| Email marketing companies offer online solutions that | | | | 5. Do they offer you the ability to schedule email |
| enable individuals and organizations to take advantage | | | | delivery? |
| of the power and precision of email marketing by | | | | If you want to set up "drip" email campaigns, you're |
| equipping them with a wide range of capabilities - chief | | | | going to want to consider only the companies that |
| among which are: | | | | offer you the ability to set up scheduled email |
| - Capturing the contact details of visitors to their | | | | deliveries. |
| websites | | | | 6. How much visibility into email recipient behavior do |
| - Sending out automatic responses every time a visitor | | | | they offer? |
| signs up | | | | Key data you should expect companies to report on |
| - Delivering personalized messages and newsletters to | | | | includes: number of opens, clicks, bounces, |
| subscribers | | | | unsubscribes, as well as click destinations - ideally by |
| - Tracking and reporting on actions email recipients | | | | date, time, geography and so forth (the more data |
| take in response to the emails they receive | | | | options companies offer, the better). |
| In short, email marketing companies help you build highly | | | | 7. How many different options for opt-in forms do they |
| targeted lists of subscribers; communicate with your | | | | offer and can they handle split-testing? |
| subscribers whenever you want, and continuously | | | | Because different types of opt-in forms can yield |
| improve the responses your email marketing efforts | | | | wildly different results, rule out any email marketing |
| produce. | | | | companies that do not offer multiple types of opt-in |
| And while there may be many similarities between the | | | | forms, as well as those that do not offer you the ability |
| solutions email marketing companies offer - and there | | | | to split-test your forms to determine which ones will |
| are many email marketing companies to choose from | | | | produce the best results. |
| (a search on Google for the phrase "email marketing | | | | 8. What kind of support do they offer? |
| companies" returns 17,500 results) - there are also | | | | While some companies offer only limited support - |
| some distinctive differences that may make one | | | | typically in the form of email or help desk - others |
| company a better choice for your needs than the | | | | offer live support 24/7 via online chat and toll-free |
| others. | | | | phone numbers. If immediate action is important to you, |
| Following are 10 of the most important questions to | | | | make sure you rule out companies that do not offer |
| consider when evaluating email marketing companies. | | | | around-the-clock live support. |
| 1. How do they handle CAN-SPAM compliance | | | | 9 What kind of training is available - and how |
| checking? | | | | accessible is the training? |
| Because CAN-SPAM compliance is law, email | | | | No matter how easy-to-use an email marketing |
| marketing companies that do not offer integrated | | | | solution may be, there will undoubtedly be some |
| CAN-SPAM compliance checking should be eliminated | | | | functionality that you won't know how to use. Because |
| from consideration right off the bat. | | | | of this, you should make sure that the companies |
| 2. How easy is it to create, manage, and track | | | | you're considering offer comprehensive training on all |
| campaigns? | | | | aspects of their tools and services (and that make the |
| Unless you or someone on your team has a lot of | | | | training available anytime/anywhere). |
| technical expertise - and free time - you should rule | | | | 10. What kinds of subscription packages do they |
| out any companies whose solutions require a lot of | | | | offer? |
| either. | | | | Email marketing companies typically offer monthly, |
| 3. How many different newsletter templates do they | | | | quarterly and annual subscription packages. If flexibility |
| offer? | | | | is important to you, opt for a month-to-month |
| You are going to want to make sure the companies | | | | subscription. If best-value is a top consideration, make |
| you're considering offer a wide range of newsletter | | | | sure that you can get a discount for a longer-term |
| templates so that you can find one that matches the | | | | commitment. |
| look and feel of your brand. | | | | Ultimately, email marketing can be one of the most |
| 4. Do they offer you the ability to create plain-text | | | | effective and least expensive marketing efforts you |
| alternatives to HTML emails and newsletters? | | | | undertake (ROI ratios for successful campaigns are |
| If you want to increase the percentage of emails that | | | | commonly 50:1 or higher). Email marketing companies |
| end up in your recipients' inbox - and stay out of their | | | | can help put your email marketing campaigns on the |
| junk folder - you need to make sure that the | | | | fast-track to success. You simply need to know what |
| companies you're considering offer you the ability to | | | | you need to know in order to choose the company |
| create plain-text alternatives to HTML emails and | | | | that's right for you. |
| newsletters. | | | | |