WE REVIEW THE TOP EMAIL MARKETING PLATFORMS

For at least the last decade, I’ve been working in the digital and email marketing industry. Suffice to say, I’ve had my fair share of experience with a lot of the biggest email marketing platforms out there! Here’s my review of what works, what doesn’t and which platform is best for your business…

ACTIVE CAMPAIGN

PROS:

• Marketing automation is where ActiveCampaign shines – there’s plenty of options and it’s easy to use. 

• The drag and drop template builder is simple and user friendly.

• Reporting and analytics are thorough.

CONS:

• Too much power if you only really want to send simple email newsletters

• The email design element may be too simplistic for sophisticated email designs.

MAILCHIMP

PROS:

• Integrates well with nearly all the major website platforms – simple and straightforward plugins for WordPress, SquareSpace, WooCommerce and more. 

• Probably the most intuitive drag and drop template builder – with lots of options to make your design your own. 

• The reporting interface is simple and detailed.

CONS:

• Whilst it offers the availability to build forms and embed them on your site, it lacks anything sophisticated in terms of form design

• Automation options can also be a little basic.

FLODESK

PROS:

• Flodesk is a powerful design-forward platform – its templates are stunning and very simple to use.

• One of the cheapest email platforms.

• Form builders are also simple and intuitive.

CONS:

• As it is a relatively new platform, Flodesk doesn’t currently have a native integration with e-commerce on Squarespace, WooCommerce or Shopify, meaning you’ll require the use of a third-party like Zapier or similar to make integrations and e-commerce automation work.

• They currently do not support user-uploaded fonts.

• You’ll often need to fit your content to their templates, rather than the other way around.

KLAVIYO

PROS:

• Really powerful automation tools that enable you to create complex automated email flows – the more complex the better!

• Integrates with Shopify along with plenty of other tools and platforms such as WooCommerce, Salesforce, Stripe and more. 

CONS:

• Can be quite technical to use, and all the advanced features and tools and can come with a steep learning curve for people not familiar with Klaviyo or with experience in email marketing.

• It’s not so great email design – while you’ll be able to create emails that are fully mobile responsive, Klaviyo’s not the tool for creating mind-blowing designs.