We’ve all heard it before. “Build your list, earn more money” or the ever famous “The money is in the list” and that is very true but many marketing teachers neglect to tell you the importance of the technical aspects email list software. Based on my experience administrating the backend of many websites and mailing lists, what you use is much more important than you think. Before you start any list make sure you think through what I’m about to share with you.
Any Email List Software Or Service Will Work
If there’s any myth you need to run away from the minute you see it, this is IT. This deserves the Mega Myth Status. Yes, I’m coming in very strongly on this one because many of my hard lessons have been learned here.
When it comes to software, not all are written equal and many times it’s difficult to tell from the sales pages alone. Best approach if you’re going to buy a script is ask other owner’s experience, list your requirements and ask the developers if the script can handle them. Even with due research, I’ve found certain . In one case, my web host shut me down within minutes and accused me of spamming because the software was poorly written.
That caused a lot of heartache and irrecoverable time. I’d been with the host for a long time and never violated their terms of use before but none of that mattered. That also taught me another precious lesson, when an email list software goes haywire, your host will shut you down no matter how well your relationship is because you would’ve crippled their servers and brought their whole system to a halt. This costs web hosts a lot of money and sometimes they may end up compensating other customers for something you did. They will not be happy and if it happens to you, realize that it’s (usually) not personal; rather, they’re protecting their business.
I know that sounds a lot like a scare tactic but it’s not. All I’m saying is, there is a time and place for you to host your own email list software. If you have your own dedicated server then that time and place is ripe and don’t skimp. Get the best, tried and trusted email list software out there.
When To Use Hosted Email List Software And When To Use Your Own
In the past I never gave much thought to this and from my observations many don’t today either. But this is something you need to get right from the get go. If you start off building a list with an email list software installed on your servers, be prepared to backup regularly and update immediately when the software developer releases a patch or upgrade. Usually, these are not big issues and upgrades are flawless but you need know there’s always the chance upgrades can go wrong. When that happens, you would need to spend much precious time setting things straight. Yes, you can hire someone to do it but in my experience that doesn’t eliminate your stress level.
Here’s another thing people miss when installing their own email list software. You are 100% responsible for the safe keeping of data you collect. So you better make sure your database is secure.
If you’re just starting your list from scratch, try not to do it with your own email list software and go with a hosted software instead. There is a reason to this. Many hosted email list software today do not allow you to directly import your list. The common practice is to ask get subscribers to re-confirm upon import, other services do not allow imports altogether. When you’ve spent a lot of time and money growing your list, you know this is not fun at all. If you’re utilized a double opt-in requirement before, doing this will mean you’re asking your subscribers to opt-in for the third time. Be prepared to lose subscribers. If you’re moving your list from a hosted email list software to your own software, you don’t have this problem.
Choose your solutions wisely. Use your own email list software if you have your own dedicated server, you have contractors you can depend on to help you manage the technical aspects or you are prepared to spend time to troubleshoot technicalities. Use hosted email list software when you’re just starting out, you’re not technically inclined, you don’t want to bother with software and web host problems.
The Right Hosted Email List Software
Like the software installed on your own servers, there are ones that stand out above the rest. Choose a reputable email list host. Because of the daily battle with SPAM and trying to fight it, your list manager should have a good working relationship with the ISPs. This way they are working for you to get your mail delivered. You’d be surprised how many services do not even bother to help you with this.
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If you’re looking for more than just an email list manager, Wahmcart is an integrated solution with email management, list management, affiliate program, digital delivery system, tracking and more.
