Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to sell your services, share your message, and build a relationship with your customers on their time and in a place where they frequently visit: their inbox. Email marketing is a big deal to help grow your business, and if you’re in charge of engaging with existing customers or new prospects, you need an email marketing tool that will help you to effectively and easily manage your campaigns. A simple Google search for “email marketing platform” returns hundreds of pages of potential programs and tools you can use, so which one is right for you?

What Functions Are Important to You?

Each type of marketing software has their advantages and disadvantages. To save yourself the stress and wasted time from switching platforms in the future, here is what you should be focusing on when choosing the right email marketing platform for your business.

Subscriber Management

Usually, email marketing software companies charge you for your subscription based on how many email addresses and subscribers are in your account.

1. List Centric: This type of program charges based on the total number of subscribers in your accounts list. Also, if one subscriber happens to be on two different lists, you’ll be charged twice for this one subscriber.
2. Subscriber Centric: This type of program charges based on the number of unique email addresses in your account, regardless of how many lists the subscriber is on.

Autopilot Your Emails

This is an extremely important tool when it comes to email marketing software. When searching for a platform, take a very close look at how their email automation tool is built and if it’s easy to use because this will be your new best friend.

Basically, this tool allows you to email subscribers automatically based on a trigger that you choose to create. For example, when someone new subscribes to your email list, they will automatically receive a welcome email, allowing for a great first impression of your brand.

Do They Offer Customer Support?

Customer support is one of the most important tools when it comes to choosing the right platform for your business. If you’re having difficulty understanding new features on your platform, you have a high bounce rate that cannot be solved, or you see a mistake in your email that you can’t seem to fix, you need a reliable support team you can contact right away.

Before you sign up for a platform, you need to see what kind of support is offered. Do they have live chat features? Do they only offer email support? Do they have a 24-hour customer service line you can call? Do your research before you commit.

Will This Platform Break the Bank?

The costs will vary depending on what email marketing platform you choose. Many programs can start you off with a free trial which allows you to take a test drive before making any final purchase decisions. Even better, some email marketing providers (like MailChimp) offer a free plan based on the number of email subscribers you have.

Sadly, free doesn’t always last. Make sure you understand what you’ll be charged for once you’ve outgrown their free plan to make sure you’re still within your budget. Take a look at the pricing plans that they offer so you can still grow your business within your means. You may find that paying a little extra will get you even more features to take your emails to the next level.

Email marketing is one of the most efficient ways to drive repeat traffic and build strong relationships with your audience. Choosing the best email marketing platform can be complicated, but by asking yourself the right questions, what goals you’re trying to reach, and understanding your options, you will pick the right software for your business. Make sure to contact the marketing specialists at Vision Advertising for all your email marketing needs. Also, keep an eye out for part II of this blog where we will be discussing which specific email marketing platforms we recommend using.