Tuesday, 5 April 2011, 10:56 AM

When Choosing an Email Provider…

Consider these points:

• Map out what kinds of emails or newsletters you will be sending

• Meet your support or contact person

• Will they help you meet your goal and vision?

• Integration

• Review their policy

Choose the right email provider (PDF)

First point – Map the different types of emails you will be using, and make sure this email provider can help you with all of these different emails (confirmation, tip-a-friend-about-a-service, and product emails etc). The price could be severely affected by what they do or do not include.

Second point – Insist on meeting the person who will be taking care of you; and we don’t mean the sales person. Upon meeting this person, you can now answer the third point. It should be obvious by now if they understand where you want to go with email marketing.  Are they going to help you meet your goals? Are they enthusiastic about your vision, or are they doing it just for the dough?

Fourth point – Integration: Don’t settle for just an open API. Don’t misunderstand me, an open API is all fine and dandy, but how much will they help you in using it? Does it cost extra? And if it does, how much will this limit you?

Last point – Take a peek at their policy. Everyone will tell you that they don’t work with bought addresses – bought shmought.  But ask them if you can send messages to your bought addresses – ”You sure can!” Not a good policy, sorry…  they’re spammers.

When you want to renegotiate – or when you are about to buy a tool for the first time – click on the link above and download our PDF outline. Sit down and prepare yourself before you interview your next provider. The PDF is in Swedish, however, English is on it’s way. But in the meantime, you can exercise your Google Translate skills. Copy and paste, here you come!

Sarah@@@@@