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    Best Email Marketing Software for Small Business 2021

    Written By Jason Rowse - Digital Marketing Expert

    Updated: 09/01/2021

    Best Email Marketing Software for Small Business

    Today alone, about 319.6 Billion emails are being sent around the world, and studies have found that every $1 spent can generate $44, an impressive 4300% return on investment.

    #1 Pick Overall - Best Email Marketing Software for Small Businesses:

    MailerLite- Great segmentation, and best value for money. 

    Choosing an email marketing software for your business can be pretty daunting because you want to make sure that you invest your money in software that will work for your business. 

    Small businesses can significantly benefit from easy-to-use and affordable software, including features like embedded signup forms, segmentation, A/B split testing and automation.

    Short on time? Here are the Top 5 Email Marketing Software for Small Business:

    Site
    Features
    Price
    • Free plan with multiple features for bloggers
    $10/m
    • Complete webinar marketing solution
    $10.50/m
    • Marketing Automation
    $15/m
    • Mobile responsive email
    $20/m
    • Sms marketing tools
    $25/m

    We have put together our Top 10 email marketing software to help grow your small business. We reviewed multiple software and found the most critical factors: checking for affordability, essential features, ease of use, deliverability, and customer service. 

    1. Mailerlite - Easy to use with great deliverability rate

    Even though MailerLite is one of the newer email marketing software on the market, it has surprised many people. They might not have the same number of features as other software, yet businesses are seeing great results. 

    Best For

    • 24/7 customer service that is reportedly very good
    • Create and design a landing page hosted on your domain
    • Marketing automation included in the free plan
    • Adding Facebook and Twitter directly to your email

    Average Price 

    • Free plan you can use forever, including email automation with 1000 contacts and 12000 emails
    • 2500 Contacts: $15 p/m

    Comments 

    • Drag and drop editor 
    • E-commerce Campaigns 
    • A/B split testing 
    • Subscriber Management 
    • Email automation could be better, but it gets the job done.

    Editor’s Note: MailerLite is easy to navigate and offers great value for money when it comes to owning a small business. 

    Bottom Line: 

    This software will be one of the better options to choose from if your budget is tight. You can easily integrate your Shopify or WooCommerce store to create campaigns based on the customers buying behavior. 

    If they decide to abandon cart, you can create a custom email offering a discount to your buyer and convince them to continue their purchase. 

    Read MailerLite Full Review 

    2. GetResponse - Offers more than the average email marketing software

    This tool is the best option for small businesses looking for email marketing software that goes beyond email marketing.

    Best For

    • All-in-one Marketing platform 
    • A small business that wants not only advanced automation but also marketing

    Average Price 

    • Free 30-Day Trial 
    • 1000 Contacts: $15 p/m

    Comments 

    • Landing Pages 
    • Advanced Automation 
    • Lead Generation tools to turn cold leads into happy customers
    • Paid Ads 
    • CRM 

    Editor’s Note: This email marketing software offers more than just creating and sending automated emails. It goes further by providing tools that can help promote your small business. 

    Bottom Line: 

    Deliverability with this tool could be better but it can surely be forgiven when looking at all the other features offered by this software. It has an impressive workflow builder with powerful automation.

    You are getting more than just an email marketing tool when purchasing this software, and you can be happy knowing you won't have to upgrade to a different software in the long run.

    Read GetResponse Full Review 

    3. ActiveCampaign - Best Email Marketing Software for Advanced Users

    This software is one of the most powerful. There is no limit as to how big you can dream with this email marketing software. 

    Best For

    • Small business with a big budget 
    • Powerful email automation 
    • Users who are experienced in email marketing 

    Average Price 

    • 14 Day Free Trial 
    • 1000 Contacts: $25 p/m (Limited Features) 

    Comments 

    • Send text messages 
    • Build landing pages
    • Split test different campaigns 
    • Tons of integration options 
    • Great CRM 

    Editor’s Note: Best software when it comes to email marketing automation. You can pretty much build anything you could think of. 

    Bottom Line: 

    You will not be disappointed when it comes to ActiveCampaign's software. They are next-level great, and you will most likely never have to change to a different software because they offer it all

    Their email marketing automation is the best in the market, and their deliverability is also excellent.

