The Email Wars

I was a little surprised to see an ESP write the article for Mediapost that in essence said now is basically the time to nickel and dime your email service provider. At first I was a little shocked, but then after some thought about this article I saw a few things in it that make sense.

Here is the article http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=101929

1. You should be able to pay the right price for an email marketing software. They are all similar and different at the same time. Basic functionality between the majority of them are uniform. They all have a few different features and options that make them better or worse for your needs and with many of them pricing plays a role in that. We often come across requests from new clients that are unhappy with their provide as they get charged for everything under the sun. Why is this? We at eROI have continued for close to seven years to create pricing that works for each client based on a similar cost model. We do see wildly fluctuating costs for things that don’t make sense to charge for, but everyone has their own model.

2. You should get all the bells and whistles. Will you use them? Many people come to us as they are sold a bill of goods of features that look awesome but in the end are either too complicated to use or will not work for the business. Even though you see a shiny red ball you want to play with, take a step back and decide IF you will really ever use them as they are shown to you. APIs and other tech sets should be given to people that can use them. No questions there. You should give your clients what they need in order to be successful.

3. Unique IP and Custom DNS. Unless you have a certain maintained email volume a dedicated IP address may not benefit your email reputation. I know that you have read about this being something you should have, but in many cases it makes no sense. There are so many wild cards in deliverability that this is a discussion you need to have with your ESP. Don’t expect it if they can tell you why. Custom DNS on the other hand and with that setting up of custom branded URLs, Domain Keys and SenderID should be a default. If your ESP is not helping you to set these up then they are doing you a disservice. Ask them about this as it is important and should not cost you any more. In the end it actually helps them and you with deliverability.

4. Personalized Training. In order for you to be the best email marketer you can be, you need to know how to use the tools right. Look they can be complicated and have features that you might not ever see if you don’t get trained at the start. They should also be giving you the support, on going training and help you need as well. Many of the low cost ESPs give you a video and a welcome guide or at the best group training. This is not what you want. You should ask for one on one training. Every client we have worked with is different, each requires an understanding of the tools to use it correctly as needed for their business. We require personal training for each of our clients. Sure it takes some time of an FTE and ther are some internal costs, but if your clients can’t use your tools, then they will walk. Now how much does it cost you to get the net one? Not training someone just fosters frustration. Now some of the larger ESPs do set up individual trainings, and with these companies they can charge you 1000s of dollar for this. Unless you have custom data configuration needs that require professional services or consulting help these costs are hard to recap in your own marketing budget.

In the end, it is not a nickel and dime strategy that companies should be looking for as you get what you pay for. And if you select the right email marketing service provider from the start, and do your homework on what you need, you will not have the need to go back and try to save $100 at the end of your contract because you will be too busy doing the right job and hitting your marketing goals.

If you feel you need to evaluate your ESP, give us a call (Shameless plug I know).