We had a client recently ask us about email marketing service providers and what’s the best one to use. I bet a lot of you out there are trying to figure out the same thing. Our client was asking specifically about the pros and cons of Vertical Response vs. Constant Contact. I thought I would provide our two cents.

Constant Contact
We typically use and have success with Constant Contact and have recommended it to many of our clients. They have been in business since 1996. Their user interface is very user friendly and you can get it up and running quickly. We also like the fact that you can quickly import and manage contact lists (including managing your unsubscribes). Emails coming from Constant Contact don’t typically get caught by spam filters. In other words, you will have a better chance of your emails actually reaching your audience because mail servers won’t recognize it as spam. However, Constant Contact can be on the more expensive side when it comes to email marketing service providers. It isn’t as flexible as some of the other email marketing service providers when it comes to customizing sign-up forms. And, you may incur extra charges for adding any additional features such as online surveys and archiving newsletters.

Vertical Response
Vertical Response, on the other hand, is a little bit newer. They have been around since 2001. They have a strong support community that offers a lot of interaction. The amount of storage for your newsletters and archiving is much larger than what Constant Contact offers. Plus, newsletter archiving and survey creation are available at no additional cost. However, their spam checking tools are very limited.

There are more and more companies springing up that can help you manage email marketing. Some of them you may have heard of, some you may have not. If you’re looking around for an email marketing service provider, check out this article I found that reviews a large list of email marketing service providers: Who’s The Best Email Marketing Service Provider?

You can see what they have to say and form your own opinion. If you are still confused, please call us and tell us what your objectives are and we can recommend the best solution that would best fit your needs.