When it comes to running a successful ecommerce business, utilizing the best email marketing software is crucial for effective communication and customer engagement. With the right email marketing tool, businesses can create targeted email campaigns, automate marketing processes, and maximize sales and conversions. In this article, we’ll explore the key features to look for in email marketing software, how to choose the best platform for your ecommerce business, the benefits of using email marketing software, the best solutions available, and the broader impact of email marketing beyond campaigns.
What are the key features to look for in email marketing software? and email marketing tool
When evaluating email marketing software for ecommerce, it’s essential to consider several key features that can enhance your marketing efforts. Marketing automation is a crucial aspect, allowing businesses to streamline their marketing processes and engage customers at various stages of the sales funnel. Additionally, email campaign management tools enable the creation and execution of targeted email campaigns, while email template customization options provide the flexibility to design personalized and branded content.
How to choose the best email marketing software for your ecommerce business?
Choosing the best email marketing software for your ecommerce business involves considering specific factors tailored to the industry. Integration with ecommerce platforms like Shopify is vital for seamless data syncing and campaign management. An effective email marketing tool for ecommerce should offer advanced features tailored to online businesses, and options for free trials and free plans can provide an opportunity to test the platform’s suitability for your specific needs.
What are the benefits of using email marketing software for ecommerce?
Implementing email marketing software for ecommerce can yield significant benefits for businesses. Increasing sales and conversions is a primary advantage, as targeted email campaigns can drive customer engagement and prompt purchasing behavior. Moreover, the ability to manage and segment email lists enables personalized and relevant communication with customers, fostering stronger relationships and brand loyalty.
What are the best email marketing solutions for ecommerce businesses?
Several email marketing service providers offer specialized solutions for ecommerce businesses. Ecommerce-optimized email marketing platforms come equipped with features designed to cater to the unique needs of online retailers. Furthermore, platforms that provide free plans and free trial options specifically tailored to ecommerce email marketing can be valuable for businesses looking to explore their options before committing to a service.
How can email marketing software benefit an ecommerce business beyond email campaigns?
While email marketing software is essential for executing successful email campaigns, its benefits extend beyond email marketing alone. SMS marketing integration features allow businesses to diversify their marketing efforts and reach customers through multiple channels. Furthermore, email automation and marketing features provide tools for streamlining marketing processes, while advanced email editors cater to the specific requirements of ecommerce campaigns.
Best Email Platforms For Startups: Features & Pricing
To get the most out of your new software, you need to aim for a tool that won’t break the bank. Moreover, it needs to integrate with other tools to help you streamline your efforts and be user-friendly and powerful enough to assist your efforts.
With these in mind, let’s see an overview of the tools we selected for you.
Top Startup Email Marketing Software By Use Case
- Moosend – Best all-in-one email marketing automation tool for entrepreneurs.
- ActiveCampaign – Best for advanced marketing automation and personalization.
- Constant Contact – Best for customizable templates and event management tools.
- Mailchimp – Best for complex customer journeys and pre-made templates.
- Brevo (Ex Sendinblue) – Best for email and SMS marketing.
- GetResponse – Best for combining email with webinars.
- Drip – Best for advanced eCommerce functionality and tools.
- AWeber – Best for ease of use and great customer support.
- MailerLite – Best for simple marketing automation and landing pages.
- Campaign Monitor – Best for customization and autoresponders.
Of course, there’s more to them, so let’s start.
1. Moosend
Pricing: Paid plans start at $9/month, 30-day free trial
Best feature: Intuitive drag-and-drop editor
Moosend is an email marketing and marketing automation software that enables you to create and automate your email marketing strategy. This cost-effective solution is known for its user-friendly and intuitive interface, making it a good choice for startups without extensive experience with email marketing software.
Starting with the editor, Moosend gives you access to an intuitive builder with advanced features, such as countdown timers, to craft professional email campaigns for your audience. Moreover, you can use the available newsletter templates to save time and effort.
Regarding automation, this tool provides robust automated workflows, allowing startups to create targeted and personalized email campaigns. You can set up automated sequences from scratch or use pre-made recipes to nurture leads and engage customers.
Speaking of personalized email marketing campaigns, effective email marketing often relies on sending the right message to the right audience. Moosend’s segmentation will help you target specific customer groups based on their behavior, demographics, and interactions with your emails.
When you send your campaigns, you can track their performance through the real-time analytics and reporting feature. Monitoring important email metrics will help you make data-driven decisions to improve your email marketing strategies.
Of course, to optimize them, you will need A/B testing. Moosend will let you test different subject lines, email copy, and send times to determine what works best for your audience.
Lastly, startups can use the flexible email API to scale their business and enhance and customize the user experience.
Best Features
- User-friendly email editor
- Premade email newsletter templates
- Personalization and audience segmentation
- Sign-up forms and landing pages
- Excellent email deliverability
- Transactional emails (SMTP server)
- Integrations with CRM, eCommerce, social media, etc.
