Kalatu Review: Is This The Best Blogging Platform For Beginners? - Precious New Start
11

Kalatu Review: Is This The Best Blogging Platform For Beginners?

This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase something through one of my links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Product name: Kalatu review: is this the best blogging platform for beginnersKalatu Blogging Platform

Website: www.kalatublog.com

Overall Ranking: 5/10

Price:

$25/month Kalatu Basic

$97/month Kalatu Premium

Owner: David Wood of Empower Network (EN)

 

This is going to be my personal review of the Kalatu Blogging Platform. I aim to talk about my own experience and help you decide whether this platform is worth your time and money.

 

If you continue reading, I’ll share with you my recommended Website Builder and show you how to build your own site for FREE today!

 

 

What is Kalatu?


Kalatu is a WordPress based blogging platform available for anyone who wants to build a website for their online business. Although anyone can join the platform, the majority of its members are also Empower Network Affiliates.

The aim of the Kalatu Blogging Platform is to help people build a business online through blogging. Their idea is that blogging is the key to being a successful marketer online.

 

Kalatu Pricing


There are 2 pricing tiers available for the Kalatu Blogging Platform

  1. $25/month for Kalatu Basic
  2. $97/ month for Kalatu Premium

Below you can see a screenshot of the different features you can expect to get with the Kalatu memberships

Kalatu Blogging Platform: Basic vs Premium

Kalatu Blogging Platform: Basic vs Premium

As you can see from the features, there are quite a few things that the Kalatu Blogging Platform has to offer.

 

Kalatu PROS:


Good platform for beginners:

In my opinion, this is genuinely a really good blogging platform for beginners. When I first was introduced to Empower Network, I knew nothing of marketing or blogging. The first blogging platform they had wasn’t all that great, and I never made full use of it. But then they introduced the Kalatu platform, and my ideas/thoughts about blogging had changed. I found it to be a great tool for me as an absolute beginner.

 

Takes away all the technical aspects of blogging:

Everything about it was so simple. I didn’t have to think about installing plugins or themes, or having too many things ot think about. This was really helpful to me at the time because I had no clue what I was doing, I didn’t know about plugins for example. If you’re familiar with the WordPress dashboard you know that there’s a lot of features, and to a newbie it can be quite overwhelming. However, the Kalatu dashboard was very simplified. All I needed to do was create content for my blog.  As an absolute newbie, this worked for me.

 

21-day blogging challenge:

This is unique plugin specially created for users of the Kalatu Blogging Platform. Basically, it is a way of encouraging users to blog more frequently. So the aim is to blog every day, for 21 days. This was a usual tool to me back then, and even now I actually think this is a very useful tool. When I was a member of Empower Network, I really appreciated having a plugin like this. I was very new to blogging at that point, and it was very helpful to have prompts and guides to help me create content for my blog.

Take a look at the video below to find out more about what you can expect from the 21 day blogging challenge

 

Can link it to your own domain name:

When you first sign up your domain name will look something like this “youwebsite.buildingabrandonline.com”. You can use this if you choose too, but if you’re really thinking about growing your business you need a domain name that doesn’t have a sub domain attached to it. For example, “yourwebsite.com”.  You can purchase your own domain name with GoDaddy, Namecheap etc)

 

You can create your own “Call to Action”:

Although this feature of creating custom “Call to Action”  is available, most Kalatu blogs I see are from people who are members of Empower Network Affiliate program, so their call to action are one’s created by Empower Netwrok. But at least the option is there to customise and create your own ones to it to suit your own needs.

 

Kalatu CONS:


Limited Plugins:

The Kalatu Platform has very limited number of plugins. If you upgrade to Premium then you get access to more plugins, however, your site is not as customisable as other blogging platforms. Although this can be suitable for beginners, cause they don’t have to think too much about all the technical stuff, it doesn’t really allow you to expand and build your website the way you want to.

 

Only 8 themes!:

When I was a member there were only 5 themes, so it’s interesting to see they’ve now recently increased that to a whopping 8 themes. Considering the amount of money you put in every month, it’s not much.

