8 Best Email Marketing Software Services for Small Business (2020)

Building Relationships / October 1, 2020 / Daylite Team

Besides good leadership quality and a strong workforce, you also need top-notch marketing strategies to make an impact in your industry. One of these is email marketing. This method will help you form bonds of trust and loyalty among clients and prospects by connecting with them directly in their inboxes. 

With this, more prospects would be turned into clients and higher ROI would be secured. However, email marketing software is more than that. There are other ways it can help you to boost your sales.

8 best email marketing software services for small business

If you are an owner of a small business, having one is essential especially if you intend to grow it. However, not all email marketing services could be used just by any company. You need to choose the best one for your specific needs.

Try to scrutinize your options based on the features on offer. These may include drag-and-drop builder, admin and delivery tools, list building and segmentation features, automation, A/B testing, and reporting capability. You should also consider your business industry and the budget allotted for this.

By carefully pondering about these things, you would be able to determine the best email marketing software for your small business. You can use it to compose astounding messages or for enticing video email marketing to gain more leads. However, with all the choices you have, seeking the perfect one could be messy. Well, worry no more, because I got you covered. 

From the endless offers out there, I trimmed down the list and picked the top seven email marketing software that could aid you in business growth. We will also compare ActiveCampaign vs GetResponse with other email marketing software to find the best one for you.

Now, let us get a closer look at each of them and find the one that would help you strengthen your connection to your clients and prospects. Let’s dive in!

1. Mailchimp: Best in Features

Mailchimp knows all your needs as an email marketing individual. It offers pre-built templates and ready-made segments that allow you to instantly create your email in ease.

You can send these emails to targeted audiences and exclude others using its segment option. You can also schedule the date of messages you want to send to your subscribers. Just put the messages needed, set the date, and your emails would be sent in series automatically. That said, it doesn’t just give you an organized business but it also helps you in your time management.

Once an email is opened or the links it contains are clicked, you can do a follow-up email using the Automation area of Mailchimp. This is just one of the things that prove how detailed the analytics of Mailchimp are. From the numbers of subscribers that opened your email to the report of most frequently clicked links, Mailchimp would give you the details you need to know.

2. ActiveCampaign: Best in Automation

Pricing:

$15/month – 500 Subscribers

$29/month – 1,000 Subscribers

$55/month – 2,500 Subscribers

$99/month – 5,000 Subscribers

Getting a web hosting account is not enough to create sales. You also need tools that would aid its growth and ActiveCampaign’s impressive automation feature is one of them. It helps automate contacts and list management. It also allows condition-based autoresponders and automation within its CRM system.

The CRM system of ActiveCampaign lets you customize the details of your clients by allowing you to add notes about them and directly messaging them. You can also send emails and SMS messages aimed at specific website visitors. This strengthens your bond with them. You’re also assured of the reliable deliverability of your messages.

Furthermore, it also offers detailed reporting keeping you updated on the progress of your business. ActiveCampaign provides you reports on various areas like click-maps, geotracking, and page visits. On the other hand, its purchase tracking feature is available on higher plans. 

ActiveCampaign is an email marketing solution that provides your business needs with quality automation. From triggered campaigns to automated segmentation and dynamic email content, it won’t fail you. This makes ActiveCampaign truly ideal for businesses looking for a tool that can perform multi-channel marketing and robust automation capabilities.

3. GetResponse: Best in Webinar Hostings

Pricing:

Basic ($15/month) – email marketing, automation templates, autoresponders, unlimited landing pages, and more

Plus ($49/month) – Basic plan features plus list, sell e-products, building funnels, sales funnels, webinars with 100-participant capacity, and more

Professional ($99/month) – webinar funnels, automation builder, paid webinars, webinars with 300-participant capacity, and more

Enterprise ($1199/month) – deliverability consulting, dedicated IP address, transactional emails, 500-participant capacity, and more

One of the primary things that would make anyone choose GetResponse is its striking user interface. This makes it possible for you to produce high-converting signup forms and send impressive emails to your clients using autoresponders. It also makes having your email newsletter campaign a true picnic.

Besides its notable email marketing features, it also provides other ways for a business to grow through its numerous online marketing features. It offers impressive landing pages that can help you generate clients from visitors. GetResponse can also help you create and host webinars on your site that will further expand your connections.

Lastly, it is a true gem for those who are still starting their journey in email marketing. Thanks to its useful marketing resources like courses, whitepapers, and videos, you would be able to easily find your way into the world of email marketing. Combined with some creative email marketing campaign ideas, you’re sure to get more value for your investment. 

All these make GetResponse a true all-in-one email marketing service for small businesses. So, whatever you need, be it automated sales funnels, webinar hosting, or landing pages, GetResponse is one of your best options. 

4. ConvertKit: Best in Tagging

Pricing:

$29/month – 0 to 1,000 Subscribers

$49/month – 1,000 to 3,000 Subscribers

$79/month – 3,000 to 5,000 Subscribers

With ConvertKit, you can guide visitors to their journey on your site through automated email funnels produced by its visual automation builder. Also, it offers landing page templates with a professional look. This is something impressive about the services being offered by Convert kit as some software charges you separately for this feature. 

It has a simple user interface. It is visible with its autoresponder sequence, which is very intuitive. It displays all your messages in a single view on your account dashboard and allows you to drag and drop it for easy sequence arrangement. This makes it one of the best email marketing software for small companies or those who are just starting their own business.

Lastly, ConvertKit allows you to create forms and send customized emails to specific subscribers. Sending emails using ConvertKit is a good way to assess the interest of clients about the products you intend to produce. By simply including links in your email messages, the person who would click it would be automatically tagged as one of your potential leads.

