How To Select a Good Email Marketing Software For Your Startup?
To know how to select a good email marketing software, you must first understand your needs and the features that are available. Once you know what you need, you can start narrowing down your options. There are many different email marketing software programs on the market, so it is important to do your research before making a final decision.
Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting an email marketing software. I also recommended two best business email marketing software for startups based on the factors considered.
DISCLOSURE: Some of the links that I share in this article ARE my affiliate links. This means I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. In fact, sometimes you'll get a discount or free credits just FOR using my link. 🙂
Before You Start, Consider The Following
Consider Your Budget
Email marketing software can vary greatly in price. How to select a good email marketing software with the right pricing plan? You need to work out how much does the service cost?
Is it a pay-as-you-go service, or does it need a monthly or annual contract? Some email marketing software are very expensive incrementally, so it's important to find one that fits your budget.
Consider Your Need
What features do you need in an email marketing software? Make a list of must-haves before beginning your search. You can refer to my earlier article on How to Get Started on Email Marketing for the Beginner for some of these considerations.
After taking into considerations of the above, you can then compare different software.
How to select a good email marketing software: Compare Different Software
Email marketing is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. It can help you reach more customers, build relationships with them, and increase sales. But with so many software out there, how do you choose the right one for your business? Here are 8 factors to consider when choosing an email marketing service:
Ease of use
How easy is the service to use? Does it have a user-friendly interface? Can you easily create and send emails?
The first factor to consider when choosing an email marketing software is ease of use. You want a service that is intuitive, easy to set up, use and understand and has a user-friendly interface.
The last thing you want is to spend hours trying to figure out how to use the system. A good user interface will make your life much easier and save you time in the long run.
Customer Support
What kind of customer service does the company offer?
Check out the customer support options offered by the software. The important factor to consider is the level of support and training that the service provider offers. Having access to helpful resources and customer support can make a big difference in your experience using the platform.
Particularly if you are just starting out as a solopreneur, your time is limited and is the most important resource and you wouldn’t want to waste it all on resolving technical problems. That is why it’s important to choose and invest in one good email marketing software and stick with it. It will save you a lot of headache down the road.
You want a service that has excellent customer support in case you have any questions or need help using the service. It is important to have excellent customer support to assist you with any problems or questions you may have. They should also be available to help you with any new features or updates that the service may have.
Consider Email Deliverability
When you are choosing an email marketing service, one of the most important factors to consider is deliverability. This is the ability of your emails to actually reach the inboxes of your subscribers. Find out what kind of deliverability rate you can expect from an email marketing service.
You want a service that has high delivery rates so that your emails end up in your subscribers' inboxes. If your emails cannot be delivered, then they cannot be read or acted upon.
Bounce Handling
One factor to consider is the service's ability to handle bounced emails. A bounced email is returned to the sender because it could not be delivered. When an email bounces, it is important that the software can identify the reason for the bounce and take appropriate action.
Features
What features does it offer? Does it offer automated campaigns, A/B testing, segment?
You’ll also want to consider the features that each email marketing service offers. You want a service that has the features you need to create successful campaigns. Some services offer more features than others, so you’ll want to choose one that has the features you need. Features can include things like automation, reporting, and integrations.
Email List Management
Another important factor to consider is how well the email marketing service can help you manage your email list. A good service will make it easy for you to import and export subscribers, as well as segment your list into different groups.
List Segmentation and Personalization Capabilities
Email list segmentation is the process of dividing your email list into smaller groups based on specific criteria. By segmenting your email list, you can send more targeted and personalized emails to your subscribers, which can lead to higher conversion rates. Make sure the service offers list segmentation features and allows you to segment your subscribers.
Email Automation and Workflows
Every email marketing service will offer some form of automation and workflow features. This can be anything from simple autoresponders to more complex functions, like segmentation and drip campaigns.
The key is to find an email marketing service that offers the right level of automation and workflow features for your needs. If you are a small business, you may need nothing more than a simple autoresponder. However, if you are a larger business with a complex marketing operation, you will need an email marketing service that offers more advanced automation and workflow features.
The good news is that there are software out there that cater to businesses of all sizes. So, no matter what your needs are, you don't need to feel restricted to one option for your email marketing services.
Reporting and Analytics
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing an email marketing service is reporting and analytics. Having access to data and insights about your campaigns is essential for understanding what is working and what isn't.
The ability to track open rates, click-through rates, unsubscribe rates, and more will give you a clear picture of how your campaigns are performing and where you can improve.
Another important factor to consider is how easy it is to use the service's reporting tools. You should be able to easily understand and use the reports in order to make the most of them.
Yet another factor to consider is the email marketing service's ability to track opens and clicks. This information can be used to gauge the effectiveness of your campaigns and make necessary adjustments.
A/B Testing Options
A/B Testing in email marketing is a method of testing two or more versions of a message and measuring which version performs better in terms of metrics like click-through rate or conversion rate.
A/B tests can be used to test various aspects of an email, such as the subject line, the call to action, or the content. By testing different elements, you can figure out what works best for your audience and your business.
Evaluate Email Design Templates
An important factor to consider when choosing an email marketing service is the design templates they offer. The best software will offer a variety of templates so that you can find the one that suits your target audience best.