Kalatu Blogging Platform Themes...Only 8!

Kalatu Blogging Platform Themes…That’s it, only 8!

 

 

I wasn’t able to customise the site the way I wanted:

Once I started learning more about building a website, and WordPress, I wanted to start customising my site to look the way I wanted it. When I first began with Kalatu I really like the simplicity of the platform, but after some weeks I wanted to change things, add things and move things. However, I didn’t really get the chance to do this. I couldn’t add any new plugins. At the time of being a member there were only 5 themes available…which had very limited customisation features. So it left me feeling disappointed, especially as I was paying for it.

 

I wasn’t always creating quality content:

I found that with the 21-day blogging challenge, although I was writing everyday, I wasn’t always creating real quality content. My post would be short, or just be a list of videos. Although I still recommend writing regularly, maybe it shouldn’t be 21 consecutive days, as it’s not easy to write in depth posts in a day, when you have other responsibilities, such as having a full time job (which I had at the time).

 

You don’t really own your blog/website:

After all the money you put in monthly, you do not actually own your blog/website! It is owned my Empower Network. So if Empower Network decided to stop operating, all your hard work will be lost.

 

Pricing – There’s no free option:

In order to get on board with Kalatu, you need to be willing to spend $25 a month. This isn’t great if you’re a beginner and just want test the waters before you start investing any kind of money.

When I was a member of Kalatu last year, the platform only had one price package, which was the $25. But I can now see that they have added another package of $97  month. So in order to really get access to all the features of Kalatu, you would need to sign up for their premium package of $97 a month. I personally think that is way too much. Even a Business Plan on WordPress.com doesn’t cost half that much!

 

Who is Kalatu Blogging Platform For?


Kalatu is a very useful platform for people who are just starting out online. If you’re looking for a blogging platform that is geared towards beginners, then I feel Kalatu has a lot to offer you. If you’ve never had a website or blogged before, the tools they provide are useful get you off your feet, and create some content.

 

Who is Kalatu Blogging Platform NOT For?


  • People who want to test the waters in the blogging world. You don’t have a free option, therefore, you can’t really get to try out the platform for your self before investing any money.
  • Those who want a lot of customisations options for their website. Kalatu has very limited themes and plugins, and is therefore, in my opinion, not very suitable for those who want a lot more flexibility.
  • Those who want a site they own themselves. The Kalatu platform doesn’t really allow you to own your own site. Your website is always going to be a part of Empower Network.

 

Is This The Best Blogging Platform For Beginners?


Looking back on my overall experience, I did actually enjoy the Kalatu Blogging Platform. As a beginner, I was able to create blog posts often with the help of the 21 Day Blogging Challenge and have my very own website. However, I did not feel comfortable with the $25/month price, especially when I was being offered little in regards to themes and plugins…and after a month of being an Empower Network Affiliate, I just didn’t like the idea of promoting their program to other people.

So, even though there are some good features available with Kalatu, and it is well suited for beginners,  based on my overall experience I would NOT recommend the Kalatu Blogging Platform if you’re looking for long term success.  I feel there are other platforms out there which offer much more, and for a much better price!

 

My #1 Recommended Website Builder


It is actually possible to build your own website online for free, and I want to share with you my #1 recommended website builder to do so.

Why I recommend Siterubix.com?:

  • Very easy to use and set up
  • FREE package – Build 2 free websites with 12 themes to choose from
  • Premium package ($47/month) – build up to 50 websites, 1000s of themes and plugins
  • Free website hosting
  • Free training
  •  Free website health check (see if you site is ranked on google and how well your site is doing)
  • Get quality engagement and interaction by requesting comments from the Wealthy Affiliate community
  • Get feedback on the design, content and layout of your site from the community

 

Click The Image Below To Learn How To  Have Your Own FREE Fully Functional WordPress Site, In 3 Simple Steps!

Build Your FREE Website Today

Build Your FREE Website Today

 

What are your thoughts/experiences on the Kalatu Blogging Platform? What did you like, what didn’t you like? Feel free to leave your responses and/or questions in the comments below. And if you found this post useful, or interesting please feel free to share.

