Spotlight on Top Email Marketing Services for Small Businesses

Email marketing services have been available for a long time but despite the dozens of technological changes, email still remains an essential marketing tool for small businesses.

An effective email marketing strategy not only enhances customer engagement but also propels growth and profitability. If you’re wondering which service might best suit your small business needs, we’ve got you covered.

This guide aims to shed light on the top email marketing services specifically curated for commercial and home improvement specialists including gardeners, builders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and renovation companies.

We’ve broken down each service by its pricing, features, and benefits to provide a clearer understanding of what each one brings to the table.

By the end of this guide, you should be well-equipped to choose the service that aligns best with your business requirements, budget, and marketing goals.

ActiveCampaign: The Customer Experience Pioneer

Pricing: ActiveCampaign offers four packages starting at $9/month for 500 subscribers in the Lite Plan.

Standout Features and Benefits:

• Customer Experience Automation (CXA): This feature tracks customer behaviour across various touchpoints, creating a holistic view of customer interactions.
  
  
• CRM with Sales Automation: Combines customer data and sales automation, helping businesses to nurture leads and streamline sales processes.
• Split Testing: ActiveCampaign allows businesses to test different email versions to optimise performance.Reporting: Provides in-depth analytics about campaign performance, user behaviour, and more.

Benchmark Email: The User-Friendly Powerhouse

Pricing: Benchmark email offers a free plan for up to 500 subscribers.

Unique Features and Benefits:

• Drag-and-Drop Editor: Create beautiful emails without needing technical skills.
  
  
• Automation Pro: Allows businesses to automate email series based on customer behaviour.
  
  
• Surveys & Polls: Engage with your audience and gain valuable insights through interactive elements.
  
  
• Reporting: Tracks your email performance, providing insights for optimisation.

ConvertKit: The Content Creator’s Darling

Pricing: ConvertKit offers a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers.

Standout Features and Benefits:

• Visual Automation Builder: Allows businesses to map out and manage customer journeys effectively.
• Landing Page Builder: Create high-converting landing pages to grow your email list.
• Subscriber Tagging: Segregate your audience for more personalised communication.
• Integrations: Works seamlessly with popular platforms such as Shopify, WordPress, and WooCommerce.

Drip: The Ecommerce Pro

Pricing: Drip offers a 14-day free trial. Post-trial, its pricing starts at $19/month for 500 subscribers.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Ecommerce CRM: Track customer behaviour, manage customer data, and leverage it for personalised communication.
• Multichannel Marketing: Beyond email, Drip enables SMS marketing, social ads, and more.
• Automations: Create automation workflows based on customer behaviour and triggers.
• Advanced Segmentation: Send targeted emails to specific customer segments to increase engagement.

EmailOctopus: The Affordable Specialist

Pricing: EmailOctopus offers a free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers.

Notable Features and Benefits:

• Drag-and-Drop Email Builder: Easily design professional emails without any coding.
• Automations: Set up email sequences based on time or behaviour triggers.
• Integrations: Connects with popular apps and platforms, including WordPress and Shopify.
• Detailed Reports: Understand your campaign performance and subscriber engagement.

Iterable: The Multichannel Trailblazer

Pricing: Iterable’s pricing is available upon request.

Outstanding Features and Benefits:

• Workflow Studio: Allows businesses to create, manage, and optimise cross-channel campaigns.
• Audience Segmentation: Segregate your audience based on behaviour, demographics, and more.
• Dynamic Content: Personalise your content based on individual user attributes and behaviour.
• Advanced Analytics: Monitor campaign performance, track user engagement, and gain insights for optimisation.

MailerLite: The Simplicity Guru

Pricing: MailerLite offers a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Drag-and-Drop Editor: Create stunning emails without needing technical know-how.
• Pop-ups and Embedded Forms: Capture leads with engaging sign-up forms and pop-ups.
• Segmentation and Personalisation: Target your audience with personalised content based on their preferences.
• Advanced Analytics: Track the performance of your campaigns with real-time reports.

Mailmodo: The Interactive Email Innovator

Pricing: Mailmodo offers a free monthly plan for up to 2,000 emails.

Standout Features and Benefits:

• Interactive Emails: Enhance user engagement by adding forms, quizzes, and surveys in your emails.
• Email Templates: Choose from a wide range of responsive templates.Automations: Set up email sequences based on time or behaviour triggers.
• Detailed Analytics: Track opens, clicks, and interactions to understand campaign performance.

Moosend: The Automation Virtuoso

Pricing: Moosend offers a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers.

Prime Features and Benefits:

• Drag-and-Drop Email Editor: Create professional-looking emails with ease.
• Advanced Automation: Set up complex automation workflows to nurture leads and convert them into customers.
• Advanced Segmentation: Target your audience based on behaviour, location, and more.
• Real-Time Analytics: Get insightful reports on campaign performance, user behaviour, and more.

SendGrid: The Developer’s Paradise

Pricing: SendGrid offers a free plan for up to 2,000 contacts.

Key Features and Benefits:

• SMTP Service and APIs: Flexibility to design and deliver custom emails using its API.
• Email Templates and Editor: Design emails quickly with pre-designed templates or HTML code.
• Segmentation and Personalisation: Tailor your messages to engage different customer segments.
• Delivery Optimisation: Achieve high deliverability rates with SendGrid’s optimised infrastructure.

Sendinblue: The All-Around Performer

Pricing: Sendinblue offers a free plan for up to 300 emails per day.

Unique Features and Benefits:

• Email and SMS Marketing: Manage your email and SMS campaigns from a single platform.
• Marketing Automation: Create automated workflows to nurture leads and increase conversions.
• CRM: Manage your customer data and interactions in one place.
• A/B Testing and Analytics: Test different email versions and gain insights from performance reports.

Upscribe: The Subscription Whiz

Pricing: Upscribe offers a free plan with unlimited forms and subscribers.

Noteworthy Features and Benefits:

• Customisable Forms: Create attractive sign-up forms that integrate seamlessly with your website.
• Integrations: Works with platforms like Medium and Shopify to streamline your workflows.
• Analytics: Get insights on form performance to optimise your lead capture strategy.
• Subscriber Management: Manage your subscribers with ease using Upscribe’s intuitive interface.

Zoho Campaigns: The Smart Integrator

Pricing: Zoho Campaigns’ pricing starts at $5/month for up to 500 subscribers.

Outstanding Features and Benefits:

• Email Templates: Choose from a wide variety of pre-designed templates for your campaigns.
• Autoresponders: Automate your email communications based on predefined triggers.
• Email Polls and Surveys: Engage your audience with interactive content.
• Integration with Zoho CRM: Synchronise customer data for better targeting and personalisation.
• Email marketing: Choosing the right email marketing service for your small business depends on your needs, budget, and marketing goals. Consider these services to find the one that aligns best with your business requirements.

If you would like speak to someone about your email marketing strategy, or if you need specific advice about something else, you can call us on 0800 110 5923, or you can fill out the contact form here and our support team will get in touch.