Choosing the right email marketing service provider can be quite tricky. There are numerous firms that provide the service, and choosing the best one means that you need to consider many factors.
This is because there are many advantages and disadvantages to every cloud-based, email marketing service provider. This is why; when you want to choose an email marketing service provider, you have to ask yourself – what do I need? What are my goals? What are my expectations?
Additionally, you need to research the different types of features the service provides – what email campaigns can I create? What are the different subject lines and auto-replies that they support? What are the various email marketing strategies that they promote?
If you’re seeking a one-stop-shop for all your email marketing needs, then look no further – we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ve compiled a short list of everything you need to know when selecting the best email marketing service provider for your business.
Features You Should Consider
Depending on what you’re seeking in an email marketing service provider, you’ll need to look into different features. Some of the things you may want to consider are; the interface, the customer support, and the various plan options that the company provides.
To begin with, the user experience is very important to consider. Do you want the customer to be able to create and deliver the perfect email every time they want to?
If yes, then you need a highly customizable service that provides a slick user experience. Additionally, you want to make sure that the customer support is available whenever you need it. This way, you’ll feel confident that you’re making the right choice by utilizing the service.
One other important aspect to consider is the various plan options that the email marketing service provider offers. In this way, you’ll be able to choose the plan that’s right for your business. As a general rule of thumb, the business plan should be comprehensive enough to cover all your needs – but not so much that you’ll be overcharged. Additionally, look into whether or not you’ll need a dedicated IP address or whether or not you can get a free one from the service provider.
Reliability Of Hosting
When it comes to reliability, you want to make sure that your website will always be available. In this way, you’ll be able to create and deliver important emails when you need to. Additionally, you want to ensure that your data is always safe and secure. This way, you won’t have to worry about losing critical emails due to a server malfunction or hack.
When you host your website and emails independently, you’re taking a chance that one or both will malfunction or go down. If this happens, you’ll have no way to send out important emails. To avoid this, it’s best to choose a service that provides hosted solutions. In this way, even if one of their other services goes down, your website and emails will still be up and running. This also means that if you ever have trouble reaching a support agent or getting a response from them, you can always contact another customer via live chat or email.
Choosing a reliable host for your website and email is extremely important because this will have a direct impact on your experience as a customer. If you discover that the host is down or malfunctioning, it will create several problems. First, you’ll experience trouble reaching the customer support team. Second, if you start registering with the site, you’ll have to start over because the host will reset your account every few days. Third, if you try to use the site regularly, you’ll see lots of errors and problems because the host isn’t stable or powerful enough to handle all of your traffic. Finally, if you use the site for commercial reasons, you’ll be flagged by the moderators and banned because they don’t allow adult content on the platform.
Scalability
Depending on the size of your business, you’ll need to consider whether or not you’ll need a scalable solution. If you’re seeking a solution that can grow with you and your business, you need a scalable solution. This way, you won’t have to worry about purchasing additional equipment or hiring additional staff when your business expands.
When choosing a scalable solution, make sure that you’re purchasing from a reputable vendor. In addition to this, you want to make sure that they have ample experience in handling large volumes of traffic – both now and in the future. If possible, take a look at their other services and products to get a sense of how they handle big workloads. This way, you’ll be certain that you’re making the right choice by investing in their Email Marketing Service.
Security
Another important aspect to consider when choosing an email marketing service provider is security. In this way, you’ll be certain that your data is always safe and secure. As a general rule of thumb, the more secure the better because this means that your data is less likely to be intercepted by someone else while it’s in transit.
Even when your data is securely transferred, you still need to be mindful of the fact that email can still be manipulated by hackers and malware. To avoid this, make sure that your antivirus software is up to date and that you have strong passwords and 2-factor authentication activated for all important accounts. Additionally, you want to avoid sending sensitive/confidential information through email – via attachments, URLs, or live chats. Instead, you can utilize the API provided by the service to connect with your customers from the back end.
To give you a clear view of what we mean by security, below we’ve compiled a list of some of the most important things you should consider when choosing an email marketing service provider:
- SSL encryption (secure socket layer)
- Data breach notification
- GDPR (general data protection regulation)
- 2-factor authentication
- Malware and virus protection
- Spam prevention
- Email delivery via IMAP or GMap
- Fully customizable templates
- Unlimited email campaigns
- Trouble-free backups
- Free dedicated IP address
Above all else, make sure that you’re purchasing from a reputable source. In addition to this, you want to ensure that they are a business that cares about your success and will work hard to provide the best possible service. In turn, this will help you choose the right email marketing service provider that can provide the features you need to grow your business.