7 Factors On How To Choose The Right Email Marketing Software

No matter what product or service you sell, email marketing is an integral part of your marketing strategy. Email marketing allows you to directly communicate with your audience. With their contact information in your hands, you can always email them about latest news, upcoming promotions and more.

Here are 7 factors that you need to consider when deciding on an email marketing software.

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1. Segmentation

One of the greatest benefits of email marketing is that you can send the right message to the right people at the right time.

Segmentation, where you divide subscribers into smaller groups based on shared characteristics or behaviors, is crucial for this benefit.

Therefore, when you’re shortlisting email marketing software, do research about their segmentation features. Find out the different ways that the email marketing software can segment subscribers and whether these features are easy to use.

Even better, you can brainstorm how you want to segment your subscribers first. Then, check if the shortlisted email marketing software is able to create these segments. Here are some examples:

• People who are interested in the marketing tips of your blog
• Women between 20 and 30 years old who live in United States
• People who added items to their cart but didn’t check out

Check out my article on ways to segment your email subscribers~

2. Automation

Automation is also crucial in helping you send emails at the right time.

With automation, you can send personalized and targeted emails to subscribers based on their behavior. This allows you to automate repetitive tasks and save time.

Again, research about the automation features and find out whether these features are easy to use.

Likewise, brainstorm the various emails that you want to automate. Then, check if the shortlisted email marketing software is able to do this. Here are some examples:

• Welcome email series
• Birthday emails that include a discount code
• Order confirmation emails that include the receipt as well as shipping and delivery details

Check out my article on email automation workflows that will skyrocket your business~

3. Newsletter Design

Branded, professional emails are essential in today’s world. With so many emails competing for your subscribers’ attention, you have to make an effort in creating visually appealing emails that compel subscribers to read your content and encourage them to take your desired action.

Here are some features that you need to look out for:

• Pre-Designed Templates
• What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor or drag-and-drop builder
• Coding like HTML and CSS
• Responsive Design
• Text Formatting
• Options to add images and buttons

Consider ease of use and customization too. Designing your emails should be easy. Do watch videos and sign up for trials to see whether you can easily design the emails as how you imagine them to be. Customization options like logo placement and color schemes are good too. Most email marketing software should have personalization tokens too.

4. Safe & Secure Emails

When people subscribe to your newsletter, it shows that they trust you because they’re giving you their contact details. It is your responsibility to keep this data safe and secure.

Do check if your shortlisted email marketing software includes two-factor authentication (2FA). 2FA adds an extra layer of security because it requires a second verification method besides the usual password. This could be a one-time code sent to your phone via SMS or emailed to your inbox or a time-based code via authenticator apps. 2FA secures your email account and prevents unauthorized access.

Encryption protects sensitive data like email addresses from unauthorized access and interception. With encryption, even if data is intercepted, it’ll be unreadable without the proper decryption key. Thus, do ensure that your shortlisted email marketing software has data encryption.

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5. GDPR-Compliant

You shouldn’t be sending unsolicited emails to individuals. When sending emails, you need to comply with data protection regulations. One such regulation is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that ensures user data is handled securely and ethically.

To ensure your email marketing complies with GDPR, you must obtain explicit consent and provide easy opt-out option so users can easily unsubscribe. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. Here are some features you need to watch out for:

• Checkbox to indicate consent
• Double Opt-In
• Opt-Out Option

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6. Integration

By connecting email marketing software with other tools, you can sync data, automate processes and gain a holistic view of your efforts.

Hence, email marketing software integration is something you should keep an eye on when shortlisting. Here are some integrations that are important:

• eCommerce tools like WooCommerce & Shopify
• CRM like HubSpot & Salesforce

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7. Pricing

Last but not least, pricing is a key factor when deciding on an email marketing software.

Usually, the cost is based on the number of email subscribers. So, take that into account, scale this number up and discover how much it might cost in the future when you have more subscribers. Is the cost within your budget?

In addition, do check the limits and restrictions too. Some email marketing software pricing plans include limits on the number of emails you can send per month and the number of contacts you can have in your account.

I would also suggest that you research on migrating from an email marketing software to another. Based on pricing, perhaps some email marketing software are great when you have fewer subscribers while other email marketing software are better when you have more subscribers. In such case, it’s good to plan ahead and think of your migration strategy.

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Now It’s Your Turn

What other factors do you take into account when deciding on an email marketing software?