Email marketing is still one of the most effective forms of marketing. The old saying, “Money is in the list” still holds true for email marketing. Several internet marketers claim that email marketing has a higher ROI than social media.
There are many email softwares one can choose from. At a basic level, every email marketing software should allow your readers to subscribe to your mailing list, send autoresponders and campaigns, and have a good delivery rate.
Today, let us now look at some of the most popular email softwares and their features. Which is the best email software? I suggest that you read through this article, and choose the one that is best for you. I prefer Aweber because of it’s organized interface.
#1 MAILCHIMP
The MailChimp interface is well designed and user-friendly. It is your basic vanilla email marketing software that has list management, autoresponders, and they now even offer landing pages.
PROS
- It is considered one of the easiest of marketing tools. Importing and exporting of lists is an easy process.
- Offers a 100% free account with limited access to features. Any upgrade is at a price.
- Good for occasional, limited newsletters to be sent to a few contacts.
- Payments can be made as you go or a monthly subscription.
- Offers numerous integrations. Enables to connect to Instapage, Facebook, WordPress, Hubspot, LeadPages and most of the marketing tools.
CONS
- Few Email templates to choose from. If you are looking for a lot of designs for your newsletter, then this software is not for you.
- MailChimp is considered to be a bit pricey for a basic email marketing tool.
- Some customers might not appreciate the funny YouTube video links.
#2 AWEBER
A popular email marketing tool among bloggers and Internet marketers.
PROS
- Ease of creation. Aweber has a very user-friendly navigation system. It is a flexible marketing tool and is fast. Easy automated email campaign with drag and drop editor.
- Aweber has more than 150 customizable templates. Hence, you can have a unique template with your own preferences.
- Aweber offers easy to read charts as an analysis of your email campaign. You can get data on which links were clicked, how much revenue was generated which helps in targeting future campaigns. Subscriber management, tracking and segmentation are the keys of Aweber.
- Delivery of emails. Aweber has the maximum reach in terms of delivery of emails to the inbox rather than spam. No doubt the product itself and the subject line play an important role, this software boasts of 98% success rate in terms of reaching the inbox because of very credible Aweber servers.
CONS
- Aweber does not allow for an embedded video in the email. Although it is not a major issue, if a video has to be hosted, it needs to be on the blog or video sharing website and linked in the email.
AWeber Pricing: From $19/month for unlimited emails to up to 500 contacts.
#3 GETRESPONSE
With a clear landing page, GetResponse focuses on acquiring more leads.
PROS
- The comprehensive reporting is very analytical with easy to read graphs that enable further optimization of campaigns.
- The contacts section of GetResponse allows adding of custom fields, copy contacts, conduct searches. Flexible templates.
- GetResponse can track how many subscribers open emails, unsubscribe, click on links. How many people go to your website via the link in the email. Reasons why people unsubscribe.
CONS
- Though very impressive live chat support but does not offer 24-hour phone support.
- The multimedia library is not user-friendly.
- The user interface needs to be refreshed.
They offer a 30-day free trial that includes 250 contacts and unlimited emails. $15 for 1000 contacts, $25 for 2500 contacts, and $45 for 500
#4 ACTIVECAMPAIGN
Considered a gem in automation world of marketing, exceptionally well-designed software.
PROS
- ActiveCampaign helps you create a seamless and engaging email in an easy to use platform. Known for its great user interface.
- It combines email newsletters, marketing automation, and CRM into an automation tool.
- Easy onboarding of customers, market to the potential client, sending coupons with the use of autoresponders.
CONS
- Needs more upgrading in the CRM and email builder. For example, searching for a lead in CRM needs you to scroll down endlessly.
- It does not have native integration with third-party tools.
Basic plan for email marketing from $9/month for 500 contacts & $49/month for full email marketing and CRM suite.
Conclusion
MailChimp and AWeber are the most popular softwares. If you are just starting off with email marketing, these two softwares are fairly safe options.
