| A software solution provider should be able to help | | | | report. |
| you to comply with necessary federal policies and | | | | Industry best practice |
| rules. A marketing software solution provider is | | | | Does the system allow the recipient of the message |
| expected to assure that your messages reach the | | | | to unsubscribe from your service? The best practice |
| right folder of the receiver. Email design should | | | | of the industry is to respect the viewer's preference |
| necessarily be done in a manner that they avoid the | | | | and remove your presence from their inbox if there is |
| spam software. The marketing service provider should | | | | such a request. The possibility of bulk unsubscribing |
| be in a position to assure this. | | | | should be available on the system. |
| Check your service provider's claim | | | | Customer database |
| Conduct a test of the system by sending a test batch | | | | A good marketing service provider is aware of your |
| of mails to a few known email ids and check whether | | | | need to slice and dice the customer population and |
| the mails reach as they are supposed to. You can | | | | view the profiles of customers that are being |
| create a number of dummy email identities to check | | | | contacted and possible customers who can be |
| the claim of the service provider that the email is able | | | | considered as a part of the campaign. It should also |
| to avoid the spam folder and is clearly visible in the | | | | allow demographics of population distribution for your |
| inbox. Another claim to be checked is that of flexible | | | | study when you are planning an initiative. Lastly, whose |
| reporting and activity tracking. If the provider is unable | | | | interest was piqued by the communication and what is |
| to provide a demonstration of this functionality, contact | | | | the preference profile of this person? What are the |
| existing customers and ask for a preview of the | | | | responses of other people with similar profiles? |