their own website domain and not just a referred one.

I wish it was totally true white label at my level, however most people won't be looking for masking - and only the website hosting with them is problematic to me.

I know nothing about Lime so can't really compare. I am happy with my decision and have not regretted it even though I have yet to make money. I should be launching any day and have a few people anxious to sell for me.

Best of luck to you!

Jodik

I just spoke to Lime after seeing todays webinar. They charge you extra for a mobile website creation. You will get the first one free but then they charge you. They wont have pricing for that until Friday. They do include mobile pages for free though. The sales rep at Avid (James) was very knowledgeable and I gotta say I enjoyed speaking with him more than Lime. I will find out more about Avid on Friday.

limecellular

This is not true. It depends on the type of account you have with us.

As far as phone support, we answer every call we get. But we commit unlimited support to our premium members.

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Jodik

I am just repeating what your sales rep told me. She said that the first one is free and the rest are a fee which will be determined on Friday. I was interested in the premium package. However the pages are free not the website creator and sites. So it is the monthly subscriber fee $297 for premium and $4.00 per client unless I use your mobile website creator or go over the message limit in this level or have resellers. Also video customization for sales use is a fee. If I am remembering this correctly.
It is quite confusing.

limecellular

I see you are a bit confused. Please give us a call and we will be able to clarify this for you. Thanks.

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T1J2Marketing

Scott, excellent thread you've started! I too have gone through the pain of trying to compare the various companies, what they offer, what I'm specifically looking for today, as well as what I might need down the road.

I've chosen to go with Avid for a couple of reasons.
1. The marketing materials provided once you've signed up will shorten the learning curve when it comes to the stats about the industry as well having a pre-produced presentation that can be adjusted based on client.
1A. Industry specific materials. They've put together materials for 30+ industries. Also a learning curve shortener.
2. Their overall company philosophy seems to be, "make me successful, and they will be successful". While I'm sure there are other companies that may fall into this realm, they state it explicitly.
3. In researching companies I ran across an individual, (Name withheld), who is an Avid customer. I called him out of the blue, told him what i was looking at and started asking him questions. He'd been with another company and had moved from them to Avid. If ever there was a "glowing" recommendation, it was his.
4. Cost, while it might not be the cheapest, is still very competitive.

There are always going to be companies in every field that can fulfill what it's customers are looking for and they will have competition. Such is the case with Avid and Lime. Both would probably contend they have better product/platform/support/pricing/etc. It's our job to make a decision that fits our specific circumstances.

I'm betting that regardless of the choice you make either company will be able to help with your business.

Hope 2012 is a great year for you and your new company.

Scott Alan

Thanks for the great response. This is what I'm looking for and it appears many others are as well. I'm hoping many Lime and Avid users will post their experiences. Thanks Again.

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

Cornerstone

This is very timely. I've used some other services to get my feet wet but needed additional functionality. I've now checked out avid and lime and will soon jump on board with one of them

Thanks OP

Scott Alan

I'm pleased that people are responding. I personally feel that 2012 could be a very good year to offer SMS & Mobile Sites and I don't want to get started with a company that I find out later that I'm not really happy with and have to start over with a new one.

I'm also wanting to find a STABLE company that will hopefully be there for the long haul.

I hope this helps others also. It seems to be a business that can be scaled if done correctly.

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

Scott Alan

Has any Lime customers tried the new mobile website builder. It looked good on the webinar. If you have used it, is it as easy to use as they made it appear?

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

amulektwo

Hey Scott

I joined mario brown and brian anderson in Using Avids platform.Since they got a group together to Buy in to avids platform we got a super great deal.

The Platform is really simple to use( took me only a couple of minutes to set up a campaign) they have a qr code generator, their mobile website builder is pretty wack but i don't really need it since i have some really sweet templates to use for my clients. Also I like the fact that they don't nickle and dime you to death with all the little set up fees for every little thing. I cant really say anything about Lime because i have not looked at it.But mario and brian really did their do diligence before choosing a company and when they presented their webinar on why they went with avid it really helped making the decision easy for me...I can say that i am truly pleased with it.


Good Luck

Scott Alan

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like it's easy to use. Is their training as good as they say it is? They really tout the training. Just curious, as the training aspect is very important to me.

Thanks!

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

IngeniousBastard

I too have it narrowed down to these two. I got a text from James at Avid today indicating that they are offering some new pricing (Sorry, James! Been sick and missed our phone date). From what I have gathered from my due diligence, Avid has a lower cost over time as their text prices drop as volume goes up, and they seem to have a good handle on the training piece. Lime has the better platform (to me, anyway) and is now stepping up their game with some marketing things and a training program. Lime is more all-inclusive as far as the last sets of pricing I've seen, but more expensive if you're doing volume. The one figure I did not get from Avid, however, is the price they charge for their billing piece on the backend.

In speaking with James from Avid and the dude from Lime, I feel as though Avid has a better grasp on the "getting the business" piece.

Hope this helps.

Mike Linley

Hi,

I've read good reviews about both Avid and Lime - and for me, I'd go for Avid! Just a personal choice though based on everything I've read including the ones these two providers offer. Good luck on your "choosing" stage! I know you will be able to finally settle down to that one best provider of your choice.

Let me show you how I get top rankings for FREE

Scott Alan

Thanks for all of the replies. It will help me with my decision. I'm going back and forth. Not wanting to just jump out and choose one at this point, because of the hassles of switching over to another provider if I'm not happy with the first one I choose.

Thanks Again!!!

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

SirThomas

Start with both of them. Put few clients on Avid and few on Lime. Within 2-3 months, you should see any differences. Then, you can switch. Both of those companies will allow you to upload phone lists from other services, so the switch shouldn't cause any service disruption.

