the 9 essential questions to ask when choosing an email service provider

2013 ESP Selection Guide

The 9 Essential Questions to Ask When Choosing an Email Service Provider

THE 9 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN CHOOSING AN EMAIL SERVICE PROVIDER

iv

ContentsIntroducing Our 2013 ESP Selection Guide Page 1

#1 How Easy is the Platform to Use - and How Long Will You Be Able to Keep Using It?

Usability Page 2Feature Sets Page 2Agility Page 3Reliability Page 3Scalability Page 3

#2 How Well Can the Platform Integrate with Page 4 Mobile and Across Channels?

Social Media Integration Page 4Mobile Design and Rendering Page 5

#3 How Does the Platform Integrate Relational Page 5 Data for Complex Automations?

Marketing Automation Page 5Data Integration Page 5Application Programming Interface (API) Page 6Data Integration Page 6

#4 Does the Vendor Monitor and Page 7 Ensure Email Deliverability?

Deliverability Page 7Sending Reputation Management Page 7Authentication Page 8Scoring Tools Page 8Engagement Measurement Page 9

#5 How Does the Platform Enable Testing and Page 9 Reporting so You Can Monitor Results?

Testing Page 8Reporting Page 10

#6 What Level of Customer Service Page 10 Can You Expect?

Customer Support Page 10Training Page 11Knowledge Base Page 11

#7 How Will the Vendor Manage Migration Page 11 and Implementations?

Trial Accounts Page 12Pricing and Contracts Page 12Migration Support Page 12Implementation Timeline Page 13

# 8 Does the Vendor Provide Consulting Services? Page 13Consulting Services Page 13

#9 How Does the Vendor Ensure Data Security Page 14 and Legal Compliance?

Data Security Page 14Legal Compliance Page 14

Call on ClickMail Page 15


1

Introducing Our 2013 ESP Selection Guide Email continues to be a powerful force for marketing ROI. The 2012 DMA survey shows email returned $39 for every $1 spent, a rate far better than any other form of online marketing. The challenge is that email marketing has—and must—become more sophisticated. So too must eMarketers and the email service providers who serve them.

To help make your ESP selection process easier, this guide covers the 9 essential questions you need to ask any prospective vendors—and yourself. We have researched and adapted these “thinking points” to help you keep pace with the new direction that eMarketing is taking. For example:

• RelationaldatahasbecomethelynchpinofsuccessfuleMarketingbecauseitisthebestwaytodriveengagementbyautomating triggered emails, dynamic content, and personalization that brings email as close to a 1:1 experience as possible.

• Todaybetween30percentand50percentofemailisopenedusingamobiledevice.YourESPmustbeabletohelpyoueasily optimize your users’ experience.

• Facebook,Twitter,andothersocialmediaarenowsoubiquitous,failingtosimultaneouslysharemessagingacrosssuchchannels would create a conspicuous absence.

• CustomersupportandserviceethicshavebecomeabettergaugeofESPquality,andinfact,havebecomethe#1reasoncompanies decide to switch vendors.

• Don’tjustaskpotentialvendors,“Howcanyoudowhatwewanttodo?”Askthem“Whatmorecanwebedoing,andhowcanyouhelpusmakethathappen?”

Most ESPs today have similar features. Differentiators are fewer and therefore more important. Everyone can load lists andhasaWYSIWYGeditor.Butwhosupportsrelationaldataandcomplex,customerlifecycleautomations?Whenmakingachoice,ithelpstofirstdeterminetheorganizationsandcompaniesthataresimilartoyou.Whodotheyuse?AndwhatcapabilitiesmaketheireMarketingstandout?

WehopethisGuidefulfillsitspurposeinmakingyourESPsearcheasierandmoreeffective.Asalways,welookforwardtoyourfeedback.Cheerstoyou.Choosewisely.Choosewell.

YoursinprosperouseMarketing,

Marco MariniCEO

2013 ESP SELECTION GUIDE

2

#1 How Easy is the Platform to Use — and How Long Will You Be Able to Keep Using It? Chancesare,you’llexpecttohaveyournewESPforatleasttwoyears.Inreality,needs change quickly and you will probably be reconsidering your ESP choice even sooner. From the start, you must be sure it offers the ease of use, features, scalability,andreliabilityyouneednow—andwillneedinthefuture.Beingshownand taught how to use a tool effectively is often at least as important as the capabilities of the tool itself.

UsabilityAn ESP platform’s power is only as good as your organization’s ability and willingness to use it. If your staff finds it difficult to use, they will not use it effectively, they may avoid using its full set of features, and they could even make serious errors. On the other hand, if they find it easy to use, they will take advantage of all its powerful functionality to produce the best campaigns imaginable. When evaluating usability, consider ease of navigation, reporting, account configurations, approval process, task automation, and profile settings.