Pricing
Moosend is a great email marketing software for startups as it offers affordable pricing with paid plans starting at $9/month for 500 subscribers and unlimited emails. An enterprise custom plan is also available. You can contact sales to find out more
You can also create a free account and test the platform before committing – no CC required.
2. ActiveCampaign
Pricing: Paid plans start at $49/month, 14-day free trial
Best feature: Advanced automated email workflows
ActiveCampaign can be a pricier and more advanced marketing solution, so if you are a complete beginner, you should consider another beginner-friendly alternative.
Now, this versatile email marketing tool can be a good choice for startups looking to build and automate their email marketing campaigns. It offers a range of features that can help you effectively engage with your target audience.
To do so, ActiveCampaign will provide robust automation features that allow you to create complex, behavior-triggered email sequences. This is particularly useful for startups looking to automate lead nurturing, onboarding, and customer retention campaigns. You can target new leads with drip campaigns to build strong customer relationships and get more conversions.
Moreover, you can benefit from the advanced segmentation capabilities, enabling you to create and target segments based on specific criteria. Startups can also personalize their email campaigns using dynamic content and merge tags to create tailored messages for individual subscribers.
ActiveCampaign includes lead scoring functionality, which helps you prioritize and focus your efforts on the most promising leads. This can be valuable for startups aiming to make the most of limited resources and improve their marketing efforts.
Lastly, split testing is also available to test your email marketing campaigns and optimize your strategy based on customer data.
Best Features
- HTML email builder
- Advanced automated workflows
- Pre-built email templates
- Popups for lead generation
- Smart email list segmentation
- Integrations with CRM tools, Shopify, etc.
Pricing
ActiveCampaign offers a free 14-day trial to test the platform. Paid plans start at $49/month for 1,000 contacts (paid yearly) and give you access to 3 members and features such as email marketing, online forms, automation, and more.
For SMS marketing, transactional emails (Postmark), ActiveCampaign CRM, and custom reporting, you need to pay extra.
Note: ActiveCampaign changes its pricing quite often, so we recommend checking the pricing page for more accurate information.
3. Constant Contact
Pricing: Paid plans start at $12/month, 60-day free trial
Best feature: Event marketing tools
Constant Contact has a long-standing reputation as a reliable and user-friendly email marketing tool. But is it email marketing software for startups?
The platform can be particularly beneficial for brands looking for an all-in-one solution to kickstart their email marketing efforts. However, it’s essential to evaluate your specific needs and budget to determine if Constant Contact is the right fit for your startup’s unique circumstances.
While the platform will give you access to a drag-and-drop email builder and numerous templates, it is worth noting that it lacks in the A/B Testing department. More specifically, compared to other competitors, Constant Contact will only equip you with subject line split testing.
Analytics and reporting tools are also available, enabling you to track the performance of your email campaigns, including open rates, click-through rates, and conversion metrics. To make everything more accessible, the platform offers integrations with various eCommerce platforms, CRMs, and third-party tools to connect your email marketing efforts with other parts of your business.
Lastly, Constant Contact includes features for event marketing, making it useful for startups that host events or webinars and need to promote them via email.
Best Features
- Free email newsletter templates
- Contact list management tool
- Autoresponders
- Drip campaigns
- Dynamic content
- Surveys and polls
Pricing
Constant Contact offers three paid subscription options starting at $12/month for the Lite, $35/month for the Standard, and $80/month for the Premium for 500 subscribers.
You can also sign up for the 60-day trial to test the platform before you purchase.
4. Mailchimp
Pricing: Paid plans start at $20/month, limited free plan
Best feature: Multi-step customer journeys
Mailchimp is a popular email marketing tool often recommended for startups and small businesses. It offers a range of features to help you grow your email marketing efforts.
When it comes to email creation, Mailchimp provides a library of customizable responsive email templates to match your brand’s style and messaging. You can also create custom templates if needed to use on the spot.
Moreover, you can benefit from the Customer Journey feature, Mailchimp’s marketing automation tool that lets you map dynamic, automated marketing paths for your target audience. Creating them is pretty straightforward, and you can craft various sequences for your blog or eCommerce business.
A/B testing is also included in the package. This powerful feature will let you test different elements of your emails, such as subject lines, content, and send times, to determine what resonates best with your audience. A more advanced split testing tool called Multivariate testing is available for higher-tiered plans.
While Mailchimp is among the best email marketing services you can get, it can get pricey quickly. Also, it’s worth noting that the software will charge you for duplicate contacts and unsubscribes, so keep it in mind before you commit.
Best Features
- Responsive email templates
- Automated workflows
- Multivariate testing feature
- Powerful list segmentation
- Push notifications
- Retargeting ads
Pricing
Mailchimp’s pricing consists of four different plans. The Standard starts at $20/month for 500 subscribers and 6K monthly sends, while the Premium is $350/month for the same number of subscribers and 150K monthly sends.