Thomas

JHuts34

Brother it is not a problem at all, we will talk when you are able. Also you are 100% accurate, our price per message does decrease as you reach higher volumes of messaging.

Jodi I also appreciate the kind words, I do my best to educate you on everything we have to offer & the industry as a whole.

James Hutson - VP of Business Development
AvidMobile - White Label Mobile Marketing
Text "HUTSON" to 72727

Scott Alan

Hi Thomas,

I've actually been thinking about investing in both to see since I'm having trouble deciding between the two. It might come down to this.

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

Scott Alan

Hi Tom,

From my research I like certain things with Lime & certain things with Avid. Limes new mobile site builder looks simple to use and they now offer more in-depth training. Avid offers what looks to be pretty extensive trainging as well.

I don't like that at Avid's entry point, their name will appear in the web domain if you use their mobile builder and they do still compete for business.

I also don't like that I've read that the support for Lime is handled outside of the United States.

I'm doing more research into both. I will let everyone know who I choose and why.

Best Regards,
Scott

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.

Jay Rhome

Nice rundown of the pros and cons. I remember doing a long research as well and I'm with Avid. In my research I didn't look at Lime though.

VERY good way to approach it, and it was my #1 criteria as well. Of course there's no guarantee but that's why I chose Avid in the end. The price was much higher, but still, it's a few dozens bucks more a month - nothing at all in the grand scheme of things if you plan to build a REAL business. Again, I didn't compare to Lime. Though from what you're posting here, both seem a good choice.

azjoemartin

I've been considering Lime, so I'll be watching as this thread unfolds. I had not dug into Avid, as Lime had came highly recommended by another WF'er.

The fact is, I was actually considering developing my own platform with an on staff coder/developer over concerns of the longevity of the companies and potentiality of price increases after having my business built up.

One person commented that switching numbers and lists was achievable, so that could be a safe exit strategy. However, switching companies is such a pain and inevitably you lose customers has been my experience.

This happened to me before with toll-free numbers and then you're stuck with a big bill or the choice of converting everyone. Is this legitimate concern with this platform or just paranoia?

Jeff Hogsten

Ive been with avid a few days and I am very happy. The only thing I am considering is if I want to use their mobile website builder. You can build as many sites as you want, no domain name to but or hosting they do it all. However this means they have control. I have warrior Wills web site builder so I may still use that and but my own domain hames and hosting I went with avid because of the training and support I would recommended them. The main thing, take action

Hapiex

ive been with avidmobile couple weeks now and they have great support. They have step by step tutorials and sale tactics. I would recommended thmy because they have the best pricing in this market!

limecellular

Hi Scott,

Nice post! even I learned a few things from it (lol)
The BIG difference between the two is that Lime is a Tier-1 development house and that's why we are able to offer and add features at now additional cost. We update the software once or twice a week and not once or twice a year and you can follow our developer's blog here Version History - Mobile Marketing Platform. Lime's development team is always on top of things to listen and improve the system.
This is not true that we handled the customer support outside of the United States. Our sales and support team is located in New Jersey and our development team is located in Israel (where I'm originally from). Lime is a strong company that handle developers, customer support and sales departments in-house. We are backed up by a strong funding company from New York and you have no idea what we are planning for the market this year.
I invite you to talk to me directly by calling our toll free number and ask for UV.

Best Regards
Yuval Madar
CEO\Founder
Lime Cellular

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TheLocalCoach

Here's a couple other differences, and if these were covered at all in the earlier part of the thread, sorry for the duplication:

- First Lime's prices are cheaper, at every level, including high volumes. Outgoing messges as low as .05 cent (incoming free).

- Avid's billing system is third party and they charge for it, Lime's is integrated, customizable and works with ALL payment types

- Lime's new mobile website builder is a "cadillac", Avid's doesn't even belong in the same discussion

- You can argue about the SMS platform, which is better, etc, both are very good fully-developed platforms, so you win in both cases.

- Lime, even at their entry level, is a true White Label, your own url, etc.

For my money, I chose Lime and for these and many other reasons.

BizGrabbers

Where can we see the Lime mobile website builder?

WillR

Nice elevator pitch.

The problem is whenever we try to have an unbiased discussion (like this) and compare the various service providers against one another, one of them has to always jump in and toot their own trumpet which kind of ruins things. We already know what Lime does and what Avid does... we are talking about people's REAL personal experiences with these service providers because that means a WHOLE lot more to me than what the CEO jumps in and says... do you really think he is going to say anything bad about his company?

Some might wonder why such a successful company that is doing so well would need the CEO to be trawling forums for new customers... just saying.

One thing you will learn in business is that if you provide a superior product and service you won't need to jump in and sell yourself... your satisfied customers will always do it for you.

.

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limecellular

Even Steve Jobs (RIP) used to find the time to reply customers himself. To be a successful business man is also be attached to everything your business does (big or small). Good luck to all readers.

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BizGrabbers

Does LimeCellular have a demo account to try it's new website creator?

Scott Alan

THANK YOU for all of the replies to this post!!! I appreciate each and every person who took the the time to comment and post their experiences.

Yuval, I will be giving you a call to discuss what Lime has to offer. It will be nice to bypass salesmen who benefit from a sale by getting a commission. I have no problem at all being routed through a salesman for the sale, but I feel that talking to you directly, I can get my questions answered on both what you currently offer and what you might have in store for the future.

A BIG THANKS to everyone, once again.

Best Regards,
Scott

When you are successful, remember to help others also succeed. Don't ever forget what it was like to be in the other person's shoes. Help as many people succeed as you can.