Email is one of the channels that bring small and medium-sized businesses customers at a reasonable cost. The contacts are yours, and you don’t depend on how a social network’s algorithm happens to be set up this week. We explain why that matters in our article on why one email address is worth more than 100 followers. But the results depend a lot on what you work with and who you work with. This guide will help you choose an email marketing service – whether you’re looking for a sending tool or an agency that takes over all the work.
A tool, an agency or both?
The term email marketing services covers two different things:
- A tool (sending platform) – software where you manage contacts, create emails, set up automations and track results. It’s a good fit if you have someone in your company with time to write and send regularly.
- An agency – people who prepare the strategy, copy, design and automations, then send and evaluate. It’s a good fit if you want results but don’t have the capacity in-house.
- A combination – the tool is in your name and the agency manages it. For most businesses, this is the most sensible solution: the data and history stay with you, and experts do the work.
If you’re not sure, start with a tool and a few simple automations. Once you see the first results, it’ll be easier to judge whether bringing in an agency pays off. Whichever option you choose, a good tool is the foundation. So that’s where we’ll start.
How to choose an email marketing tool
Deliverability and domain authentication
The most beautiful email is useless if it ends up in spam. The tool must let you authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC records – technical settings that prove to mailbox providers that the emails really come from you. Major providers like Gmail require them from bulk senders. A good tool walks you through the setup and tracks bounced messages and spam complaints.
GDPR and data protection
Check where the tool stores data, whether it will sign a data processing agreement with you and how it records consent. Easy one-click unsubscribing and the option of double opt-in should be a given.
Automations
Automations are emails that go out on their own based on customer behavior: a welcome series for new subscribers, an abandoned cart reminder, a thank-you after a purchase or a message to customers who haven’t bought in a long time. These are often the ones that bring in the most. You’ll find inspiration in our article on 5 email automation flows for online stores.
Segmentation and personalization
The tool should be able to split contacts by interests, purchases or activity and send them different content. A loyal customer needs a different email than someone who just signed up. We cover how to do it in our article on segmenting your email list.
Integration with your online store and website
If you run an online store, check the integration with your platform, such as Shoptet or WooCommerce. It brings orders and products into the tool so you can send emails based on purchases. For a website, check the sign-up forms and the connection to your CRM, if you use one.
Editor and templates
A drag-and-drop editor saves time. What matters is that emails look good on mobile, templates can be adapted to your brand’s colors and fonts, and the tool handles all the accented characters your language needs.
Reporting and testing
Track not just opens, but above all clicks, orders and revenue from your emails. Open rates are less reliable today because some email apps automatically load content for privacy reasons. A/B testing your subject line or content is useful too – you send two variants and compare which one works better.
Price and pricing model
Tools charge either by the number of contacts or by the number of emails sent. Look at how the price will grow as your list gets bigger, what limits the cheaper plans have and whether the free version adds the tool’s branding to your emails.
Support and language
Support in your own language, clear guides and help with the initial setup will save you a lot of time, especially at the beginning.
How to choose an email marketing agency
With an agency, you’re not choosing software, but people and a way of working. A good agency:
- takes an interest in your business – it asks about your margins, typical customers, seasonality and what’s working for you today,
- shows you real examples of campaigns and automations, not just pretty templates,
- keeps the account and the list in your name – if you end the collaboration, you lose nothing,
- works on strategy, not just “one newsletter a month” – segments, automations, a content calendar,
- writes in your voice and keeps the design consistent with your brand,
- reports results in money – orders, revenue, inquiries – and explains what they mean,
- has clear pricing and terms, including the notice period.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Whose name will the tool and the contact list be in?
- How will you ensure deliverability and domain authentication?
- How will you handle consent and unsubscribed contacts?
- Which automations do you recommend setting up first, and why?
- Who will write the copy, and who approves it?
- How often will I get a report, and what will it include?
- What’s included in the price, and what costs extra?
Red flags
- An offer to buy or rent a contact list. It violates GDPR and will hurt your deliverability.
- Promises of a specific open rate or revenue without knowing your list.
- Emails without an unsubscribe link, or emails to people who haven’t consented.
- A tool or contact list registered in the agency’s name.
- Reports that show only opens and no money.
The selection process step by step
- Get clear on your goal and budget. Do you want more repeat purchases, more inquiries or to stay in touch with customers?
- Write down your needs. Online store integration, automations, number of contacts, who will create the content.
- Pick two or three tools and try them out with a free trial. Send test emails to different inboxes.
- Check deliverability and GDPR. Set up domain authentication and review the data processing agreement.
- If you’re looking for an agency, have two or three intro consultations and ask the questions from the list above.
- Start with a pilot. A welcome series and one or two campaigns will quickly show you how the collaboration works.
- Review after a few months. Compare the revenue and inquiries from email with the cost of the tool and the work.
How to tell you chose well
After a few months, you should be able to answer these questions:
- Do you know how many orders, how much revenue or how many inquiries your emails brought in?
- Are automations running that work even without your attention?
- Is your list growing with people who signed up on their own?
- Is the number of unsubscribes and spam complaints low and stable?
- Do you understand the reports, and do you know what will happen next month?
If you answer “no” to most of these questions, the problem may not be the tool. Often what’s missing is a strategy, consistency or content that customers actually care about.
Frequently asked questions
How much does email marketing cost?
It’s made up of the cost of the tool, which depends mainly on the number of contacts or emails sent, and the cost of the work – yours or an agency’s. With a small list, tool costs are low; most of the cost is the time spent preparing content.
How often should I send emails?
There’s no universal frequency. Start with a rhythm you can keep up long-term and where you always have something to say, such as once every two weeks. Watch unsubscribes and responses, and adjust the frequency accordingly.
Can I email customers who have bought from me?
For existing customers, the law allows you under certain conditions to send offers for similar products, as long as they had the chance to opt out and can unsubscribe in every email. You can only send marketing emails to other contacts with their consent. If anything is unclear, consult a data protection expert.
What’s the difference between a newsletter and an automation?
A newsletter is a one-off send to your whole list or part of it, for example with news or a sale. An automation goes out on its own to a specific person when they take a certain step – sign up, abandon their cart or make a purchase.
Looking for email marketing that doesn’t annoy people and brings in orders? We’ll help you choose a tool, set up automations and write emails people actually read. Check out our email marketing services and get in touch.
