Email Marketing Services Terms and Definitions
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Several unique terms and phrases describe the features of services we review on this site, some easier to grasp than others. This list briefly defines terms relevant to Email Marketing Services.
Ratings Feature SetWe graded the email marketing services according to the number of practical features that they offer. The best services have various features that help you to create emails, populate contact lists and create reports that provide valuable information. Ease of Use We ranked the services on how well their website is designed and organized and how easy the site is to navigate. Email Campaign Creation Creating email campaigns should be simple and easy. The best services allow you to import your contact list and your email messages. There should also be a basic HTML email editor so you can add images, links and tables. Campaign Reporting The reporting criterion rates the variety of reports available and how easy they are to find and use. Reporting is important, so you can evaluate your email campaign's effectiveness. Help/Support All services designed for the corporate world should include excellent support including a wide range of help resources like FAQs, tutorials, articles, as well as responsive email and live chat. Contact Management Features Import Mailing ListInstead of manually typing in all your email contacts, you can import your email list from an excel spreadsheet (usually saved as a CSV file). Remove Unsubscibed Contacts The service will either automatically or let you manually remove the unsubscribe requests from your email list. Group your Email Contacts You can organize your contacts into groups so you can target a particular group with a campaign. Automatically Detect Duplicate Emails When you import or manually enter an emailing list, the service will search for and inform you of any duplicate addresses. Add Custom Demographic Fields You have the option of adding your own demographic fields to your contacts' information. Then you can target your email campaigns to a particular group based on demographic information. Require Opt-in The email marketing service requires all your contacts to "opt-in" or request to receive your newsletters. Most require a "double opt-in" where you must send your contact an email after they sign up for your email updates "double checking" that they would like to receive your email marketing messages. Email Creation Features Email Setup WizardThe service has an email setup wizard that walks you through the entire process of creating an email campaign. Supports Unicode/ You can add Unicode characters to your emails with this service, Unicode is often used for non-Latin Characters. Add Images Easily import images to your emails with the click of a button. Add Hyperlinks Add hyperlinks to your emails through a convenient short cut. Basic Formatting In the editing screen, you are able to make format modifications to your email including bold, italic, underline and so forth. Import Web Pages Type in the address of an HTML page on the Internet and the service will import the HTML code. Then you can modify the code. Create Plain Text Messages The service will help you create a plain text email campaign without images or links so the message will load faster. Create HTML Messages You can create an original HTML email campaign. Create Messages from Template The program has templates you can modify to create your own unique email campaign. This makes creating attractive emails quick and easy. Custom Order Design from Service At an additional cost you can order a custom designed email from the email marketing service. Instead of building your own message or using one of their templates the email marketing service will design an email with your specifications and content. View OVerall Preview (WYSIWYG) What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG). Once your email campaign is complete, you can view the finished product as if you received the email. View HTML Source Code in Program You can view the HTML source code so you can make modifications in the program. Add Email Footer (Unsubscribe Link) Add footers to the bottom of your email. Footers usually have the name of the service you used to create the campaign, and unsubscribe and forwarding links. Create Web Forms The service will help you create web forms so your customers can easily subscribe or opt-in to your emailing list. Image Hosting The service will let you host images on their server and link to them from your bulk emails. Create Auto Response Create an auto response with your campaign to quickly respond to customers. Create Surveys The email marketing service provides you with the tools to build and incorporate surveys into your email marketing campaigns. Email Sending Features Email Job SchedulingYou are able to schedule to blast your email campaigns at a certain time and date. SPAM Test (Make Sure your Emails Aren't Spam) The service will test your finished email campaign to see if any email servers will flag it as SPAM. Create Email Aliases The service will allow you to create an alias email from which you can send your email campaign. Test Email The service will send you a test email so you can make sure the finished product is exactly how you want it before you send it to hundreds or thousands of people. Email Reporting Features Click-Through TrackingYou can track the links your customers click and where they go while in your email or website so you can see which parts of your email are effective and improve your marketing strategies. Conversion Tracking You can track how many of your customers make a purchase as a result of your email campaign. Sent Emails The service will track all of the sent emails so you know how many emails are still pending. Delivered/Undeliverable The service will track how many of your emails were successful and how many were undeliverable. Bounced Emails Track how many of your emails bounced back because of bad email addresses. Opened Emails Track the number of emails that recipients opened. Forwarded Emails Track how many emails your customers forwarded to other people. View Unsubcribed Contacts Track the customers that unsubscribe from your email contact list. Unsolicited Email Complaints Track the number of complaints your customers send the email marketing service so you can handle them accordingly. Compare Message Reports Compare reports so you can find marketing trends and patterns. Based on the reports, you will be able to improve and adjust future marketing campaigns. Export/Download Reports You can export, download or print the reports so you can view them offline. Integrate with Google Analytics The email marketing service provides you with the appropriate tags to integrate with Google Analytics. Technical Support Email/Online FormsThere is either an email address or online form to contact the customer support with questions you may have. Phone Support The service provides a phone number so you can contact customer support. FAQ Section Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) have the answers to common questions. Help Documentation The service provides some form of help documentation. Free Trial/Demo/Tutorials There is a free trial, service demonstration or online tutorial so you can see how the service works before you purchase and sign up for the email marketing service. Live Chat The email marketing service provides an online operator to answer question immediately. Articles and Resources The email marketing service's site includes additional articles and resources about email marketing including tips, tricks, how-to's and more. Online Community The email marketing service's site includes a community of users including forums and blogs for users to comment and communicate. Supported Configurations Internet AccessThe only requirement to use this service is an Internet connection. ©2003 – 2008 TopTenREVIEWS, Inc. |
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