Email marketing is the core channel for many firms today, from primary newsletter blasting and automation to more advanced AI-powered marketing and personalisation. By 2022, approximately 347.3 billion daily emails will be sent worldwide, with a return on investment of $42 for every $1 spent on email marketing [DMA, 2019]. Choosing the best email marketing provider for a business is a massive decision for a store owner. One must invest at least 5 hours investigating, evaluating, demo, and choosing the best service for your needs. For larger eCommerce businesses, it could take up to 40 hours or more.

Derric Haynie, the Chief Ecommerce Technologist at Ecommercetech.io, a site where eCommerce businesses can find, investigate, and acquire the technologies they need to succeed is on a mission to demo every tool in the Shopify app ecosystem once a day until he's completed his investigation. In one of his recent blog posts he talked about the Best Email Marketing Service Providers for Ecommerce, wherein he first talks about the differences between types of businesses and all the best service providers for all classes of business. The blog is so insightful that we thought of sharing the same here. 

His first category is the starting store, which he believes, and we quote, “ need anything, and they need it for cheap”. The second category in his list is the mid-sized store, which keeps engagement high and works its most successful campaign. The last category is the enterprise, which requires smart AI/ML and must “analyse their customers and use the strength of a large list to segment, automate, and send”. 

In an attempt to provide the basic details of Email Marketing, Derric further meticulously examines the types of tools available and the different qualities each of them possesses, from CRM to CDP to ESP.

CRM or Customer Relationship Management 

CRM, according to Derric, is used to track new leads, sales, contacts, and support and sales staff. Businesses can simplify their operations and enhance profitability by properly managing all communication and interactions with consumers and potential customers throughout their life cycle. He elaborates on the ease provided by CRM, by mentioning the data flexibility brought by it, which in turn helps clients manage their clients easily. 

CDP or Customer Data Platform

A CDP is a more advanced CRM that is generally separated from the act of marketing ie. taking action with the information. They may simplify customer experiences and communications across platforms, as well as understand consumer behaviour, by gathering primary data. The key distinction here is that this may be utilized across product and marketing. Such platforms are used mostly by enterprise retail and eCommerce businesses.  

ESP or Email Service Provider

An email marketing service provider (ESP) produces email marketing campaigns for your eCommerce business. ESP's email design tools for newsletters and automation, as well as segmentation, customization, triggers, email optimization tools, and other services, can be integral to an Ecommerce business.

During the course of his article, he shared a list of the finest email marketing service providers particularly for Ecommerce firms such as Pathfinder, Drip etc., and he highlighted Enalito in the Mid Market to Enterprise eCommerce stores segment. According to him, and quote “Enalito is Retail Lifecycle Automation which aims to deliver richer and more personalised customer experience based on trends and KPIs. They offer retailers and brands the opportunity for cross-channel marketing.” He believes that by providing brands with key data, Enalito is able to develop more effective, automated strategies that highlight their strengths and build upon their weaknesses. This feature by such a recognized author has humbled us to the ground, and we would like to thank Derric for his research and insight upon Enalito, while ensuring that we continue what we do best: provide and persevere! 

Derric concluded the article by examining how choosing the right email service provider can be one of the most essential decisions you can make in your business. If a business develops, so will its demands, which means that what was once started may no longer be the ideal option.

As your company grows, your requirements change and Derric Haynie encourages all of us to become more creative with our marketing strategies while keeping in mind our previous trends and plans for upcoming years. He implores the fact that it is vital to think critically about a business and consider what type of data, segmentation, and sequencing would work best for your type of business. In the end, he encourages users to not just ‘have’ the tool, but also use it to the best of their capabilities, which allows businesses to maximize benefits from such services and enables positive growth, which is the end goal of email marketing strategies, a goal we at Enalito are dedicated to!