    Read ActiveCampaign Full Review

    4. Constant Contact - Best deliverability rates 

    Constant Contact has been around for a long time and had over 650 000 customers making it one of the most used email marketing software. 

    Best For

    • Survey & Social Campaigns 
    • Event management 
    • Basic users who aren’t looking for over the top features

    Average Price 

    • 60 Day free trial (US & CAD)
    • 30 Day free trial for the rest of the world 
    • 500 Contacts: $20 p/m 

    Comments 

    • Shop-able landing pages
    • Customizable templates
    • Tracking & Reporting 
    • Industry-Specific Templates
    • Not the best for email automation   

    Editor’s Note: You can be comfortable knowing that your emails are less likely to land up in the spam folder when using this software. 

    Bottom Line: 

    ConstantContact is basic, but it works for a lot of small businesses. They are a bit on the pricier side, but it pays off when your emails show up more often than not in your customers' inbox. 

    Read ConstantContact Full Review

    5. SendinBlue - Affordable All-In-One Platform

     

    This particular software started as a digital agency company and found itself as a small business struggling to find email marketing automation at an affordable price. They became what they could not find.

    Best For

    • Advanced features at an affordable price 
    • Transactional emails and SMS
    • Advanced segmentation 

    Average Price 

    • Free, unlimited contacts with up to 300 emails per day
    • 10 000 Emails per day: $25 p/m 

    Comments 

    • Google analytic integration 
    • SMS Marketing 
    • Facebook Ads 
    • Open & Click through reports 
    • Send time optimization 

    Editor’s Note: With this software, you are getting more value than what you are paying for. Their deliverability rate is not the best, but they are working on it. 

    Bottom Line:

    All their features do an outstanding job, and their email marketing automation is quite impressive with their transactional email, purchase confirmations, and receipts. 

    SendinBlue is a great choice for small businesses as you will be able to use their free plan for quite a while before having to upgrade to a premium plan.

    Read SendinBlue Full Review

    6. MailChimp - Best for when you are first starting out

     

    If you have been searching for email marketing tools online, there is no doubt MailChimp has been popping up all over your social media, and there is a good reason for that. 

    Best For

    • First starting out and on a tight budget
    • 24/7 Email & Chat Support 
    • Customer Journey builder 

    Average Price 

    • Free plan up to 2000 contacts 
    • 100 000 Contacts: $14.99 

    Comments 

    • Behavioral Targeting
    • Send Time optimization  
    • A/B Testing 
    • Custom Templates
    • Custom Branding 
    • Email Automation, not the greatest. I wouldn't recommend if that is your main focus

    Editor’s Note: MailChimp offers better free option plans, including signup forms, landing page builder, and sending out email broadcasts. 

    Bottom Line: 

    This software is excellent for small business owners who are just starting. It is one of those, a little goes a long way kind of tools. As long as your subscriber list stays under 2000 contacts, you will be able to do great email marketing with MailChimp. 

    MailChimp’s A/B split testing makes it possible to test for the best-performing campaigns. 

    Read MailChimp Full Review



    7. ConvertKit - Popular Amongst Bloggers 

    If you are a small business owner who happens to have a blog, you are most likely very familiar with this software. It is the number 1 software recommend by bloggers. Let's have a look at what all the hype is about. 

    Best For

    • Quick & responsive support
    • Easily add and remove subscribers 
    • Creating a landing page without a website 

    Average Price 

    • The free plan includes 1000 contacts with limited features 
    • 1000 Contacts: $29 p/m, with two more added features 

    Comments 

    • Unlimited landing pages and forms 
    • Sell digital products and subscriptions 
    • Free migration from another software
    • Automated funnels and Sequences 

    Editor’s Note: ConvertKit is on the pricier side, yet the unlimited landing pages and forms make it worth it. 

    Bottom Line: 

    They are not the first choice for email marketing software, but sometimes their basic editor can be refreshing when you are not all about over-the-top designs and more about getting your message across. 

    You can also easily add and remove users from campaigns, making it easy to segment your contacts. 

    Read ConvertKit Full Review

    8. AWeber - Delivers Great Reports 

    Does a great job at educating beginners on their platform with in-depth articles, videos, and even podcasts. 

