With over 400 Email Service Providers (ESPs) and 125 Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) to choose from, finding the right one for your business can feel overwhelming. We spend a fair bit of time helping our clients choose the right partners, and we’ve found there are 10 key factors to keep in mind.
1. Your Business Size and Style
Consider the size of your company and team and the nature of your email program. This will help you find ESPs or CDPs that specialize in your vertical or can scale with you and match your complexity.
2. Taking Stock and Room for Growth
Let’s look at what you’re currently doing with your email marketing and data management. By assessing your current practices, we can spot the areas where improvements can make a real difference. This will help us determine the must-have features and capabilities you should look for in an ESP.
3. Define Your Goals and Objectives
Do you crave higher customer engagement? Or maybe you’re itching to skyrocket your conversions? Perhaps you’re eager to level up your segmentation game or enhance the personalization of your emails. Whatever it may be, having crystal-clear goals will be your compass in selecting the perfect ESP.
4. Know Your Audience
Understanding your target audience and their preferences is crucial to select an ESP/CDP with all the bells and whistles to reach them in the most effective and engaging way.
5. Scaling Up: Let’s Talk Growth!
Take a moment to imagine your email subscriber list expanding like wildfire, your email volume reaching new heights, and your treasure trove of customer data growing by leaps and bounds. Exciting, right? Now, when choosing an ESP/CDP, it’s essential to find one that can handle your current needs and future ambitions.
6. Everything in Sync
Alright, time to dive into the world of integration requirements! We’re talking about connecting all the dots in your tech stack. Take a peek at your CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, and marketing automation tools. We want to find an ESP/CDP that can seamlessly sync up with all these tools. Smooth integration enhances data flow and turbocharges your overall marketing efforts.
7. Team Capabilities and Resources
Evaluate the capabilities and resources of your team responsible for email marketing and data management. Consider their technical expertise and familiarity with marketing automation tools. This will help identify the level of support and training you may require from the ESP/CDP provider.
8. Ease of Use
A user-friendly interface and a drag-and-drop editor can simplify the process of creating and designing your email campaigns, even if you don’t have extensive coding knowledge.
9. Compliance and Data Security
Consider your data protection needs, including industry-specific regulations like GDPR or HIPAA. Ensure the ESP/CDP aligns with these requirements and offers robust data security measures to safeguard customer information.
10. Budget and Cost Considerations
Determine your budget for email marketing and customer data management. Evaluate the pricing structures of ESPs/CDPs and ensure they align with your budget while providing the necessary features and support.
If you need a new ESP or CDP, but you’re still overwhelmed, find a neutral partner – like Alchemy Worx – that knows the landscape and can help you narrow your choices. The right partner can make a big difference to your program and results!