You want to make sure the templates are user-friendly and easy to customize. You should be able to easily add your own logo, images, and text without having to code anything.
You want to be able to create beautiful and professional-looking emails that fit the overall aesthetic of your brand.
Consider the following factors:
-The number and variety of templates offered
-The ability to customize templates
-The ability to preview templates
-The ability to save and reuse template designs
-The ability to create responsive templates
Check for integrations.
An email marketing service should integrate seamlessly with the rest of your marketing stack. This will allow you to track your leads and customers from first interaction to purchase and beyond. A good service will also provide you with valuable insights into the behavior of your subscribers.
Make sure the service you choose has integrations that align with your business goals. For example, if you’re looking to collect subscribers from your WordPress blog, look for an email marketing service that integrates with WordPress.
Does it offer free trial? Try before you buy.
When considering an email marketing service, it is important to try before you buy. Many services offer free trials so that you can test out their features and see if they are a good fit for your needs. Be sure to take advantage of these free trials!
But also beware that not all free trials are equal. For example, while Mailchimp offers free trial for up to 2000 contacts, it offers no customer support after the first 30 days, so you are left on your own if you run into problems later unless you subscribe to its paid plans.
On the contrary, Mailerlite offers free trial for its premium plan and support (via chat and support) for the first 30 days and even after that you still get support via email.
Price
Of course, pricing is always a factor to consider. Email marketing services typically charge based on the number of subscribers you have, so be sure to determine how much it will cost to reach your target audience.
Some services are free, while others can cost hundreds of dollars per month. You'll need to decide what features are worth paying for and which ones you can live without. Make sure you compare apples to apples when looking at pricing. Some services charge by the number of emails sent, while others charge a monthly fee.
Reputation
-Is the company reputable and trustworthy?
Make sure the email marketing service you choose has a good reputation. You want a service that has a good reputation for being reliable.
One question I get asked a lot is whether you should consider buying email marketing software on lifetime deal for one-off price instead of subscription? For me, I wouldn’t as I consider email marketing to be an essential piece of my business so I would not risk using a lifetime deal for it.
For lifetime deals, you need to know that there is always a risk of the business being unsustainable and shut down. If that happens, you will lose all your email contacts and set-up and the consequence could be disastrous. Unless of course the company that offers the lifetime deal is one that is reputable and has been in business for a while.
Review customer satisfaction ratings.
– What do other customers say about the company?
One way to find out the reputation of a company is through customer reviews. Read user reviews of services before making a decision. Customer satisfaction ratings are one of the most important factors to consider when choosing an email marketing service. The reason why is because it will give you an idea of how well the company performs and if they are able to deliver on their promises.
Understand the benefits and limitations of each email marketing software
Every email marketing software has different features that can benefit your business in different ways. It’s important to understand the benefits and limitations of each service before you choose one. Some services may be better for certain businesses, while others may be better for other businesses.
Some email marketing software offer features that others don’t. For example, some software offer autoresponders, which can be beneficial for businesses that want to automate their email marketing. Others offer templates and drag-and-drop builders, which can be helpful for businesses that want to create beautiful emails without having to hire a designer.
Some email marketing services have limitations that you should be aware of before you choose them. Be sure to check the specifications page of any email marketing service you’re thinking of using to ensure that you’re not limited in any way.
The bottom line is that the email marketing service you choose should make it easy for you to achieve your business marketing goals.
Best Business Email Marketing Software
There are plenty of great options out there for small businesses who want to start email marketing. Whether you want to use an email marketing platform, an app or a tool, there are plenty of options to choose from. Here are two of the best email marketing solutions for small businesses based on the above criteria. I recommend MailerLite as the best business email marketing software. If you are doing affiliate marketing, Aweber is also a good option.
– MailerLite: MailerLite is an online email marketing software tool that helps businesses send newsletters, announcements, and other promotional material to their customers. It offers a user-friendly interface, a wide range of features to its customers, including a drag-and-drop email builder, email automation, list segmentation, RSS to email, landing pages a wide range of customizable templates and tools to help users create beautiful and effective email campaigns. It also provides detailed statistics on email campaigns and more.
It also has a strong focus on delivering excellent customer support. It offers 24/7 support for paid plans. Most importantly, it offers free trial which means you can easily try it out first. It has different pricing plan that caters to a wide range of businesses. If you have previously started with Mailchimp like me and am not satisfied with Mailchimp, there is even an integration to help you import contacts from Mailchimp easily.
If you’re looking for a platform that can help you send out email campaigns, manage your contacts and track your results, then MailerLite would be my number one recommendation for you.
– Aweber: Aweber is an email marketing software company founded in 1998. Aweber allows businesses to create and send newsletters, manage subscribers, automated emails, and targeted emails to their customers and track the results of their email campaigns. Aweber also provides a wide range of templates and tools to help businesses create and design their emails.
Conclusion
In this blog post, I have outlined the factors to consider on how to select a good email marketing software. It is vital to take into account your budget, your needs and features that you need. After considering all these factors, you can narrow it down to a few options. MailerLite is one of the best email marketing software programs available on the market for businesses of all sizes. Sign up now and see for yourself!
