You know this scenario:
You’re driving in your car (or sitting at lunch, or at the playground with your kids)… the phone rings… it’s a lead!
You scramble to find a pen and paper… that Burger King receipt will have to do for now.
You can’t wait to get home and follow up… when you get home, you can’t find that darn scrap of paper!
Maybe you have apps like Evernote, Zillow or Realeflow to help you get by. But most of the time, you stick to what’s easily accessible – pen and paper.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this is a bad thing. Many people successfully manage big businesses with a pen and paper. Richard Branson and Bill Gates love notebooks. But the goal here is to work more efficiently.
Most investors would agree that the passion for the real estate industry is what keeps them going. But as much as they love buying and selling houses, and everything in between – organizing heaps of documents, keeping track of every million-dollar idea, or even sending out the right photos to prospects – these everyday tasks can be overwhelming if you don’t have the right tools to help you out.
With apps such as Evernote, OneNote, Dropbox Paper, Apple Notes and others, it’s no doubt that note-taking apps are growing in numbers. I’m pretty sure you have one embedded in your phone as well.
So why look for an alternative?
When it comes to preferences and styles, every single note-taking app is different. To be honest, it all boils down to the overall user experience.
Free Evernote Alternative?
Zoho jumped onto the note-taking bandwagon and launched Zoho Notebook in 2007. They relaunched the app in 2016 to fix some problems with the original version. Their edge over other apps is that Notebook’s designs are aesthetically pleasing and it is free to use – no ads, no in-app purchases either.
Zoho Notebook labels themselves as the ‘free Evernote alternative.’ They claim to offer 80% of Evernote’s features.
Both Android and iPhone users can download the app, and also a companion Mac app if you want to work on your desktop. Safari plugin is available as well when you’re working with webpages. However, they do not have web access just yet.
Also, they only cater to Mac users at the moment. But I’m pretty sure they’re working on making Notebook available for Windows since most reviews point that out.
Another difference between Evernote and Notebook is that the latter promises to never look at your notes. If privacy is your concern when it comes to the information you’re saving, then Zoho is doing right by you.
Ease of Use
The app lets you create ‘notebooks’ that are designed similar to physical notebooks. Found in each notebook are cards. These cards can either be maps, images, audio, web clippings, lists, drawings and the like.
You can create groups by stacking the cards or you can just leave them be…
Overall, Zoho Notebook is relatively easy to use.
App Design
Zoho Notebook is considered to be the best-looking note-taking app there is. It’s somewhat minimalist design makes the app look clean and professional. It’s featured front cover designs and layouts are very sleek as well.
The notes found on each Notebook can either be displayed alphabetically or by date. After creating a note, you can customize the front cover of the notebook as well as the card colors. You can create notes, voice memos, checklists, and drawings – basic features of a note-taking app.
Notebook lets you add different types of cards – text, voice memo, images, etc. – in a single notebook. However, the first card should be a text note. You won’t be able to add text to a voice memo.
If you prefer writing down your ideas in handwritten notes, Notebook lets you do just that. Jotting down notes or creating quick doodles work well with an Apple pencil or stylus.
Driving in your car? Zoho can take audio notes through your phone that you can transcribe later or just leave as is.
Web Clipper Feature
One of the most impressive features of Notebook is the web clipper.
This feature enables you to clip images, links, articles and text – and save them all to your notebook. It’s similar to Pocket, Evernote or Instapaper since Notebook can also remove ads and other images so you can focus more on your reading.
Its only downside is that it lacks the option to customize font types.
The Zoho Verdict
When it comes to features, Zoho Notebook comes up short in comparison to Evernote. It’s actually more comparable to Google Keep.
So, if you’re coming from Evernote and you’re used to its rich features (sorting, tagging, web app, and all that) and if you don’t mind paying for it, then it’s probably better to stick with Evernote.
But if you’re looking for a free alternative to Evernote and you want to keep things simple, then look no further than Zoho Notebook. It also syncs all your data across your mobile devices.
Speak Up
Which note-taking app do you love? Tell us about it in the comments section below.
Automate your real estate activities. Successful real estate professionals are constantly looking for ways to work more efficiently.
Make a different notebook for each prospect. It’s easier to find information when you create a different notebook for each prospect.
Make it a habit to save everything on your note-taking app. You don’t have to go over paperwork or waste time scanning your phone or PC across multiple locations.