5. Direct Mail: Best in Accessibility

Pricing:

Unlimited Plan

0-500 subscribers – $15/mo

501-2,500 subscribers – $30/mo

2,501-5,000 subscribers – $60/mo

5,001-10,000 subscribers – $100/mo

10,001-25,000 subscribers – $150/mo

25,001-50,000 subscribers – $250/mo

Over 50,000 subscribers – requires a deal with the company

Pay Per Email Plan

1,000 email credits – $30

5,000 email credits – $60

10,000 email credits – $100

25,000 email credits – $250

50,000 email credits – $500

100,000 email credits – $850

Over 100,000 email credits – requires a deal with the company

Direct Mail is another email marketing software offering multiple features that can address your needs. It has a user-friendly system for you to create gorgeous and enticing messages using its email templates. 

Nonetheless, it also allows you to customize it depending  on your preferences. Sending these emails, on the other hand, wouldn’t be a problem as it has an astounding way for you to connect with your customers and prospects. 

It allows you to grow your mailing list just by simply adding a subscribe form to your website, or importing contacts from other apps. The best part about this is that it has an impressive deliverability that assures you all your messages would be sent to your targets.

You can also track the movements and development of your campaign report anytime and in real time. This makes Direct Mail a trust must have that could aid you with your business wherever you are.

Lastly, it has an awesome automation that lets you produce automated welcome messages, drip campaigns, birthday greetings and more with autoresponders! If you want to test it, you can do it through its cloud-syncing features allowing you to access it from any device and with any member of your team!

6. MailerLite: Best in Price

Pricing:

Free – 1 to 1,000 subscribers with 12,000 emails per month; limited software features

$10/month – 1 to 1,000 subscribers with unlimited emails and all software features

$15/month – 1,001 to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited emails and all software features

$30/month – 2,501 to 5,000 subscribers with unlimited emails and all software features

$50/month – 5,001 to 10,000 subscribers with unlimited emails and all software features

MailerLite, compared to others on the list, is a true lite software. Nonetheless, it offers all the essentials you need for email marketing. It lets you send email campaigns with A/B split testing, create forms and targeted pop-ups, segment your subscribers, build your website and landing pages, automate marketing, and receive 24/7 support via live chat.

Because you can access the platform for free, it is a true champion when it comes to its price. Even with the paid plans, it is comparatively cheaper than others on the list.

7. Sendinblue: Best in Email Blast

Pricing:

Free ($0) – 300 emails per day

Lite ($25) – 40,000 emails per month

Essential ($39) – 60,000 emails per month and option to remove Sendinblue logo from emails

Premium ($66) – 120,000 emails per month plus marketing automation features

Enterprise (Price Varies) – premium features, dedicated account manager, priority support, and more

Sendinblue is one of the feature-wise email marketing software for a small business. It offers you the ability to create an email blast and send it to your list of contacts using its user-friendly email builder. It has a drag-and-drop feature and offers templates fit for most common types of content. You also have the option to import your email template in raw HTML form.

It also allows you to customize your contacts, group contacts, segment lists, and observe the engagement of each individual in your newsletters. It also has the email automation feature that lets you connect with people even when you’re away. Just set your triggers and Sendinblue would do the job of sending messages to anyone who would start the triggers you set.

It comes in a complete package: excellent reports, satisfying email design tools, advanced features, and organized contact management. In addition to these, it also has social media marketing features that let you integrate ads into Facebook and other networks. That being said, Sendinblue is another email marketing must-have for any type of business.

8. Constant Contact: Best in User Support

Pricing:

$5/month – Limited features

$20/month – 0 to 500 subscribers

$45/month – 501 to 2500 subscribers

$65/month – 2501 to 5000 subscribers

$95/month – 5001 to 10,000 subscribers

Constant Contact guides its users to execute email marketing effectively. By the start of using this software, users would be asked of their business industry and previous experience with email marketing. Based on these bits of information, users would be offered customized content and promotion ideas. 

You can also edit the style and formatting of your newsletter on Constant Contact and track its Analytics once you send it out. You shouldn’t also worry about plugins as it has one that works well with WordPress and other CRMs.

Furthermore, there are boatloads of customizable email templates which is ideal for those who are still new to email marketing. Nonetheless, if you are someone who always feels the need for support, Constant Contact is a good choice as it offers support from live chat to emails and discussion forums.

Final Thought

About 2.5 million people or 34% of the world population uses email. According to Radicati Group, about 196 billion emails are sent daily with 109 billion being business emails. However, we don’t need any study to prove that not all of them would be opened. This is the reason why creating enticing and engaging messages is a crucial part of email marketing. 

It is undeniable that there is a tight competition among businesses, thus the need to include every trick known in the book, including making little changes to improve search engine ranking to get an edge. 

The same is true with email marketing. Whatever effective tricks that can help capture the attention of consumers you should integrate into your campaign. However, do remember that the most effective way to do it is to pick the best email marketing service that fits your small business.

To assure the growth of your business, you should also assure the efficacy of your email campaigns. Growing a business is no easy journey but with the right tool, it is not impossible. So, pick your choice today, do wonders with your business, and grow your small business.

About the author: Larry Corbi is the owner of More Buzz Online, an internet marketing consultant, and blogger. With 10+ years of digital marketing experience, he’s passionate about leveraging the right strategic partnerships, content, and software to scale digital growth. Larry writes about internet marketing for small businesses and professionals at https://morebuzzonline.com/blog.

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