Any expert in internet marketing will tell you the importance of having a list of email addresses when establishing your business. Even though social media is a major contributor to internet marketing, email marketing is still booming, primarily because it’s an effective way of increasing your revenue while still keeping in touch with your clients.
Bear in mind that crafting a killer email campaign can be very time-consuming and so, you might want some help. Well, ESPs or rather email service providers are the perfect back up. These providers can help you generate and send emails that target your audience, get them delivered and give back actionable results.
So, now that you are convinced that you need a mailing list, and ESPs can be the perfect solution, what do you do next. Well, you need to consider the best emailing list services provider. But what makes a provider the best? How do you choose? Throughout the rest of this post, I will be handing you valuable information that will help you make an informed decision. So, buckle up!
There are numerous emailing list service providers out there. You will need to make a wise decision on this one because:
1. Switching mailing list service providers is very difficult as you will have to force your subscribers to reconfirm their respective subscriptions.
2. It gets harder to switch when your list gets bigger. This is because you will be risking to lose a lot of current and potential customers.
The mailing list is the backbone of your business and various emailing list services providers have different features. As such, you will want to ensure that you go with a provider that meets your every single email marketing need.
So, here’s how you choose the best emailing list services provider. You need to ensure you take the following points into consideration:
1. The Fees
Yes, you need a service provider that has a diverse set of features, but you ideally want a provider that falls within the borders of your budget. After you have made a list of the companies that provide what you are looking for, narrow down by taking a look at the costs. Most of these providers offer a free trial if you have a small mailing list and want to send a few emails. So, try them out and of you like the services, use them. At this time and age, most providers have two payment options:
Pay as You Go
This is ideal if you don’t want to make a commitment. You will only pay for what you are using. However, this method is not ideal if you have a large business with a big mailing list.
Monthly Subscriptions
Almost every provider will have this option as it is more attractive. Some have fixed costs while others charge you depending on the size of your list. So, do your homework and see which provider gives you the best services within your budget. There are great options out there that won’t force you to break your bank.
2. The Features
What you need from an email list service provider will dictate the features you should look for. Make a list of several providers and go through their features. Keep in mind that it’s hard to switch once you have made a commitment and so, you will want to go with a provider that’ll grow with your business. Right now, you might just need basic features, but as your business grows, you might need sophisticated ones. With that in mind, here’s what the provider should offer:
Tracking Tools
The best emailing list services provider can have all the features needed for email marketing, but if cannot tell the efficacy of your emails, then it will be all useless. You need to be able to read statistics that display the clicks, open rates, bounces as well as unsubscribes. You ideally want it in an ideal location where it’s easy to grasp in a single look. This will help with the betterment of your business.
Scheduling
There are times when we want to get ahead and compose a few emails to send to subscribers throughout the week or month. As such, you need a provider that has the ability to schedule your emails.
Other tools or features to look for are email templates, social media integration, mobility as well as competent support staff.
3. Delivery
You need emails to get to your subscribers when you want and as fast as possible. Therefore, you need a service provider that has a high delivery rate. This particular rate is simply the number of emails that have been delivered to your subscribers successfully. Go with a provider that has a delivery rate of 98% or more. A provider that has a high delivery rate will portray the following:
They will Have an Array of Tools
Tools that ensure accreditation and authenticity of the sender will tell the filters that you are a real person sending the emails and not a scammer. Spam scores suppression tools are ideally things to look for. Such features are not usually advertised, but they are crucial. So, ensure you inquire about them.
They Will Have A Great Reputation
You need a provider that has been in the game for a significant period. You need a provider that has a good history will Google, Yahoo and the rest. This is to ascertain that your emails are not mistaken for spam.
So, there you have it, the best emailing list services provider checklist. With these key points in mind, you shouldn’t go wrong with a provider.
