Email marketing works! The Direct Marketing Association has reported that email marketing on average sees a 4300% return on investment. But, alas, that kind of ROI doesn’t magically happen the moment you press send. You need to create a watertight strategy and you need an effective email marketing platform from which to deploy it. In this guide, we look at the top email marketing tools out there to help you promote your website.

What makes a top email marketing tool?

When searching for an email marketing platform that’s right for your business, look out for the key features listed below.

1. Easy to customize email templates

You’re planning on sending a variety of emails: welcome emails, abandoned cart emails, email newsletters, etc. Each one of them will have a different layout. Save yourself time and energy by choosing an email tool that boasts an easy user interface, such as a drag and drop editor.

2. Easy to personalize

There’s a buzzword to look out for here: “email automation.” With email automation, you can send out personalized emails to specific users depending on how they have interacted with your website.

Read more about email automation here.

3. You can segment your contact list

In all likelihood, your business attracts more than one buyer persona. Use data to establish your different customer “segments”. You can divide them by location, job title, gender, favorite sports team, the superstore they shop at, anything that makes sense for your business. Then create separate email content to appeal to their demographic. Email segmentation has been shown to boost open and click-through rates.

4. A/B testing

Also known as “split testing”, A/B testing allows you to compare the performance of two versions of your email. With this information, you can see what kinds of content have the best open and click-through rates with your audience and make adjustments accordingly.

5. Mobile responsive

Since mobile opens account for 46% of all email opens, it’s essential to choose an email marketing tool that sends responsive emails – that’s to say, emails that look great on every screen. Nowadays, most email marketing platforms offer responsive templates, but it’s always good to double-check before investing.

Top 5 Email Marketing Tools

Mailchimp

Price: Free – $299/mo.
Easy to customize email templates ✓
Email automation ✓
Email segmentation ✓ (Only in standard and premium packages)
A/B testing ✓
Mobile responsiveness ✓

Mailer Lite

Price: $10 – $50/mo. Free version available.
Easy to customize email templates ✓
Email automation ✓
Email segmentation ✓
A/B testing ✓ (not in free version)
Mobile responsiveness ✓

Aweber

Price: $19-$149/mo. Free version available for up to 500 subscribers.
Easy to customize email templates ✓
Email automation ✓ (not in free version)
Email segmentation ✓
A/B testing ✓ (not in free version)
Mobile responsiveness ✓

Constant Contact

Price: $20/mo Standard. $45/mo Plus.
Easy to customize email templates ✓
Email automation ✓ (Plus version only)
Email segmentation ✓
A/B testing ✓
Mobile responsiveness ✓

ConvertKit

Price: $29/mo – $4299/mo. Free version available
Easy to customize email templates ✗
Email automation ✓ (not in free version)
Email segmentation ✓
A/B testing ✓
Mobile responsiveness ✓