A free plan is also available, but it’s pretty limited. Nevertheless, it’s great to test the platform before you get a paid subscription. If Mailchimp breaks the bank for you, you can check some other affordable competitors.
5. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Pricing: Paid plans start at $25/month, limited free plan
Best feature: Email and SMS marketing
Brevo provides a user-friendly and intuitive interface, making it easy for startups to create, design, and send emails without extensive technical expertise.
The platform offers a library of mobile-friendly email templates that you can customize to match your brand’s identity. This helps you create professional-looking emails without the need for design skills. It’s a great asset for your digital marketing strategy as you can minimize costs.
Moreover, Brevo’s marketing automation will let you craft and automate drip campaigns to nurture your leads and turn them into customers of your brand.
Brevo’s API allows easy integration with other tools, including eCommerce platforms like Shopify, CRMs, and content management systems. This ensures your email marketing efforts are seamlessly connected to your broader business processes.
Apart from that, startups often need to send transactional emails such as order confirmations, password resets, and receipts. Brevo will equip you with an SMTP server to send these types of emails alongside your marketing campaigns.
Lastly, this email marketing software for startups lets you reach customer support through various channels, including email and chat.
Best Features
- Email and SMS marketing capabilities
- Popups and landing pages
- List segmentation
- A/B Testing tool
- Reporting and analytics
- Great customer support
Pricing
Brevo’s pricing starts at $25/month with the Starter plan for unlimited contacts. For marketing managers and eCommerce pros, this email marketing software for startups recommends the Business plan for $65/month and more email marketing features.
A free plan and custom pricing called BrevoPlus are also available.
6. GetResponse
Pricing: Paid plans start at $19/month, 30-day trial
Best feature: AI-generated marketing campaigns
GetResponse is a comprehensive email marketing tool that can help you power up your email marketing strategy. Let’s see why below.
First, GetResponse offers a user-friendly interface with a drag-and-drop email builder, making it suitable for startups without extensive design or technical expertise. If your team values ease of use and wants to create and manage email campaigns quickly, GetResponse will help you achieve it.
Moreover, GetResponse provides robust automation capabilities, allowing you to set up automated workflows and autoresponders. If your startup plans to nurture leads and engage with customers through automated email sequences, this feature can be quite useful to you and your team.
Of course, to enhance your lead nurturing and conversion efforts, GetResponse will provide you with advanced segmentation options to tailor your messages to specific groups of subscribers.
Lastly, GetResponse’s AI Email Generator, powered by GPT-3.5 technology, will further assist you in creating goal-optimized subject lines and email content for your marketing campaigns.
Best Features
- AI-generated campaigns
- Detailed reporting
- Conversion funnels
- AI recommendations
- Ecommerce integrations
- Web push notifications
Pricing
GetResponse’s paid plans begin at $19/month for the Email Marketing Plan. To get more features, such as the marketing automation tools, you need to get a higher plan.
While GetResponse isn’t a free email tool, you have a 30-day trial to test its capabilities. If pricing seems intimidating and you want something that will give you all the tools in a single plan, you should consider one of its best alternatives.
7. Drip
Pricing: Paid plans start at $39/month, 14-day free trial
Best Feature: Convenient user tagging
Drip is a customer-centric marketing automation tool that allows you to connect and engage your audience with marketing campaigns. Through customer data tracking, the software provides useful data about which subscribers open your email links, look at products, or interact with your content. Then you can assign a lead score and segment your audience to target them better.
Of course, you can automate your efforts and save time, no matter if we’re talking about simple shipping confirmations or full drip campaigns. You can choose from multiple templates and customize them with the drag-and-drop editor.
What’s also interesting about Drip is the ability it gives you for conditional formatting. This means that you can add an “if” clause to your email campaigns. So, for example, if a customer hasn’t subscribed to a certain list, you can add a “subscribe” link to the campaign.
Finally, it must be mentioned that Drip is easily integrated with many popular tools that enhance your overall strategy. This way, you can make informed decisions and grow for the long term.
Best Features
- Visual workflow builder
- Conditional formatting
- Advanced segmentation options
- Detailed analytics
- 150+ integrations with eCommerce, CRM, CMS and more
Pricing
Drip has a simple pricing structure with a single paid plan. It starts at $39/month for 2,500 contacts, including all the platform features.
While the software doesn’t offer a free plan, you can take advantage of the 14-day free trial that gives you free rein to use all the features.
Selecting The Best Software For Your Startup
Before making your final decision, consider your startup’s specific requirements, such as budget constraints, the complexity of your email marketing strategy, and the need for integrations with other tools.
Make sure to take advantage of the free trials or free plans that these tools provide, so you can test them to see which one aligns best with your startup’s goals and objectives.
If you feel that Moosend ticks all the boxes, create a free account and start experiencing email marketing with a service that evolves along with your business.