Email marketing is an excellent middle ground of modern marketing – aggressive yet not too obtrusive, allowing for a decent amount of creativity without the need for too much manual tweaking, good for client retention and acquisition both – and, on average, not very expensive.
However, the method’s popularity means there are numerous providers of email marketing, which makes choosing the one that would be ideal for your particular business a tad difficult – especially if you are new to that kind of thing and don’t know the difference between GetResponse and ConstantContact. Below you will find some basic information about four of the most widely used email marketing services and the reasons to use or not to use them.
1.GetResponse
GetResponse may be called an ideal choice for those without prior experience in email marketing for two reasons: firstly, it provides new customers with 30-day trial including all premium features (presumably to get you hooked), secondly, even after the trial runs out, GetResponse remains one of the most flexibly and reasonably priced email marketing platforms out there.
And it is not the case when “affordable” means “second-rate”. GetResponse has everything you may need: powerful email template editing tool, landing page builder, signup forms, inbox previews, excellent automation functionality and deliverability rates. Mobile preview will make sure your letters are properly perceived by mobile devices (which is getting increasingly important these days) and much more.
2.MailChimp
MailChimp is often a service of choice for absolute beginners for one simple reason: it allows you to send up to 12,000 mails a month for free as long as your mailing lists don’t exceed 2,000 subscribers (although a free account doesn’t include autoresponder). After you reach this number you may either choose a paid option or opt out, looking for other platform. MailChimp boasts of intuitive interface and easy-to-use mail builder perfect for those who don’t want to pay too much attention to design.
However, not all is perfect. When compared to other platforms, MailChimp’s paid version is rather costly. Although easy to handle, it lacks in flexibility and doesn’t have enough customization to satisfy a serious marketer. In addition to that, it has been known to treat those using its free version rather poorly, breaking links in their mails and disabling accounts without explanation.
3.AWeber
One of the oldest and most recognizable of the bunch, AWeber is still an important player in this market and can provide for most your email marketing needs. However, it suffers from a number of diseases characteristic for old and well-established companies. Interface is rather clunky and may be hard to grasp and there are not enough learning materials on the site, trial version doesn’t include all the functions… In addition to that, it is notorious for charging its users for already unsubscribed subscribers and inefficiency in dealing with spammers who sign up with fake emails.
4.ConstantContact
ConstantContact is a variant for those who want reliability, quality, a multitude of options, powerful tools – and are ready to pay through the nose for it all. It certainly comes highly recommended and boasts of excellent reputation, but still, prices seem to be a little excessive, especially taking into account that a number of additional features will cost you extra (for example, landing pages start at $45 a month). Most of this functionality and even more may be found elsewhere – GetResponse, for example, covers most of it costing about half as much. Still, ConstantContact has its ardent supporters, so if you are interested in premium options you may try out its free trial – a limited version of the service may be used for up to 60 days, as long as the number of subscribers is below 100.
All in all, GetResponse is currently one of the most versatile and flexible email marketing platforms out there. It doesn’t matter who you are – a complete newbie or a grizzled veteran of marketing battles – it is likely to have anything you may need.
