The role of email in marketing is constantly evolving, and while some businesses still rely on email marketing simply as a way to communicate with customers, the platforms, resources, and toolsets available to marketers today allow for much more subtle and sophisticated strategies. When deciding which email marketing platform is right for your business, you must consider your target audience, the content and design of your email messages, as well as the tools available to you.
In this article, we will discuss the various attributes you should consider when choosing an email marketing platform, and how to find the right fit for your business.
Features
One of the first things to consider when choosing an email marketing platform is the features it offers. Some companies specialize in particular areas, such as automation or analytics, and may not have the most robust feature set, especially if you’re looking for something simple to get up and running with. On the flip side, some platforms offer a feature-rich experience with lots of options, but may not have the most user-friendly interface.
To help you find the right fit, we have compiled a list of some of the most important attributes to look for in any email marketing platform. Keep in mind that not all of these will apply to all platforms, so make sure you check out the documentation to see what options each platform offers.
Customer Support
If you’ve ever spent any time on the internet, you’re probably well aware that almost all businesses have an online support portal where they answer questions, provide helpful documents, and help customers with any problems. The quality of the support you get depends on the size of the company, but nevertheless, it exists.
If you’re planning to use email marketing to communicate with customers, then the level of support available to you through the email platform is extremely important. You don’t want to spend time looking for the right answer, or worse, learning how to use a completely different tool to get the answer you’re looking for. The level of support available to you through the different social media platforms is also something to consider.
Ease Of Use
The user interface of your email marketing tool can be one of the most important factors in determining how much you like a certain platform. For instance, Constant Contact’s UI is designed to look like a traditional email client with a horizontal orientation, and doesn’t impose any special design rules or guidelines on you. As a result, it’s extremely user friendly and provides an excellent entry point for anyone who’s not familiar with email marketing or tools in general. If you’re planning to use email marketing to communicate with customers, make sure you test out the UI of each platform and ensure it’s easy to use and accessible to everyone in your organization.
Security
Data breaches are on the rise, and more and more companies are affected every year. The last thing you want is to send out promotional material to your customers and have it stolen by hackers. With that in mind, it’s important to look for a platform that offers the security you need to feel comfortable sending out customer data.
Each company is different, so you must look at the level of security they provide as well as whether or not it’s included for free. Many platforms allow for 2-factor authentication, where you can set up an additional layer of security that requires you to enter a code sent to your phone when you log in. The more things you have to remember, the more likely you are to make a mistake and send out confidential information. Authenticating via email also prevents man-in-the-middle attacks, where someone poses as a trusted party and forces you to send all your login credentials to them. Only they can retrieve those credentials, and in turn, access your account.
Some platforms offer additional layers of security such as two-step verification, where they will send you a code to input on your next visit. This adds an extra layer of safety to your account because not only do you need to enter a password, but you must also enter a code that is sent to your phone. This combination of factors makes it much less likely that someone will be able to access your account without your permission.
Native Email Client
The last thing you want to do is to rely on a third party service to process your emails for you. While many companies provide a good service for free, you should consider whether or not that’s the best option for you. If you’re looking for a simple solution then using a service is undoubtedly the way to go. However, if you need to automate certain processes or are looking for a robust feature set then you might want to consider creating your own email client.
Creating an email client is not as difficult as it may seem. Some of the more prominent companies that provide email clients include: