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| English: computer network IP address (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Who to Use: Comparison of AWeber, iContact, and GetResponse
Aweber, iContact and GetResponse are three of the most popular autoresponder options for small to medium sized marketers. What are the benefits and drawbacks of each? Who should you use? This article will shed some light on each service to help you make your choice.
=> Costs
In general, the costs of each service are all on par. AWeber tends to be slightly more expensive than iContact and GetResponse, though just by a few dollars a month.
Each service tiers up their costs based on how many subscribers you have. It's important to note that AWeber counts unsubscribed leads as subscribers that you have to pay for. If you want to really get rid of a lead, you need to delete them from your database.
=> Deliverability
AWeber has the strongest reputation in the industry for deliverability. There are both benefits and drawbacks to this.
The clearest benefit is that your emails have the highest chance of getting delivered. That said, iContact and GetResponse both have top-notch teams of email managers who stay in constant contact with ISPs to ensure their mail gets delivered.
The downside of high deliverability is AWeber's pickiness with how their email system is used. They have to be very stringent to ensure that no spam is being sent through their system, which unfortunately can sometimes bar you from genuine marketing activities.
=> Adding Outside Leads
AWeber and GetResponse both don't allow you to add outside leads, even if they've double-opted in to a list in the past.
If you're moving from an existing database to a new email system, you basically cannot move to AWeber or GetResponse as a result. If you run in-person events and need to add leads from people who sign up on paper, you also can't do this by AWeber or GetResponse.
IContact allows you to import outside leads.
=> Who Not to Use
Never use your shopping cart's email system to manage your email lists. 1ShoppingCart for example has a pretty bad reputation for deliverability.
Even self-hosted shopping carts like Zen Cart have their limitations. For one, the emails are sent out from your server, whose IP address could have been used for spam in the past. You also don't have the benefit of having a team helping you ensure that your IP isn't getting blocked.
Always use an outside system for your email list management for best deliverability. The only exception is Infusionsoft, which will give you a dedicated IP and server.
Another service to avoid for internet marketing is MailChimp. Though many marketers are attracted to their "first 500 subscribers free" offer, their mandatory double-opt in will cost you a lot of money in the long run. Though they have a solid reputation, unless you're willing to lose as much as 60% of your list to double-opt in, you shouldn't use MailChimp.
These are some of the pros and cons of the various autoresponder services. As you can tell, there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to which email service to use. Weigh the pros and cons and make your own decision.
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