How to Choose the Best Email Marketing Service for Your Small Business

You already know that email marketing is a powerful strategy for engaging your audience and boosting conversions. In fact, about 79% of millennials in the US stated they enjoy being contacted by brands through email.

Source: Statista

What you may not know is that the email marketing service you choose for your small business can make or break your email campaign’s success. With a seemingly endless amount of options available, choosing the right one can be challenging. Let’s discuss how to properly select the best email marketing service for your small business.

Let’s get into it.

Why the Best Email Marketing Service Is Essential for Your Business

The number of email users globally was 4.26 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach 4.73 billion users in 2026.

Source: Statista

You don’t want to miss out on tapping into this massive audience. Choosing the right email marketing service allows you to effectively target, reach, and engage your audience.

Here are some benefits of selecting the best email marketing service for your small business.

Improved Targeting 

The best email marketing service for your small business allows you to segment your audience based on interests, demographics, or purchase history. This way, you can send targeted emails that are more likely to resonate with your subscribers, maximize sales, and boost ROI.

Automated Sending

Manually sending and tracking emails can be tedious and time-consuming. The best email marketing services for small businesses offer automation features, allowing you to send emails and streamline your marketing campaign quickly.

Advanced Analytics and Reporting

Email marketing services can include detailed analytics and reporting tools that track campaign performance in real time. 

Tracking open rates, click-through rates (CTR), and conversion rates enables you to refine your strategies for better results. In addition to these, many other email marketing metrics explored in this Attrock guide come in handy when you want to know more about your campaign’s performance.

Inexpensive Marketing

Unlike large enterprises, small businesses may not have the luxury of an extensive marketing budget. Choosing the right email marketing service for your small business allows you to communicate with your customers directly at a reasonable price. 

Some platforms even offer free plans to get you started. If you’re unsure how to handle the complexities of email marketing alone, outsourcing email marketing can be an effective solution.

Professionalism and Credibility

A reliable email marketing service enhances your brand’s professionalism and credibility. It ensures that your emails are delivered promptly, appear professional, and comply with legal regulations.

Choosing the Best Email Marketing Service for Small Business 

When selecting an email marketing service, you need to consider a variety of factors to ensure that it meets your specific business needs. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you choose the best email marketing service for your small business. 

1. Evaluate Features and Functionality

Begin by assessing the features and functionality that each email marketing service offers. Look for key features, such as:

• Email Automation: Automation allows you to streamline your email marketing strategy by scheduling and sending emails automatically. The best email marketing service for your small business should come with automation features like welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, and drip campaigns.
• Email List Segmentation and Management: Segmentation enables you to send targeted emails based on subscriber demographics, interests, or purchase history. Choose a service that allows you to build, segment, and manage your email lists effectively.
• Analytics and Reporting Tools: Analytics and reporting tools provide valuable insights into email marketing campaign performance. Look for a service that provides analytics like open rates, click-through rates, conversion tracking, and subscriber engagement.
• Email Design and Templates: The best email marketing service for small businesses offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and professionally designed, mobile-responsive templates.
• A/B Testing Features: Look for A/B testing features that enable you to test subject lines, email content, and send times to identify the most effective strategies for engaging your audience.

2. Consider Ease of Use 

You don’t want to spend hours or days trying to learn how to use an email marketing platform. A user-friendly interface allows you to easily navigate and understand email marketing software, even as a beginner. 

The best email marketing service will feature a simple setup process. The quicker you can get your email campaigns up and running, the sooner you can start engaging with your audience and drive results.

For example, an editor with drag-and-drop functionality allows you to create engaging and professional emails without needing to code. This feature is particularly beneficial if you lack the resources to hire a design team.

You should also choose a platform with pre-designed email marketing templates that you can customize to fit your brand and message. 

3. Assess the Provider’s Reputation 

Discovering that your email service provider has a tainted reputation when you are too far down the rabbit hole can be frustrating. Before committing to an email service, research the provider’s reputation.

Look for reviews and testimonials from other small businesses that have used the email provider's services. Platforms like Trustpilot and Capterra have reviews that can give you an idea of the provider’s customer service, performance, and reliability.

Take a look at this review example from a satisfied client:

Source: Trustpilot

Downtime can also significantly impact your business operations. Research the provider's uptime record on their website or independent sources to ensure they have a reliable service. Also, investigate the provider's security features, such as encryption protocols, spam filters, malware protection, and two-factor authentication.

You can even reach out to other business owners or professional networks for recommendations. If a tool is working well for other businesses that operate similarly to yours, then it may be worth looking into. 

4. Consider Email Delivery and Deliverability

In December 2023, spam messages made up more than 46.8% of email traffic. What does this tell you? 

The best email marketing service for small businesses will have a proven track record of high deliverability rates, ensuring your emails land in inboxes and not spam folders. 

Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:

• Authentication Protocols: Verify that the service supports email authentication protocols like SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail). These protocols help validate your emails and improve deliverability.
• Sender Reputation: Consider the reputation of the email marketing service provider’s sending IP addresses and domains. Ensure they have a good track record with internet service providers (ISPs) and aren't associated with spam.
• List Management Tools: Look for features that help manage your subscriber list effectively. This includes opt-in/opt-out management options, segmentation, and list hygiene to clean up your email list and ensure it remains up-to-date.
• Delivery Infrastructure: Assess the service provider's email delivery infrastructure, including their relationships with ISPs and email filtering systems. A strong infrastructure increases the chances of your emails reaching the recipients' inboxes.

5. Compare Pricing Plans

Evaluate the pricing plans offered by each email marketing service provider and choose one that aligns with your budget. It goes without saying that as a small business owner, you probably have a limited marketing budget. That’s why it's important to be able to manage your finances wisely. 

One convenient way to manage your finances and subscriptions is through ACH transfers. You are probably wondering, what is ACH transfer? In simpler terms, ACH transfers are electronic bank-to-bank transfers that can streamline your payment processes. 

Now, let’s discuss how you can compare pricing plans and choose the ideal email marketing service for your small business. 

You’ll first want to check the features offered in each pricing tier of the email marketing services you’re considering to determine whether they meet your needs. Common features include contact list size limits, automation capabilities, and reporting tools.

Most email marketing services offer varying pricing tiers based on the number of subscribers or level of features. Compare the pricing tiers and determine whether the features provided in each tier justify the price difference.

Finally, don’t forget to look for hidden costs. Some email marketing services may have fees for exceeding subscriber limits or technical support charges. Make sure you understand all potential costs associated with each service.

6. Consider Integration Compatibility

An email marketing service that doesn't integrate smoothly with your existing platforms can lead to errors, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities. Choose the one that integrates with your existing tools and platforms to ensure seamless workflow operations.

Let’s look at some important factors you should consider:

eCommerce Platform Compatibility

Whether you’re using Shift4Shop, WordPress, or any other eCommerce platform, compatibility ensures data synchronization and streamlines marketing efforts. Make sure that you choose an email marketing software integration that works with your website platform.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

If you’re using CRM software to manage customer data and interactions, make sure the email marketing service integrates well with it. This will allow you to manage leads, segment customers, and create personalized email campaigns.

Social Media Integration

The best email marketing service for small businesses integrates with your social media accounts. Integrating the service with platforms like Facebook and Instagram complements your social media strategy and expands your reach.

7. Account for Scalability 

Will your chosen email marketing service become irrelevant, or will it scale with your small business as it grows? A platform that can accommodate your business's expansion ensures seamless transitions as your needs become more complex. 

Here’s how you can assess a platform’s scalability.

• Subscriber Limits: Check if the email marketing service imposes limits on the number of subscribers you can have.
• Scalable Pricing Plans: Choose a provider that offers tiered pricing or customizable plans, allowing you to upgrade as your subscriber list expands.
• Feature Flexibility: The best email marketing service provides a wide range of features that can scale alongside your small business.
• Deliverability and Performance: Ensure the provider can maintain high email deliverability rates even with large mailing lists.

8. Assess Customer Support

At some point, you’ll run into issues while using an email marketing service. You won’t want to wait for hours or days to get the help you need. So, assess the level of customer support that your potential email marketing service provides. 

Look for a provider that offers customer support via multiple channels, such as email, phone, or live chat. Ensure their support team is available during your business hours or at convenient times.

Check reviews and testimonials to gauge how quickly the provider responds to customer inquiries or issues. Prompt response is critical, especially if you encounter urgent problems with your email campaigns.

Here’s an example of a provider that responded to a client in a timely manner.

Source: Trustpilot

You can determine how helpful the support team will be by asking technical questions. They should be knowledgeable about the platform's features and capable of solving complex problems. You should also find out if personalized support (e.g., account setup assistance or a one-on-one consultation) is available.

9. Prioritize Compliance and Data Security

Choosing an email marketing service that prioritizes legal compliance and data safety is no longer an option but a necessity. 

When customers subscribe to your email list, they trust you with their personal information. Compromising data security can break this trust, not to mention the legal penalties you might face when you violate compliance regulations. 

So, before selecting an email marketing service, consider the following:

• Compliance Features: Look for email marketing services that offer built-in compliance features. This includes features like opt-in confirmation, unsubscribe management, and compliance with regulations like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). 
• Data Security Measures: Assess the data security measures implemented by the small business email marketing service that you’re considering. Look for services that offer encryption for data transmission and storage, secure servers, and regular security audits.
• Privacy Policy and Terms of Service: Review the privacy policy and terms of service of the email marketing service to ensure they align with your business's privacy and data handling practices. Pay attention to how they handle subscriber data and whether they share it with third parties or not.

Wrapping Up 

Choosing the best email marketing service for your small business is a critical decision that can significantly impact your marketing campaigns. By evaluating features and functionality, considering usability, and assessing customer support, you can choose a service that aligns with your business objectives and maximizes your ROI.

Are you eager to improve your small business email marketing campaign? Start your journey by choosing the best email marketing service for your small business today!