    Best For

    • A/B Split testing 
    • Email Web Analytics 
    • Ready-to-send email templates

    Average Price 

    • 500 Contacts: $19.99

    Comments 

    • List management tools 
    • Sales Tracking
    • Overall Reports 
    • 24/7 email & chat support 

    Editor’s Note: They have three different mobile apps. Small businesses can conveniently check their stats, lead captures, and email organization.

    Bottom Line: 

    AWeber is good at reporting, and you can get conversion and e-commerce tracking info. 

    They have simple automation features.  

    They are best recommended for product-based businesses. 

    Read AWeber Full Review 

    9. BenchMark - Best User-Friendly Software 

    "Email Marketing that won't slow you down." That is true when it comes to this software.

    Best For

    • Easy to navigate the software
    • Online support, loads of videos to watch
    • Free spam testing 

    Average Price 

    • The free plan includes unlimited contacts but only 250 emails per month 
    • 1000 Contacts: $23 p/m 

    Comments 

    • Wide variety of templates available 
    • Fast drag-and-drop editor 
    • Built-in-image editor 
    • Not the best deliverability rates

    Editor’s Note: They have fantastic support. You won't be stuck having to figure things out on your own. 

    Bottom Line: 

    Their user-friendly software makes it easy to navigate through the process of building an email marketing strategy for small businesses. 

    BenchMark offers high-quality templates with an easy-to-use editor, and their automation does a great job at lead nurturing. 

    Read BenchMark Full Review

    10. Moosend - Most affordable option for E-commerce

     

    Moosend is joining forces with Sitecore, a software company that offers powerful CMS tools.

    Best For

    • Affordable Prices 
    • Compare client tracking 
    • Advanced application programming interface 

    Average Price 

    • Free forever 1000 contacts with limited features
    • 1000 Contacts: $8 p/m 

    Comments 

    • Transactional emails 
    • SMTP server
    • Landing pages 
    • Ecommerce AI
    • Reporting & Analytics 

    Editor’s Note: If your small business happens to be an e-commerce store, then you can significantly benefit from their powerful AI tools.

    Bottom Line: 

    Moosend is a simple-to-use software that has the necessary features needed to create well-performing email marketing. Its affordable prices are great for any business on a budget, and its customer service is available over the phone, live chat, or email.  

    Read Moosend Full Review

    How to Choose the Best Email Marketing Software for Small Business 

    Choosing an email marketing software for a small business can be quite intimidating and overwhelming since many different features are available that you won't always use. We have made it simple for you to navigate your way through choosing the right plan easily.

    1. Price: Look at the number of contacts and emails per day that are being offered. While still including features that are necessary for your small business. You don't want to purchase a plan with all the features, yet you don't use half of them. 

    2. Features: Some of the most important features you should look for include email marketing automation, integration, segmentation, A/B split testing, and landing page creation. 

    3. Easy to use: If you are a beginner in email marketing, it won't make sense to get the most advanced software. You will cause yourself an unnecessary headache. Instead, look for simple software that is easy to use, and in time you can upgrade to more advanced software. 

    4. Deliverability: Email marketing software for small businesses are great, only if your contacts receive the emails. High deliverability rates can ensure that your customers receive emails more often than not. 

    5. Customer Service: Are you able to quickly contact your software service provider if you have technical difficulties or emergency situations? 

    What makes Email Marketing Software for a Small Business a great one?

    • Email Automation: If your software is really good, you can automate follow-up campaigns, emails on specific conditions and triggers, and transactional and abandon cart emails. 

    • Price: You want to have software that has all the features you need without having to spend an arm and leg. 

    • User-friendly drag-and-drop editor: People like to see visually appealing emails. You only have a few seconds to catch their attention. If your software lacks that ability, you might find your subscribers clicking out of your email rather than on the link provided. 

    • Segmentation: The software must be able to send relevant content to your subscribers. It is essential to keep your audience engaged. You don't want to find them losing interest in your business because they are getting irrelevant emails. 

    • Landing page creation: An email marketing software is useless without a way to capture leads. Landing pages offer your potential customer more about your business and entice them to enter their details to learn more about what your small business has to offer. 

