How To Pick An Email Service Provider That’s Right For You
You must select an email service provider to build a list of subscribers and send emails or purchase a script to do it yourself. Lots of beginners look at option #2 and think it’s a good idea. But asides from a few benefits, running your list has a huge downside.
For example…
Deliverability issues, talking to internet service providers, why your emails are being black-listed, etc. The point of this lesson is about choosing a third-party email service provider because it’s the best, easiest and safest option for both fledgling and seasoned marketers. Anyway… let’s look at the benefits and features you should be looking for in an E.S.P. Read on…
Step 1: Start With a Reputable Company
There are loads of E.S.Ps, but they don’t all offer the same level of service. And this is why you’ll want to ensure your provider offers the following…
Great Customer Service
Make sure to choose a well-established E.S.P (email service provider). They should have multiple customer service options, including live chat, email, and phone, and they should respond quickly. And also… what’s their availability. Is it 24/7? If not, are the available hours during your typical business hours?
Good Uptime
Next, you want to check how often the ESP is up (or, conversely, how often it goes down). Ideally, it should communicate with transparency. For example…
Aweber has a status page where you can always check the status and recent history: https://status.aweber.com/
A Focus On Deliverability
A good ESP will devote most of its resources toward deliverability issues. So, to that end… look for a company that constantly works to improve its stats. This includes removing low-quality (spamming) accounts from its service and working with ISPs and email providers to improve deliverability. A good ESP will also include a built-in spam checker to tweak your emails, avoiding spam folders and filters.
Step 2: Review the Sevice’s Features
If the company and its customer service look solid, start reviewing the ESP’s features. Here’s what to look for…
See If Templates Are Available
Look for a company that provides both opt-in from templates and email templates. A good company will provide a variety of templates, plus these templates will be “point and click” customizable.
Check For Tracking Tools
Next, see if the ESP offers built-in testing and tracking tools. You should be able to check open and clickthrough rates, which you can use to track things such as subject lines, calls to action, and more.
Ensure Segmenting is Available
Another good feature you’ll want to look for is the ability to segment your list. Often this is done with “tagging.”
For Example… if you want to email people who’ve purchased a certain product from you. Then you can include recipients who have a “purchased product X” tag.
Note that you should also be able to segment based on recent email behavior.
For Example… You can pull out a segment of your list who didn’t open your email. And send these people a follow-up sequence with a different subject line.
Look For Automation
You’ll find automation a great time-saving tool. Think of them as “If-Then” features (if X happens, Y should occur).
For Example… If someone clicks on a link, that person should get a specific email or be added to a particular segment of your list.
Step 3: Determine What Other Features Are Important To You
Now that you’ve determined that a potential ESP includes the core features you need, you’ll want to consider any other important features.
For Example… If you’re already using other tools and platforms, you’ll want to check if your selected ESP will integrate with them.
Step 4: Select Your Service
Now you know what to look for in an ESP, you’ll likely find it’s an overwhelming task to select one… because there are so many options to choose from. So, I’ll help you by suggesting several of the top ones…
Before choosing an ESP, you’ll want to carefully read the terms of service and other applicable documents. That way… you’ll know if the way you want to use the ESP falls within the service’s acceptable use policy guidelines.
Conclusion
There you go… Be certain NOT to build your mailing list on a bed of sand, which is why choosing the right ESP is crucial.
So…
Use the lesson above to keep referring to. And good luck!