Considerations:• Howwelldoestheinterfaceworkonanindividuallevel?• Isthereadrag-and-dropvisualGUI?• Istheworkflowlaidoutinawizard-driven,step-by-stepformat?• DoestheUIprovidefor“catchingmistakes”(alerting/preventingmistakesina

broadcast)?• Islistsegmentationeasilyconfigurableviadrag-and-dropGUIs?• Howaboutautomatedmessaging?Isthateasilysetup?• Aretherepreloadedtemplates?IsthereaWYSIWYGeditor?• Doestheplatformenableautomationofcomplextasks,suchasgenerating

mobileversionsfromanHTMLtemplate?• Doesitallowforaworkflowthatfitswithyourorganization?• Doestheplatformallowforrole-basedordepartment-basedaccess?

Feature SetsESPs can overwhelm with the sets of features they offer, sometimes giving these feature sets names that make it hard to understand their value or how they differ from a competitor’s offerings. As an organization, first investigate and agree upon the features you absolutely have to have, those of medium importance, the ones that would be nice to have, and the ones that would be irrelevant. If you have an ESP already, your organization should be aware of your current platform’s features, so you can compare those to other offerings.

Considerations:• Whatarethefeaturesofferedandhowwelldotheymatchuptoyour

organizationalneeds?• Howusablearethefeatures?Canyoutestdrivethemorseetheminaction?• DoestheESPofferthefeaturesetsyouneedrightnow,butalsothoseyouplan

toneedinthefutureasyouremailmarketingprogramevolves?• Arethefeaturesofferedthoseyoureallyneednoworinthenearfuture?

There’s no point in paying for the richest set of features if your team will only use a portion of them.

An ESP platform’s power is only

as good as your organization’s ability

and willingness to use it.


3

• Isitpossibletoaddmorefeatureslaterasneededtoavoidpayingforthemwhennotneeded?

• Ifthereissomefunctionalitythatyouwant,butwon’tbeabletodeploywithinthe next 18 months, take it off your “must have” list for your current search

Agility Yourorganizationneedstotakeadvantageoftheopportunitiescreatedbycurrent events, social media feedback, interaction with your customer data, and more. That’s why you need a platform that makes it easy to get a campaign out quickly.Businessagilitykeepsorganizationsfluidandresponsive,butthatsameability to adapt might be important to your email marketing program as well. If it is, consider how agile your ESP must be.

Considerations: • Howdoestheplatformmeettoday’sdemandforreal-timemarketing?• Doesitsupportcross-channelmarketing?Yourcustomersarealreadyon

multiple channels—your marketing efforts and platform need to be as well.• Howeasilycanyoulaunchacampaignthatincludesmobileandsocial?(are

youusingmultipleplatforms?)• Willtheplatformscalewithoutanynegativeeffectonperformanceifyoufind

yourselfneedingtosuddenlyincreaseemailvolume?• Istheusabilityoftheinterfacesuchthatcampaignscanberapidlylaunched

andmonitored?• WhatareothercustomersdoingthatprovestheESP’ssolutiontobeagile

enoughforyourorganization’sneeds?

Reliability Reliability is critical. When your ESP’s platform is down, you lose the ability to sendnotonlymanualbutautomatedemailstoo.Youmayalsolosevaluableemailtrackingdata.Anytime-sensitiveorrevenue-generatinginitiativesareessentiallyrenderedinoperable.Anuptimeof99.5%soundsgreatbutinrealityequatestoadowntimeoftwodaysperyear!IfoneofthosetwodaysfallsonCyberMondayor another day when your email campaigns are critical, you lose more than ROI; you could lose customers to a competitor who was able to get into those inboxeswhenyoucouldn’t.Lookforanuptimewithasmany9safterthepointaspossible(99.9999%).Inaddition,askforaServiceLevelAgreement(SLA)thathasmeaningful“teeth”(recourse).We’veseensomethatwillcredit2%ofthemonthlysubscriptioncharge($200ona$10k/monthrevenuecommitment).

Considerations: • WhatisyourrecourseforrecoveringdirectorindirectcostsiftheSLAis

notmet?• HowoftendoestheESPreleaseupdatesthatrequireatemporaryservice

suspension?• HowmuchunplanneddowntimehastheESPexperiencedinthelast

24months?• Whatisthevendor’sescalationprocedureforproblems?• Doesthevendorhaveuninterruptablepowerandbackupsystemsand

redundantdatacentersatseparatelocationsincaseofadisaster?• Whatarchitectureenhancementshavetheymadetoensuretheplatformis

available24/7?• Basedonreferences,whatdoothercustomerssayaboutuptime?

If there is some functionality that you

want, but won’t be able to deploy within the next 18 months,

take it off your “must have” list for your

current search


4

ScalabilityAsyourcompanygrowsand/oryouremailmarketingevolves,youwillneedaplatform that grows with you. Switching ESPs is not something you want to have to go through when you’re in a period of rapid growth. Find the ESP that fits your needsnowaswellasyourprojectedneedsinthefuture.Todoso,it’simperativethatyourorganizationfirstdecidewhattheprojectedgrowthwillbe,andwhattypes of features and services you’ll need and when.

