The amount of email marketing technology available to marketers is growing rapidly. In addition to email service providers, there are now contextual marketing solutions, marketing automation platforms and much more. However, purchasing this technology can be difficult – often it involves buying a product that does something you have never attempted before. What information should you be getting from your potential vendors to ensure you choose the best tool for your money?
In this post, we will arm you with five questions you should ask before making any email marketing technology purchases.
- How do the tools stack up, regardless of price?
Price should never be the number one criteria when purchasing email marketing technology. Email provides higher ROI than any other digital channel and is one of the most valuable resources you have to communicate with your customers. If cost is prioritized over functionality or support, there is a risk you will increase labor costs (when implementing and managing the solution) and gamble with the success of campaigns.
Instead, use a scoring matrix that includes all of the requirements needed to achieve your goals, in addition to factors such as price and payment terms. Using the scores from everyone in the buying team will result in a complete and well-rounded view of the products you’re considering.
- What support is available once you sign?
During your negotiations, ask the provider to demonstrate how they can support your specific requirements. It is very easy to see a standard demo or presentation that appears impressive only to find there are core issues that need to be resolved further down the line.
Set a scenario for the provider to implement. Ask them to walk you through a creative build process or construction of a particular segment of data.
In addition, find out what on-going support will be available to you once the initial setup is complete. Is there an additional cost for it? Most platforms are designed for a level of self-service and therefore some customer support should be expected. However, there may be additional elements to consider such as off-hours support or particularly stringent SLAs.
- What integration is available?
Depending on the email tool you are purchasing, having out-of-the-box integration or an open API that connects to your current marketing technology stack could save considerable administration time and effort. In addition, a seamless integration will enable you to fully leverage the data you have gathered about your customers to create more relevant and impactful communications and drive ROI.
During your discovery, find out how your new technology purchase will work alongside your existing tools, what data will flow between them and what the setup process looks like.
- What is the vendor’s churn rate?
Case studies are helpful when it comes to evaluating email marketing technology. However, a provider is unlikely to publish a case study from a disgruntled client. Instead, ask for their current churn rate. While some churn is to be expected, if the rate is high, it could indicate that the tool is not what it claims to be. If possible, ask to speak to some existing clients and learn more about their experience with the product, including setup, support and results.
- What is the expected ROI from this purchase?
During email marketing technology purchases, it is important to determine what success will look like in a measurable way. This will depend on the goals you have set.
For example, you may purchase an email marketing tool to increase click-through rate. How many additional clicks and conversions will the product need to generate before it pays for itself and brings in a return on investment? When comparing the providers, you can refer to these numbers and decide which product is best suited to generate the greatest ROI and hit your goals.
Email marketing technology has the potential to make us more successful by removing complex administration and allowing marketers to do ‘marketing’ again. In order to pick the best solution and avoid making a costly mistake, it is essential to gather as much information about the providers as possible.
Want to learn more about what email marketing technology solutions can do today? Download our eBook, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Contextual Marketing.”