    • Reports and Analysis: It's an essential feature. You can see how your emails are performing and where you can improve. It's especially great when the tool includes conversion tracking for your e-commerce store. 

    Why Choosing the Best Email Marketing Tool is Important? 

    1. Cost-Effective: For a small monthly fee, you can get your content in front of a large number of people every month, knowing that there are no extra hidden costs. A 4300% return on investment makes it worth spending that fee every month.
    1. Audience Growth: With email marketing, you can capture cold leads and nurture them into paying customers. They can then purchase a product from you with ease because you have built this trustworthy relationship with them over time. 
    1. Easy to manage: The beauty of email marketing is that you can create an email automation once, and it will continuously do the work for you. You won't have to stress about sending welcome emails individually to all of your new subscribers, making email marketing software great for time management. 
    1. Control over your audience: If you send out an email, you can be confident that it will land up in your audience's inbox. You control what your audience sees compared to other social platforms that can one day decide to close your social account for no reason. You have complete access to your entire subscriber list all the time.

    What features should I look for in an Email Marketing Tool? 

    1. Integration

      This feature allows you to integrate whatever platform you are using for your business. Whether it be a WordPress blog or Shopify store, you can link these two software together and have them work in unison.

      For instance, if someone were to purchase an item on your Shopify store, your email marketing software can send them a thank you email with a coupon for next time. 
    1. Reporting & Analysis

      You can track who has opened your campaigns and what links they have clicked on. With that, your business can see how campaigns perform and then adjust them accordingly to see better results, including measuring your audience growth over time. 
    1. Segmentation

      Allows you to place your subscribers in different categories based on their interests, where they live, purchases they have made in the past, or even what pages on your website they have visited.

      This will ensure that your small business is delivering relevant content to your email subscribers. 
    1. Automation

      Email automation comes into play once you have segmented your audience into different categories. You create your email content once, and the software does the work for you by sending triggered emails with relevant content to your subscribers.

      Let’s not miss out on the opportunity to capture leads and generate sales. 
    1. A/B Testing

      It is creating two different campaigns, where you send one campaign to a set amount of your subscribers and another campaign to the other set of subscribers. You can then analyze which campaign performed the best by checking the number of opens, clicks, or even purchases. 
    1. Customer Service

      Time is money. There is nothing worse than having technical difficulties with your software and not being able to sort it out straight away. You want to look for email marketing software with quick and efficient support, so when your business is in an emergency situation, they can get back to you in a timely matter and sort it out. 
    1. Custom Templates

      People are visual beings, and in today's age, our heads are all over the place. The templates that you use need to capture your audience's attention in a matter of seconds. You don't want your campaigns to be overwhelming, but you also don't want them to be boring.

      If you can edit your template or choose the right one, you can engage your audience and likely get them to purchase a product. 

    Summary 

    We have dived into finding the best email marketing software for your small business by focusing on the main features, price, and their ease-of-use. All these software are excellent, but that doesn't mean that all of them are right for you. 

    As a small business owner, you might be on a tight budget or rapidly growing and need more robust software. We have included them all in this article, making it easy for you to choose which one will suit you and your business best. 

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    Is Email Marketing Still Effective?

    Yes, email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies that you can use and still spend the least amount of money. Your subscriber list, as long as they stay opted-in, is yours forever. Both your business and audience can grow togetherpromotional emails about your products to all your existing customers. On the other hand, it will help you personalize your emails to convert new leads into customers.

    How Do I Get Better Email Open Rates?

    By promoting content relevant to your subscribers, testing out different campaigns, using the A/B split testing, and studying your reports and analytics. 

    Stay true to your brand, your audience opted-in for a reason, make sure that you are giving them what they came for. 

    What Are the Types of Email Marketing?

    • Welcome emails once you have captured a lead 
    • Newsletters to let your audience know what is happening 
    • Promotional emails that offer your audience a coupon or discount on their next purchase 
    • Transactional emails, sending the customer their receipt
    • Lead nurturing emails to build a relationship with your audience 

    Why Get Started with Email Marketing?

    It is the best way to build an organic audience that wants to listen to what you have to say. What makes it so great is that once you have put the work into the email marketing software, you will reap the benefits for years to come. It will do the work for you at no extra cost.