Considerations: • Whatlevelofvendorareyouconsidering?Perhapsyoudon’tneedatop-tierESP

right now, but you will in a couple of years when your business grows. • Whatsizecustomerdoesthevendortypicallyserve?• Whatadditionalservicesorfeaturesdoyouprojectyou’llneedinthefuture?

DoestheESPofferthose?• Ispricingflexible,lettingyoupayonlyforwhatyouneednow,thenincreasing

asyouscale?• DoestheESPoffervendorpartnershipsforservicestheydon’tofferdirectly,

suchasmarketingautomationorsocialmediaintegration?

#2 How Well Can the Platform Integrate with Mobile and Across Channels? Email is no longer a standalone marketing channel. Nor is it viewed exclusively on a computer screen nor while sitting at a desk. Today social media is critical as is the ability to adapt email to mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets.

Social Media IntegrationWhen it comes to social media and email, the word you need to know is integration.Whetherit’sFacebook,YouTube,LinkedInTwitter,Pinterest,orthenextyet-to-be-determinedsexysocialmediasite,whatmattersisthoughtfulandconsideredintegrationofyouremailwiththatsocialmediaplatform.YourESPmust be able to help you manage your organization’s social presence and gather actionable data for use in email marketing.

Considerations: • IssocialmediaintegrationapriorityfortheESP?Whataretheirother

customersdoing?• WhichsocialmediaplatformsareintegratedwiththeESP’splatform?• Isitafullintegrationorapartialsolution?• CanemailsbesharedwithsocialnetworksviatheESP’splatform?• Doesthevendoroffertrackingofsocialmediaengagementsthatbeginwithan

email?• DoestheESPhavepartnershipswithothersocialmediavendorstoassistwith

integration?

YourESPmustbeableto help you manage your organization’s social presence and

gather actionable data for use in email

marketing.


5

Mobile Design and RenderingWithone-thirdofemailsreadfirstonamobiledevicesuchasasmartphone,marketers simply can’t afford to ignore mobile email any longer. And mobile email means much more than sending the same html email to your entire list, regardless of the device it will render on. Now chances are enough of your audience is mobile that you should design for mobile first, and with a method forensuring(orevenautomating)thatyouremailrenderscorrectlyonavarietyofdevices.Consumersexpectnothinglessthananoptimalexperienceontheirsmallscreens.YourESPisyourpartnerindeliveringthatexperience.

Considerations: • DoestheESPoffertheabilitytoautomaticallygeneratemobileversionsfrom

HTMLemails?Ideallyitshouldenable“responsivedesign”htmlthatwillautomatically render the optimized version based on the device opening the message.

• Willtheemailsresizeandrenderequallywellonavarietyofmobiledevicesaswellasonthedesktop?

• Doestheplatformsupportfluidorresponsivedesign,orboth?• Doesthevendorofferatoolfortesting/renderingonmobiledevices?

#3 How Does the Platform Integrate Relational Data for Complex Automations? Sophisticated,nearreal-timeeMarketingdependsinpartonyourabilitytoharnessrelationaldata.Thisincludesallthecomplex,high-volume,disparate,high-velocitydatathat’sgeneratedbyyoursocialmediaactivity,transactions,CRMsystem,andothercustomerinteractions.Anddon’tforgetyourwebanalytics. Integrating this data into your marketing is essential for generating the dynamic content necessary for targeted, relevant, and personalized automated emails.

However,themorecomplexyourrelationaldata,themorecomplexyourautomationsbecome.YourESPneedstobeabletomakeitpossiblethroughintegration and make it easy through automation. The platform must also provide tools that enable you to measure and analyze the results and engagement metricsforeachsubscriber–-andreturnthoseresultstoyourCRMandotherdatasystems.

Marketing AutomationPreviouslythemainstayofB2Bmarketingsolutions,marketingautomationhasnowbecomemainstreaminB2Cmarketing,andsomeESPshaveeitherdevelopedor acquired marketing automation solutions. Marketing automation enables automatedemailstobegeneratedbasedoncustomertransactions,schedule-based“dripmarketing”campaigns,andotherdata-drivenmessaging.Theseemails typically deliver higher open rates and more conversions.

Does the ESP offer the ability

to automatically generate mobile

versionsfromHTMLemails?Ideally

it should enable “responsive design”

html that will automatically render

the optimized version based on the device

opening the message.


6

Considerations: • Doestheplatformprovidemarketingautomationcapabilities?• Dothesecapabilitiesmeetyourorganization’sneedsnowaswellasyour

projectedneedsinthefuture?• Doestheplatformenabledynamiccontentforrelevant,personalized

messages?• Arethereeasy-to-usesegmentationtoolsfordatafiltering?

Data IntegrationData integration means connecting disparate systems so your email platform canworkwithwebanalytics,CRMsystems,eCommerceengines,yourCMS,andcustomreportingdashboards.Togetthemostfromyourcustomer/subscriberdata,thiskindofintegrationisimperative.Inaddition,CRMsystemslikeSalesforce.com and Microsoft Dynamics offer growing options for integrations, which means new and additional approaches for you to consider. For custom integration, look into the breadth of the API to determine how much can be accomplished via the API, how easy is it to integrate with, and what volume and size of payloads will the API will support.