 

 

Stephanie
 

Blogger, Online Marketer and full-time music lover. Thank you for reading my posts! I share my experiences of making money online as well as providing useful tips and advice to those who are interested in starting an online business. I enjoy writing reviews and giving an insight into what has worked for me and what hasn't. If you like what I write here be sure to share my posts with others!

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 11 comments
Damien - April 10, 2016

Wow, I came here to see Kalatu as I don’t know it and I find myself looking more and more into Siterubix, again one I didn’t know about! Thanks Stephanie, keep up the great work and I’ll be back to check in 🙂

Reply
    Stephanie - April 16, 2016

    Hi Damien. Thanks for the comment. That’s really awesome to hear. You should definitely check out Siterubix as it has so much to offer, at a more affordable price. You can a free website with Siterubix and have access to more themes and plugins compared to the Kalatu basic membership. That’s just one benefit, and there are many others. If you want, you can create a free Siterubix website here, and see how you get on. All the best!

    Reply
carl scutt - March 25, 2016

Stephanie,
You have yourself a cracking site here. You have presented you content well and introduced me to some new and interesting ideas.

Please keep the posts coming and I will be returning.

Thanks

Reply
    Stephanie - March 26, 2016

    Hi Carl! Thank you so much for your comment. I’m glad it has introduced you to some new ideas. I hope you are able to find some more useful and interesting content throughout my site. All the best!

    Reply
Paul - March 19, 2016

This is a very good review, I am very interested in blogging, and the ability to make extra money doing it is very important. I have good days and bad, I can’t control my creativity, sometime it’s on and sometimes it’s off. The thought of doing a post every day for 21 days is definitely a bit of a turn off for me. I kind of ebb and flow with inspiration, and if I had to spit out content like that, I wouldn’t have my heart in it, which is where my inspiration comes from to begin with.
Thank you for the review of Kalatu!
Paul

Reply
    Stephanie - March 20, 2016

    Hi Paul! I totally agree. I couldn’t cope with 21 days in a row. My content was lacking and it felt more like a chore to get something written. The main thing I liked about the 21-day challenge was that you were given blog topic ideas, and prompts to help you come up with content. But after a while, I found that there are many other tools available online that you can use for free to give you blog topic ideas. I actually wrote a blog post on some content generators which you can take a look at. All the best!

    Reply
Joseph - March 19, 2016

A very thorough review. I have also used siterubix in the past and must say that I was surprised to see the prices you pointed out. You pointed out that this is a create site to get up and running if you’re a beginner, but still recommended siterubix over this one. Does their training compare to what kalatu offers?

Reply
    Stephanie - March 20, 2016

    Hi Joseph! Yes, I would definitely recommend Stierubix. Although Kalatu is a good starting platform for absolute beginners, there is a $25/month fee involved for the basic package. Whereas, with Siterubix you can get started completely free, and is suitable for any level you’re at. Even if you upgraded to the $47 premium membership for Siterubix you’d get SO much more in regards to plugins, themes and training, compared to the $97 package for Kalatu.

    The training you get when you get a siterubix domain is much greater than Kalatu. With Siterubix domain you also get training on how to become a successful affiliate marketer. If you’d like to know more about the training, you can take a look at my review here.

    Reply
Julie - March 19, 2016

Hi Stephanie,

I couldn’t agree more regarding Wealthy Affiliate. WA is #1 in my book! Anyone looking to get started with an online business should, at least, give it a go. Can’t hurt with all they offer. They might just find a home!

Julie

Reply
    Stephanie - March 20, 2016

    Hi Julie! Yep Wealthy Affiliate is #1 for me too. They definitely have a lot to offer. I’d recommend anyone looking to start an online business to give it a go. They offer a free membership, so there’s nothing to lose!

    Reply
Deadshot - March 19, 2016

Really liked the post ! Very informative for people looking for a site building platform and i agree with all the points mentioned ! Very well written ! Good job ! And all the best for the future 😉

Reply

Leave a Reply: