Why use a UK based email marketing company?
When choosing a new email marketing company - it’s important to select the right one. There are lots out there, both household names and smaller providers, so there’s no shortage of choice. With that in mind we’ve put together a handy checklist to be aware of when you are looking to change email marketing companies.
#1 Are they based in the same time zone as you?
Sometimes, you may want to be able to get a quick reply to an email or simply pick up the telephone and talk to someone. So if you are based in the U.K, it’s a good idea to choose a U.K based email marketing supplier.This means that when you need some help or guidance, you don't have to wait 24 hours to get a reply. Sometimes, it’s just nice to know that help is on hand when you need it.
#2 Are their sending servers based in the U.K?
With the advent of GDPR, this one is quite a big deal. If you are a U.K based company, emailing to U.K based email subscribers, then GDPR says that you must keep you contacts data in the U.K. If you are intending to use an overseas supplier, such as in the U.S for example, then GDPR requires that you obtain permission form everybody to export their private data outside of the protection of GDPR (outside of the E.U).#3 Are they GDPR compliant?
As Well as having servers based in the U.K, GDPR requires that you make sure that the company processing your email data is fully complaint in terms of how that data is stored. They should also have an appointed DPO (Data Protection Officer).#4 Is their software easy to use?
With email marketing software, it’s important to be able to do what you want quickly. Successful email marketing is all about being first out to market with products and time based offers. Email marketing software that is hard to use can be really frustrating and can delay time sensitive offers reach your email subscribers quickly enough to have an impact.#5 Do they offer telephone support?
Sometimes, it’s just nice to be able to pick up the phone and talk to somebody, that's when it's really handy to have UK based support. Even if it’s just asking for another set of eyes to look at your mailer, it’s reassuring to know that expert help or guidance is at the end of the telephone when you need it.#6 Does the software have free email marketing templates?
Having a library of free email marketing templates for you to use as a base for your campaign is a great feature to have access to. It can really save time to select a design that works for your products and services, rather than create something from scratch.These email marketing templates are often based on designs that are tried and tested to be successful layouts. Using these as a base can help to ensure that your email marketing ticks the boxes in terms of the principles of successful design.
#7 Does the software have analytics?
With email marketing - in order to fine tune your campaigns, it is vital to be able to see the results of what you are sending. With analytics, you can see exactly how you viewers are engaging with what you are sending, with access to this information you can make small changes and see how your email subscribers react to them. This is a powerful addition to your email marketing strategy.#8 Is the email marketing software cloud based?
In a modern working environment, we are very rarely rooted to the same place. It’s therefore important to have access to email marketing software that you can access from anywhere without having to download and install.
This is especially important for checking campaign analytics if you are out of the office. If you can access your email marketing software from a mobile device then this is really handy for keeping on top of your marketing.