Considerations:• Doestheplatformhavepre-configuredintegrationswiththetoolsyouwantto

integratewith?• Willtheplatformallowforpoint-and-clickautomateddataintegration?• WillyoubeabletobuilditutilizingtheApplicationProgrammingInterface

(API)?• WhatisthebreadthoftheirAPIfunctionality?• Howmuchdatacanberealisticallybepushed/pulledfromthesystem?• Whattypesofdatamanagementtoolsdothevendoroffer?• Doestheplatformupdatedatacontinuouslywithautomatedfeaturessuchas

self-cleansingmailinglists,bouncingemailaddresses,audiencepreferencechanges,andunsubscribes?

• Canthesystemsupportyourrelationaldatastructure?Canyoueasilycreateadatamartordoesitaccommodateintegrationtoadatamartsolution?

ApplicationProgrammingInterface(API)When it comes to building an integration utilizing a vendor’s API, keep in mind that different companies have different skill sets and it is best to ensure that the platform’s API can be easily and effectively leveraged by your firm. Many vendors providecodesamplesfordifferentprogramminglanguages.Checktoseeiftheirsamples are written in a language comfortable to your developers. If you plan to have the ESP handle integration for you, be clear on timelines. Ensure the teamhashands-onknowledgeoftheplatformaswellasyourback-endsystems,and ask for references. Also look behind the scenes to evaluate the platform’s infrastructure to support the API calls. The best API is not going to help if the redundant, scalable infrastructure is not there to serve it.

Considerations:• Arethereongoingsupportcostsformanagingtheintegrations?• DoestheESPofferatechnicalservicesteamtohelpyouintegrate?• Doyouhavetheinternalpersonneltohelpwithchanges?Orwouldyou

needtocontracttheworktoaPartnerlikeClickMailortheESPProfessionalServicesTeam?

Ensure the team has hands-onknowledge

of the platform as wellasyourback-endsystems, and ask for

references.


7

• Isthereanonlinedevelopercommunity?Whatistheavailabilityofskilledprogrammerstodevelopandmaintaintheintegration?

• CantheAPIsupportthescaleofyourrecord-setandsynchronizeatareasonablefrequency?

• UnderstandandevaluatethetypeofAPItheplatformoffers:XML-based,SimpleObjectAccessProtocol(SOAP),REST,Synchronous,andAsynchronous.

• DefinitelyreviewtheirAPIdocumentation,andifpossible–testitagainstaliveinstanceoftheirAPI;beawarethatvirtuallyeveryESPwillhaveerrors/omissions in their documentation

#4 Does the Vendor Monitor and Ensure Email Deliverability?The ESP you choose must be able to optimize deliverability to ensure the highest possible deliverability rate. Remember, any email not delivered is a lost opportunityforasaleandmanyfactorsareworkingagainstyou.ConsidertheESP’s efforts to keep their customers’ deliverability rate high, how they’ll help you with your sending reputation, authentication options, scoring tools, and tools for measuring engagement.

Deliverability Deliverability measures the percentage of your email that gets to your recipients’ inboxes. It’s a critical metric for improving the success of your email program. When email is blocked—by ISPs or spam filters—you’re not only losing out on opportunities to sell to or connect with recipients; you’re also hurting your sender reputation, and possibly that of everyone else who shares your IP address. That’swhyyouneedtostartwithavendorthatalreadyenjoysagoodsenderreputation…and strives to maintain it.

Considerations:• Willthevendorallowathird-partydeliverabilityauditbeforerequiringa

contract?• Isdeliverabilityconsistentlymonitoredbythevendor?• DoesthevendorhaveateamthatworkswithISPstoensuredeliverability?• Whataboutdatahygieneservices?Doesthevendorscrubagainstduplicates,

knownspamtraps,activecomplainers,andundeliverableaddresses?• Willthevendororplatformproactivelynotifyyouifyourdeliverabilitydrops?• Ifyourdeliverabilitydrops,whatevaluationsandremediesareavailable?• Willthevendorletyoutaketheplatformforatestdrivetodiscoverthe

deliverabilityratetheyofferinreality?

Sending Reputation Management EvenifyouremailmessagesareCAN-SPAMcompliantandpermission-based(sentonlytopeoplewhosubscribedtoyouremails),beingflaggedasspamorlandingin a spam trap means a negative effect on your online sending reputation, a key metric ISPs use to decide if your emails are to be allowed through to the inbox or not. Most spam complaints are the result of list fatigue and spam traps are often typotrapsindisguise.You’realsosubjecttothereputationofotherbusinessesusing the same IP address. To avoid the negative impact of these three factors,

Remember, any email not delivered is a lost opportunity for a sale and many factors are working against you.


8

you must have tools for managing your current sending reputation as well as mitigating any inadvertent past behaviors affecting deliverability.

Considerations:• DoesthevendorsupportdedicatedIP’s?• Doesthevendorofferreputationsupport,including:whitelisting,feedback

loop(FBL)enrollments,andauthenticationprotocolsassistance?• DoestheplatformprovideyouthedatafromFBLenrollments?• Istherereal-timemonitoringandalertingforblacklisting,domainblocking,and

abusereporting?• DoesthevendorallowyoutosignupforwhitelistingstatuswithISPs?Willthey

dothisautomaticallyonyourbehalf?

Authentication One way to protect your sending reputation is through authentication—publishing the mail servers that are authorized to send email on your behalf. This establishes who you are and gives the recipient a method with which to identify your email. Proving your identity can also reduce the likelihood of a legitimate emailbeingmistakenforspam,andhelpreduceandevenpreventevil-doersfromspamming or scamming your brand.

Therearenowfivemaintypesofauthentication:SPF(SenderPolicyFramework),SenderID(SPF2-depreciating),DomainKeys(DK),DomainKeysIdentifiedMail(DKIM),andDMARC(Domain-basedMessageAuthentication,Reporting&Conformance).SincetherearenoauthenticationstandardsacrossISPs,werecommend you implement as many authentication protocols as feasible and considerDMARCifitmakessenseforyourorganization.

Considerations:• Whichtypesofauthenticationdoestheplatformoffer?• Willyoubeabletotestinstallationofthesetechnologies?• Arethereextrasetupormonthlycostsforusingthesetechnologies?• Doestheplatformofferthird-partyDomainKeysigningforsharedIPs?• Willyoubeabletoimplementallfiveauthenticationsystemswiththatvendor?

Scoring Tools Scoring tools allow you to monitor, manage, and improve the delivery, credibility, reputation, and rendering of your email communications. Some scoring tools help you to monitor your sending reputation, thereby improving your deliverability. Youalsoneedscoringtoolstoknowhowyouremailsappearindifferentemail clients and on mobile devices. Still other scoring tools provide blacklist monitoring.Knowwhatmustbemonitored,andfindoutifyournewESPoffersthe scoring tools you need.

Considerations:• Doesthevendorofferthescoringtoolsdeemedimportanttoyour

organization?• Foreach,doesthevendorusetheirowncontentscoringfeaturesordothey

integratewithathird-partyreportingtool?• Arethereportsactionable?Dotheyindicatehowtocorrecttheproblems

detected?• Doesthevendorprovidetrainingorguidanceonhowtoeffectivelyuseand

understandthescoringtools?

Proving youridentity can also reduce

the likelihood of a legitimate email being

mistaken for spam, and help reduce and

evenpreventevil-doers from spamming

or scamming your brand.


9

Engagement MeasurementMajorISPsnowtrackhowtheircustomersinteractwithemailsanddecidewhichemailsshouldbeclassifiedasspambasedonthatinteraction-baseddata.Asubscriber’sengagement—orlackthereof—withyouremaildirectlyinfluencesyour deliverability because the ISP sees the engagement as an indication that the person wants to hear from you, and a lack of engagement as an indication that he or she does not. In addition to the scoring tools mentioned above, you need tools tomeasurethatengagement.Latestreportsshowthatamajorityofrecipientsthatmarkemailasspamdidactuallyopt-in.

Considerations:• Whatkindofengagementmeasuringtoolsdoesthevendoroffer?• Doestheplatformprovideactionable,real-timereportingofdatafrom

ecommercesitesandsocialsites?• Doesthevendoroffertheabilitytotrackandstoreopentimebyuser?• Canyouoptimizeyoursendtimesonanindividualbasispersubscriberwithin

theplatform?(thinkaboutwhyyoumightchooseorrejecttheconcept)• Doestheplatformofferintegrationwiththird-partytoolsthathelpsyou

measureengagement?Whataboutengagementacrosssocialmediachannels?

#5 How Does the Platform Enable Testing and Reporting so You Can Monitor Results?Together, testing and reporting are imperative for improving everything from your deliverability to your engagement to your ROI. Testing enables you to compare variations of even tiny elements of your email marketing to find the most effective. Reporting delivers the results of the testing—and ongoing marketing efforts—so you’ll know what is working, where to improve, and what to test.

Testing Testing is critical to any email marketing campaign because only testing will helpyoudeterminewhatiseffectiveandwhatisn’t.Consistentandcontinualtesting should be a key component of your marketing strategy and your ESP’s capabilities. In addition, with more than 30 percent of recipients initially opening their email using mobile devices, it is critical to test how your email renders across a variety of channels and platforms.

Considerations:• Whattestingcapabilitiesdoestheplatformoffer?• HoweasyisittoexecuteanA/Bsplittest?Willthe“winningmessage”

automaticallysendtotherestofyouraudience?• Doestheplatformsupportmultivariatetesting?• Whichvariablescanyoueasilytestwiththisvendor?ConsiderFromaddress,

subjectline,content,deliverytime,anddeliveryday.• Doestheplatformofferintegrationwithanalyticsprograms?

With more than 30 percent of recipients

initially opening their email using mobile

devices, it is critical to test how your

email renders across a variety of channels

and platforms.


10

Reporting Reporting and analytics tools are critical for measuring the effectiveness of your emailcampaignsandmakingadjustmentstooptimizeROIovertime.Standardmetricsincludesends,deliveries,opens,click-throughs,bounces,andforwards,butaremoreadvancedmetricsavailableifyouneedthem?Makesureyouareclear on the metrics that matter for your business and review how well the reporting capabilities of the platform match those needs.

Considerations:• Isthereportingofferedinsightfulandeasilyactedupon?• Canyousetupcustomreportstoviewthedatamostvaluabletoyou?• Whatlevelofreportingisavailableforbouncemessages?• Doestheplatformofferprogrammablepostclick-throughreportingsuchas

clickstream(resultingwebsite)behavior?• Isiteasytoexportdatasoitcanbeusedwithothertools,suchasweb

analyticsoryourCRMsystem?• Doestheplatformoffercross-platform,mobile,and/orsocialmediametrics?• Doesthereportingincludeconversiontracking?• Isthereproactivereportingthatalertsyoutoaproblem,suchasasignificant

dropinopenrates?

#6 What Level of Customer Service Can You Expect?According to the 2012 Forrester Email Wave Report, poor customer service is the number one reason organizations decide to seek out a new ESP. In the report, analyst SharVanBoskirk explains the importance of service when he says, “Howavendorhandlesitspeoplerelationships—withclients,withanalyst,withemployees—matters as much as its software.” Take a look at the ESP’s customer support, training options, and track record, as well as the knowledge base if you plan to be self service.

CustomerSupportAlthough a good customer support experience begins long before any problems arise, knowing what you can expect in the event of a problem should be a key factor in choosing your vendor. Platforms become more complex over time, so you need to have good people on the vendor’s side to support your team as yourneedsandyourplatform’sfeatureschange.BeforeevaluatingthelevelofcustomersupportofferedbyESPs,decideifyourorganizationwillrelyonself-service, collaborative services, or full services.

Considerations:• Isreachingalivepersonimportanttoyou?Duringwhichhoursarecalls

answered?• Doyouneed24-houraccesstosupport?• Whatisthetimelinessofresponsestosupportqueries?• Whattypeofticketingsystemexists?• Whatisthevendor’scomplaintescalationprocedure?

Poor customer service is the

number one reason organizations decide

to seek out a new ESP.


11

• Askforreferencesfrombothcurrentcustomersandthosewhohaveswitchedto a different vendor.

• Trycallingsupportafter-hours(holiday/weekend),andseewhatyourexperience is.

Training The sooner you and your staff are proficient on your new platform, the faster you can start reaping the benefits of your investment, and the less likely you are to make mistakes. Training will be critical at the beginning as you ramp up with thenewESP.Youwantaplatformthatofferseasyaccesstoresourcestoensureyourrampuptimeisminimal.However,youwillalsowantongoingeducationtoensure you continue to get more and more out of the platform, especially when the ESP releases upgrades and new features.

Considerations:• Howcanyouaccessresourcestoensureyourrampuptimeisminimal?• Aretherecostsforinitialorfollow-uptraining?• Istrainingavailablebothonlineandlive?• Donewreleasesincludetraining?• Istheretrainingavailablebeyondtheplatforminterface,forexample,training

onbestpractices?• Doestheplatformvendorofferregionalornationaluserconferences?

KnowledgeBaseWhile not essential to the email process, a knowledge base is a system by which companies organize and present information to their customers regarding productusage.Thiscanbeintheformoffrequentlyaskedquestions(FAQ),how-to’s, tutorial, reference, users forum, or other formal or informal database. If your organizationismoreselfserve,you’llwantaKnowledgeBaseyouremailandtechnical teams can turn to when needed.

Considerations:• Doesthevendorprovideaccesstoaknowledgebaseasameansofself-service

customersupport?• Istheknowledgebaseeasilysearchable?• Whatformdoestheknowledgebasetake?Ifitisforumbased,isitcurrentand

moderated,withalluserquestionsanswered?• Doestheknowledgebasesupporthypertextsystemslinkingrelatedtopics,to

helpuserstorelateandrememberthings?

#7 How Will the Vendor Manage Migration and Implementations?When ramping up with a new ESP, sometimes the hardest part about making the switch is making the switch. Smooth implementation is always important. It becomesevenmoremissioncriticalwhenyou’renotjuststartingupwithanewESP,butalsomanagingthetransitionfromacurrentsystem.Howareyougoingto migrate your often disparate data from one platform to another, rebuild your reputationwiththenewIPaddress,andmaintainprogramuptime?Takealookattrial accounts, pricing and contracts, migration, and implementation timelines.

Ask for references from both current

customers and those who have switched to

a different vendor.


12

Trial Accounts Commitmentisscary,especiallywhenthereisayear-pluscontractinvolvedwithanewESP,plusalltheimplementationandcost.Youshouldhaveafail-safe plan, which includes keeping your old vendor on for 30 days in case your implementationgetshungup.Inaddition,askabouttrialaccounts(read:fullyfunctionalevaluationaccounts)withthenewESP,tomakesurethereal-worldexperience lives up to expectations and promises.

Considerations:• Canyoutaketheactualuserinterfaceforatestdrive?Donotsettleforan

internal demo version. • Duringthetrialperiod,testtobesuretheinterfacehasthefeaturesand

functionality you are looking for. Are they easy enough for you and your team tofigureoutanduse?

• Avoidgettingsuckedinby“cool”functionalitythatyoudon’tneednoworwon’t realistically use in the next 18 months.

PricingandContractsYoudonotwanttochooseanESPsolelyonprice,butyoudowanttoknowexactlywhatyouaregettingbecausemostESPsrequirea12-monthusageandrevenue commitment. Flexible pricing and payment terms that match your requirements based on your sending patterns and budget constraints mean you haveavendorthatisresponsivetoyourneeds.Moreflexiblecontracttermsalsoallowyoutotrynewtacticswithoutlong-termexpensecommitments.Investigatepricing and contractual details early in the selection process, particularly if you are in a highly regulated industry such as finance, insurance or healthcare, or if your organization is known for strict contractual negotiations.

Considerations:• Whichfeatureshaveadditionalcosts?Askaboutdynamiccontent,dedicated

IP addresses, API deployment, surveys, transactional messaging, data storage, hosted content, and landing pages.

• Doesthevendorofferflexiblebillingterms,suchasallowingyoutorampupovertimeasyourusageincreases?

• Ifrelevant,checkthedataretentionpolicies:Willyoubechargedforstoringyourdata?

• Askforcontractsfrompotentialserviceprovidersandhavethemreviewedbyyourlegaldepartmentforanyredflagsbeforefinalvendorselection.

Migration SupportChangingplatformsrequiresalevelofhandholdingthatgoesbeyondcustomersupport.YourITteam,yourwebdevelopers,andyourentiremarketingteamneedtobeinvolved.YournewESPshouldsetyourexpectationsandspellouttheir complete plans for shifting your email program from your former vendor over to their platform.

Considerations:• Howwillthenewvendortransferyourdata?• HowwillthenewvendorswitchyoursenderIDtoanewIPaddress?Willthe

vendormanagechangestoauthenticationprotocols?• Whatkindofguidancewillthenewvendorofferduringthetransition?

Ask about trial

accounts(read:fully

functional evaluation

accounts) with the

new ESP, to make

surethereal-world

experience lives up

to expectations and

promises.


13

• Howwilltheyhelpyouprotect/re-establishyoursenderreputationasyourampupthenewIPaddress?

• Willthevendorhelptransferyourautomatedemails,suchastriggeredemailsanddripmarketingcampaigns?

Implementation Timeline The longer you wait for an implementation, the more at risk you are to lose marketing momentum, revenue, and even customers. An API integration is typicallythemosttime-consuming,butthereistypicallyanimplementationperiod for other tasks such as setting up your account, creating email templates, importinglists,andsettingupauthenticationprotocols.Youneedtoknowhowlong the process will take, who is responsible for doing what, and in what order the configuration tasks must be completed.

Considerations:• Willthesolutionprovidercommittobeupandrunningbyacertaindate?• Willtheyagreetobuilt-infinancialconsequencesifthetimelineisnotmet?

# 8 Does the Vendor Provide Consulting Services?Many ESPs offer more than an email platform; they can also play a supportive role in marketing strategy, best practices consulting, and more. When you look for a new ESP, ask about additional services such as strategic support. Also ask them how they can help you leverage strategic services more effectively by mapping outshort-,mid-,andlong-termprogramgoals.

ConsultingServicesAgency-typeservicessuchasstrategy,design,deployment,coding,andintegration services can help you optimize your email marketing program, especiallyifyourdepartmentisunderstaffedorlessexperienced.Considercapabilities you want now and those you might want in the future, such as campaign planning, list growth, deployment, or customized web development.

Considerations:• Whichprofessionalservicesdoesthevendoroffer?• Whatistheexperienceoftheirconsultingteam?• Howhavetheydemonstratedandcontinuetomaintainthoughtleadershipin

theindustry?• Isthereanactivepartnernetwork?Withwhichvendorsandforhowlong?• GettheProServicespricingsheetBEFOREyoucommittoaplatform,thiscan

oftenbeanegotiatedrate/hr!

Youneedtoknow

how long the process

will take, who is

responsible for

doing what, and

in what order the

configuration tasks

must be completed.


14

#9 How Does the Vendor Ensure Data Security and Legal Compliance? Withtheever-increasingthreatofonlinetheftofpersonallyidentifiableinformation—like that contained inside customer databases—as well as the risk to your sender reputation if your list is hacked or stolen, your ESP’s ability to provide data security and legal compliance should be a high priority during your ESP selection process.

