October 5, 2007

Hosted and Local Email Solutions

This week we take a look at some email solutions for those clients that are looking to remind people to come to their website via email

You can always host a free email solution through sites like Yahoo.com but the disadvantage is you now force your reader to sign up for a yahoo account (and the emails will contain advertising - you get what you pay for).

Local Hosting
1 To All
If you are looking to host the email list on your server, I used a package called “1 2 all” (think one to all). It has all the features of the hosted solutions (auto responders, bounce back control, link tracking, multiple lists, etc) without the monthly fee. The only thing you need to keep in mind is who your web host is. When my list went over 1000 readers I had to talk with my web host as they were worried I was a spammer. This software is from a company called Active Campaign who also has solutions for online surveys, online help, and more. There is a free trial avilable.

Hosted Solutions
getresponse.com
Get response is the first company I will mention. This company along with aweber take lots of strides to make sure you do not get black listed. They have TONS of features, and tons of templates to make your emails look professional. Check it out at getresponse.com

Get response starts at $17.95 a month There are discounts for purchasing a year up front. There is a free trial available

aweber.com
The email solution I use is aweber. It is one of the most trusted names in email. They have tons of features, stats, rss and more (pretty much the same as get response). It starts a $19.95 a month but you can get discount for purchasing a year in advance. For more information go to aweber.com There is a free trial available

Fanrbridge.com

The other email list that I like is Fanrbridge.com Not only does this have some great tools like creating groups, and geo targeting, you can contact your list via email or TEXT message (however the auto responders and other tools are not included). You can sign up for a free account, and non-free accounts start at $7 a month. There is a free trial available.