Thinking about starting an email marketing program for your brand? Keep these factors in mind when evaluating potential solutions:
- Flexibility – Whether you are looking to send a simple email newsletter or put a complex sequential autoresponder campaign in place, spend some time reviewing the capabilities of each provider. From templates to list management to reporting, each provider will offer a different set of tools. Making a short list of your must-haves will help you to eliminate some candidates early on, making your overall decision-making process easier.
- Scalability – It’s always best to buy as much as you need, right now. With that in mind, you’ll want to find a provider that offers scalable plans – both in terms of cost and usage – that will allow you to move up as your needs increase. Your list may only contain 500 addresses right now, but will your provider be able to effectively handle your account when that number grows to 50,000?
- Support – This is where many email marketing providers can fall flat. When evaluating a provider, ask them flat out: what is your average turnaround time for customer service/support tickets? (Most will tell you 24 hours.) Also, make sure you qualify the type of support they offer, as many providers will often refer you to their “support forums” or only provide email support. Most times this will suffice, but having a telephone support option can be very helpful in emergency situations.
Here are a few links to get you started on your search**:
** DISCLAIMER: Mascola Group does not personally endorse any of the email marketing programs listed above. This list is provided solely as a starting point for companies looking to research email marketing solutions on the market today.