Data SecurityPeople are increasingly concerned about the security of their data, and are hesitanttouseathird-partytoolbecauseofsecurityissues.Securityshouldextend beyond the platform to cover access to the network as well as local access from the platform facility. Also, public companies must comply with regulations likeSarbanes-Oxley(SOX).Ifyourorganizationmaintainshealthcarerelatedinformationorelectronictransactions,theHIPAAPrivacyRulealsoapplies.Beforeevaluating the security capabilities of any platform, be clear on the requirements of your organization and industry, in particular, the level of security wanted or mandated.

Considerations:• IsthevendorSOXandHIPAAcompliant,ifapplicable?• Dotheyhavenetworkintrusiondetection,suchasfirewalls,employee

screening,monitoredaccess,and/orsecuritycameras?• Dotheyrequirevendoremployeebackgroundchecks?• Aretheyinsured,licensed,andbonded?• Whattypesofaudittrailsareavailable?• Whattypesofsecuritytoolsareinplace?• Dotheyprovidemonitoringandalerts?• HasthecompanybeenthroughaStatementonStandardsforAttestation

Engagements(SSAE)No.16(formerlySAS70)audit?

LegalComplianceYourcustomerandprospectdataisoneofyourcompany’smostvaluableassets. If your organization requires you to manage data a certain way, legal considerationsmatter.YouwilldefinitelyneedtomakesureyouremailsareCAN-SPAM compliant, but there are other regulations you might need to comply with aswell,suchastheCanadiananti-spamlaw(FISAorCASL),theCaliforniaOnlinePrivacyProtectionAct(OPPA),Children’sOnlinePrivacyProtection(COPPA),andothers.

Considerations:• Allemailserviceprovidersshouldhaverequirementsforemailssentout

throughtheirplatforms.Willyouremailsmeetthoserequirements?• Willthevendorhelpyoudeterminewhatmarketingcontentislegally

acceptableintransactionalemails?• Isthevendorabletohelpyoucomplywithnew,morestringentregulationsas

theyappear?• Isthevendorproactiveindeterminingwhichnewregulationsapplyandtaking

actiontobecompliant?• Whatistherecourseifyouviolateoneoftheselawsorpolicies?

Security should

extend beyond the

platform to cover

access to the network

as well as local access

from the platform

facility.


15

Call on ClickMail While all the many considerations listed in this document may not apply to your specific organization’s needs, they provide a useful and detailed starting point for ensuring you make the best decision possible when selecting a new ESP.

ClickMailcanhelpstreamlinethisselectionprocessevenmoreefficientlyandeffectively. We know the ESPs. We know how well they rank for each of these factors.Bestofall,workingwithusisrisk-freebecauseweareindependentemailtechnologyexperts.Asavendor-agnosticcompany,itisourjobtohelpyoufindyour new ESP with confidence, then help you get up and running with speed:

• We’llsetyouupwithatrialaccountsothatyoucantrytheplatformsbeforeyou purchase your account.

• Becauseofourvolumepurchasingandpartnershipswithsomanyemailserviceproviders, we can offer you competitive pricing on the platform you choose.

• WithClickMailonyourside,youwilllearnhowtousetheplatformfasterandutilize the features of your email service provider to the fullest extent possible.

• Whenyou’rereadytogrowyouremailmarketingstrategy,ourtechnicalandstrategic services will help you earn the maximum return from your email marketing investment.

LetClickMailtobecomeanextensionofyouremailmarketingteambyhelpingyou on the path to becoming a successful and profitable email marketer.

For more information, phone us at 650-653-8055ortoll-freeat866-418-4877, or email us at [email protected].

Your ESP Selection Toolwww.espinator.com

Looking for specific Email Marketing

recommendations?Although our 2013 Guide is vendor agnostic, we have

built an email selection tool featuring specific platforms. You can access this tool at

www.espinator.com. Powered by

ClickMail Marketing

http://www.espinator.com

ClickMail Marketing, Inc.155 Bovet Road, Suite 310San Mateo, CA 94402-3108

Phone: 650.653.8055Toll Free: 866.418.4877

Fax: 650.350.1056

About ClickMail MarketingClickMailMarketingisanemailconsultancyandvalue-addedreseller of over a dozen email service providers. As one of the fastest growing email solutions providers in the industry, we

strive to stay vendor neutral so that we can recommend the best solution for your specific marketing needs.

We also publish The Whitelist, an email marketing blog, at www.clickmail.com/whitelist/andTheClickMailMarketer

newsletter at www.clickmail.com/signup.html.

Connect with us:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/clickmailmarketing

LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/company/clickmail-marketing

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ClickMail

RSS: http://clickmail.com/whitelist/feed/

[email protected] www.clickmail.com

the 9 essential questions to ask when choosing an email service provider

Education

reporting page

relational page

usability page

deliverability page

migration page

reliability page

scalability page

testing page