Choosing the right email marketing and marketing automation platform can be a real challenge in today’s digital world. Especially if you’re an SMB, entrepreneur, or solopreneur.
There are many options out there but only the right digital tools can help you engage your customers, save money, and generate demand.
And while numerous guidelines will tell you what to look for in an email tool, what about what you should avoid? This article is here to help you explore the mistakes you could make when choosing an email marketing platform—and how to avoid them.
One of the most common mistakes businesses make when choosing an email marketing tool is to over-focus on current needs and not plan for the future. Thinking short-term will lead to headaches down the line. As your contact list is growing, so will your needs for more sophisticated automations, and more refined segmentation.
For example, a new restaurant with a small email list could opt for a low-cost option or even a free forever plan with limited features. However, as the restaurant's email marketing list grows, the needs become more complex, and the chosen platform might either not be able to keep up, or become pricey, fast.
And let’s not forget how difficult and time-consuming migrating to another platform will be.
Businesses that look for affordable email marketing solutions, like the restaurant in our example, would benefit from opting for platforms that offer flexibility and can scale as business needs grow.
It’s easy to chase after powerful features when you’re testing a new email marketing and marketing automation platform. And while more complicated functionalities might seem like something worth investing your budget in, the learning curve could throw a curve ball to your productivity.
A business needs to be able to automate mundane tasks and set and forget automations, not try to understand how a platform works.
For example, a marketing team may choose to invest in an email tool with extensive automation features because of a clever ad that promotes those features as the “most powerful on the market.”
In our scenario, that team buys a plan without going through the free trial first, and realizes that creating an automation requires multiple steps, the platform has a steep learning curve, and might even require technical knowledge.
This will result into the team using only a fraction of the platform’s capabilities, reducing the ROI as a whole.
Your best shot at managing your resources is to test the email tools available and go for the one with the smoothest learning curve. Look for a drag-and-drop editor that doesn’t require any HTML knowledge, pre-built templates, and a visual workflow builder.
And don’t forget to look for any extra knowledge the tool offers. Ensure the platform you’re choosing has a comprehensive help center and a customer support team that is readily available.
We’ve all gone through the dilemma of choosing the cheapest solution or going for something more expensive with more capabilities. And it’s quite tempting to go the lower price option, especially when you’re a small business or a startup. However, the price tag shouldn’t be the only purchase factor.
For example, a small eCommerce store might select a low-cost option that offers basic email capabilities, not a lot of templates or only a few trigger options for the workflows. At the same time, it could lack more advanced features like an AI writing assistant or a landing page designer.
What seemed a great deal at first could end up being far more expensive than an option with a more holistic approach.
To avoid this, prioritize value over money by making sure you understand your business’s needs.
Look for the features that make sense for your niche and your individual goals as a business, split those into must-haves and nice-to-haves, and figure out your budget range. These actions will lead you to an email tool with functionalities that correspond to your needs, rather than one with a lucrative price tag that will end up not working for you.
The important thing is not to just opt for a platform that can scale with your needs, but also for one that has all the tools you need, to begin with.
You’re probably already using tools that are tried and true. You—most likely—even have favorites. And now you’re on the market for an email marketing platform you can use in tandem with said tools. Therefore, picking an email tool that can integrate seamlessly with your existing tools is crucial.
Perhaps you have a favorite CRM tool, or maybe your preferred email tool doesn’t have CRM capabilities. Choose a platform
that can seamlessly integrate with the tools you already use, instead of manually transferring data between the two platforms, and increasing the risk of human error and inconsistencies.
Keep in mind that your integrations should be simple and seamless. This means that your email platform should work together with your favorite tools smoothly in a way that seems frictionless and natural, without the need for complex configurations or duplicate data entries. This allows data to flow automatically between tools, minimizing disruptions to workflows and reducing the risk of errors.
To achieve that, ensure that the platform offers native integrations with the tools your business already uses. If native integrations aren't available, you could go for third-party tools—like Zapier—that can connect your apps, or opt for manual data transfers with CSV files
An email list is a goldmine of data, and email marketing platforms handle a large volume of customer information. Choosing a platform that doesn’t prioritize security at the sake of low cost can expose your business to significant risks and, eventually, ruin your reputation.
While going for the low-cost option is quite reasonable, saving money on your email marketing platform could lead you to choosing a tool with loose security protocols that isn’t GDPR, CAN-SPAM or CCPA compliant.
If a platform isn’t GDPR-compliant, you may face hefty fines for not protecting consumer data. Not offering unsubscribe options can harm your reputation and deliverability. And a platform with weak security protocols could be vulnerable to data breaches and put your subscribers’ information at risk.
Make sure your platform also has functionalities that help you maintain compliance. These could be unsubscribing options or strict security protocols like data encryption, or multi-factor authentication.
Other signs of compliance could include data processing agreements and certifications—GDPR badges are a good example—as well as processes like double opt-ins that confirm consent.
Another great compliance indicator could be a very clear Terms and Conditions statement that analyzes how data is retained and stored on the email marketing platform. This will help you understand the process and protect your business and your clientele.
Personalized experiences lie at the heart of consumer actions. Choosing a platform that doesn’t give you advanced personalization options can hinder your engagement efforts. Generic, one-size-fits-all email campaigns won’t come back with the booming metrics you would’ve loved.
A retailer might use an email tool that lacks dynamic content features or product recommendations, resulting in all users viewing the same product, despite their individual preferences.
This approach ignores the need for tailor-made messages that offer one-on-one communication with the recipient.
Choose a platform that offers comprehensive personalization options that go beyond subject lines and all the way to email body content. Make sure you’ll be able to send product recommendations, based on the customer’s preferences, their browsing history, and past purchases. That way, you’ll increase engagement and relevance.
Choosing an email marketing and marketing automation platform that can support your business’s success is crucial. By avoiding common pitfalls like poor scalability, lack of integration and insufficient personalization, you will ensure your platform can support your business through its growth.
Consider your long-term needs, prioritize features that provide real value, and always keep an eye out for usability and hidden costs. This way, you’ll avoid pitfalls and set yourself up for email marketing success.
