Need to get an email out the door fast for yourself or a client, but never tried a professional email provider before?
If you have a list of fewer than 2,000 people and you want to email them TODAY, here are three fast and free options.
BenchmarkEmail.com – You can use BenchmarkEmail’s service at no cost. To get started, simply import your list and load your email content. Upload your list immediately because it can take a few hours to get approved and you can get your email set up and tested while you’re waiting for list approval. Benchmark has a wide array of email templates to choose from and easy access to the html editor.
Top Pro:
If you accidentally have any role-specific email addresses in the contact list you upload (contact@, support@, etc.), Benchmark will strip those out of your list for you rather than blocking list approval
Top Con:
Benchmark is behind the times on responsive email. If you want your Benchmark email to look good on mobile devices, you have to be familiar with the best practices yourself and increase font size, reduce email width, etc.
GetResponse.com – You can try out GetResponse for 30 days at no cost. After that, it’s $15/month for an account with 1,000 contacts. To get started, import your list and load your email content. As with Benchmark, it can take a few hours for your list to get approved so import your list first if you’re in a hurry. GetResponse also has a good array of templates and a one-click tool that allows you to easily see how your email will look on a mobile device.
Top Pro:
GetResponse makes setting up auto-responder sequences easy as can be. Campaign set-up, API integration, and lead capture are all intuitive and easy to use.
Top Con:
GetResponse is tough on email list approval until you build “trust” (i.e., have a good percentage of “opens” consistently). When you’re just starting out, if there’s just one role-based email address on your import list, your entire list will be blocked and you might not know for a few hours.
Mailchimp.com – You can use Mailchimp.com’s email service at no cost forever for lists under 2,000. To get started, import your list and load your email content. Mailchimp seems to have a more sophisticated algorithm for approving your list and it will be approved almost immediately (unless you have something really fishy going on with your list). Mailchimp has an ever-growing library of template options, including many responsive beauties.
Top pro:
Mailchimp is at the leading-edge with responsive email design, has fast list approval, and quick customer support if you need help.
Top con:
If you’re a DIY person and want quick access to your email html, you’re out of luck. Mailchimp has gone so far to make things automated and easy-to-use for beginners, that it’s a bit cumbersome to make your own alterations. To edit the HTML, you have to download your entire email, make your changes and re-upload.