Updated Nov 3, 2022

Ep 9: Best Email Marketing Software for Small Businesses?

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Considering which email marketing software is right for your small business? Then you're in the right place…

I’ve been really excited about recording today’s episode because it’s a question I get ALL THE TIME and one that trips up a lot of business owners. 

And because I’ve got a super cool free gift for you… like, 100% free – you don’t even have to subscribe.  But you have to wait until the end to get it. So stick with me – I promise you’re gonna love it. 

If you’ve been listening to the podcast, you already know how important building your email list is…  And how profitable email marketing can be. 

But there are so many options when it comes to software that it can be overwhelming. 

When I started in 2008 there were really only two options… 
Aweber and GetResponse.

Now there are at least a dozen decent options to choose from like ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, MailerLite… etc, and lots of people who swear by all of them. Which makes choosing the right one for your business tricky. 

Well, I’ve tried all of them – because I have a weird obsession with testing new software.  So today, I’m going to make it easy for you. 

I’m going to say something controversial here that some people aren’t going to like. 

You shouldn’t consider any of them. 

Here’s why… 

As the CEO of your business, you shouldn’t be looking at it in bits and pieces…

You have to have a bigger-picture view. 

So asking yourself a question like “What email marketing software should I choose?” Is really short-sighted. 

Because you don’t just need email marketing software. 

  • You need a customer relationship manager (CRM for short) that allows you to see how each contact is interacting with your business. 
  • You need a landing page creator to build the pages (forms and popups) to actually build the mailing list. 
  • You need a way to accept payments
  • You might want an affiliate system to allow you to track referrals
    You probably need a way to deliver your content (like a membership or course site). 
  • If you sell physical products, you’ll need a way to handle the fulfillment process. 
  • And of course, you need to be able to send email. 

AND they all need to be able to talk to each other. If technology isn’t your jam, all these integrations are gonna be a headache… tech is my jam and they’re a headache. 

If your only criteria was email marketing, you’d come up with much different answer. 

So instead of giving you that short-sighted solution, instead, let’s change the question. 

Which Email Marketing Software Should I Use to Run my Business? 

Because if you choose a good one, it should be able to do just about everything I mentioned (and more), without having to think about a bunch of integrations. 

And in most cases, you’ll get everything you need in one place – under 1 login – for way less than you would have paid to piecemeal it together. 

If you decide to go with software that handles email exclusively, you have find a software that does each of the other things you need as well… 

This leads to tech headaches when you need complex integrations to make things work, and to frustration when you start to add up the unexpected costs. 

Email Marketing Software Hidden Costs

  • Email Marketing Software: $20/month (starts to go up as your list grows) 
  • Lead Capture Page Software: $97/month
  • Course Platform: $97/month
  • Affiliate Software: $50/month
  • Total: $270/month+

So in answer to that question, there are really only 3 software suites on the market that are up to the task. And only one that I’m going to recommend – whether you’re making $1000 a month, or a million. 

Woah… I know right? 

But I’m on a shoestring budget and just want an email marketing software that’s free… and I’ll just send people to a PayPal page. 

Ok… I get it. But you’re on the wrong podcast. 

We’re talking about creating systems and leverage that lead to greater profit and time freedom.  Free autoresponders and PayPal aren’t gonna do that for you. 

So, if you’re here because you want to grow your business quickly, using software that is built to scale with you as you grow – this is for you. 

So without further ado, here are the three software suites that are up to the task (you’ve probably heard of them) as well as my recommendation (and some free templates to help get you started). 

Keep (Formerly Infusionsoft)

Keep (Formerly Infusionsoft) – Infusionsoft was really the first all-in-one style platform on the market for solopreneur-type businesses. Unfortunately, most of the clients I have who have used this software have found it overly complex and the user interface isn’t user-friendly at all.  If you’re someone who would consider themselves “tech challenged,” I’d avoid this one – unless you have the budget to hire someone to manage it for you. 

Kartra

Kartra – Kartra has been around a while now, and having been built by marketers it’s definitely got that shiny “you want to buy me” feel.  I actually really like the platform interface and it’s got a great feature set… Unfortunately, new tech always comes with bugs and Kartra is still working out the kinks. I actually have an account so I’m speaking from experience… as much as I like the platform, I don’t like feeling like I’m the guinea pig when choosing the platform I’m going to build my entire business on. 

Go HighLevel

Go HighLevel – These guys are the newest and also the fastest to develop new features. They are truly all in one – email marketing, landing pages, sales pipeline, two-way text message marketing, calendar system, affiliate management, social media management etc. so if you've ever been frustrated trying to link up your calendars or create beautiful landing pages… GoHighLevel is really top of my list. If I wasn't so embedded with Ontraport, this is probably who I'd choose. In fact, I've been setting up clients on my own white label version (Salesflows) with incredible results. If you're just getting started and want a pro setup done super fast, our team will hook you up.

Ontraport

Ontraport – these guys have been around for more than 10 years (under the name OfficeAutopilot). They handle your entire business in one place, and their customer support is incredible. Every new customer gets 2 full hours of live, one-on-one onboarding support included, and beyond that, you can be on a live Zoom call, usually within an hour if you run into a snag.

It’s what I’ve been using to run my business for the past 5 years… (I actually spent a week in Santa Barbara to become certified in their software 4 years ago), and I’ve spoken at their Ontrapalooza event the last two years in a row… I like them that much.

And honestly, when it comes to pricing, support, and ease of use – it’s really a toss up between Ontraport and GoHighLevel.
It’s what I start clients on even if they’re just getting started, and it’s the same software clients like Dana Malstaff uses to run her internationally recognized brand Boss Mom, and what Dan Klein uses to run his multimillion-dollar business. 

What’s so awesome about that is you get to start with the same software you’re going to grow with… which means you only go through the learning curve once ? 

et to start with the same software you’re going to grow with… which means you only go through the learning curve once ? 

So – you can see I’m a pretty strong advocate for Ontraport… and if you’re looking for a solution for your business I’d highly recommend you check it out. 

Best Email Marketing Software Title Goes to…

Ontraport.

Get Your Freebies Here ?

That’s why to help you make a decision I’ve got a goodie bag for you… 

First, you’ll need an Ontraport account – I’ve secured you a free trial – just visit https://marrsmarketing.com/ontraporttrial

Once you’ve got that, you’re going to want some templates to work with so I’m giving you a proven funnel you can plug directly into your account with one click along with video training on how to tweak it to be perfect for your business. 

Just send me an email once you’ve got your trial account through that link (this is for new subscribers only) and I'll send you access. 

And, if you decide that you love it and become a paying subscriber, you’ll get lifetime access to my Ontraport for Virtual Assistants program – so that you can get your team trained on how to use the software – giving you even more time freedom ? 

So hopefully you’ve found this helpful and you’re no longer asking yourself which email marketing software is right for your business… 

Give Ontraport a try for free – trust me, you’ll be thanking me years from now when your competition has had to switch software 5 times and you’re fully automated and loving life. 

Table of Contents

    6 thoughts on “Ep 9: Best Email Marketing Software for Small Businesses?”

    1. Hello there Dawn. Thank you for sharing this list and tips. They really are great help for me. I believe that many are about to be educated by this. This is such a good read. Have a nice day ahead.

      – Jedd

    2. Maintaining a continual stay-in-touch campaign with your clients and customers is critical in this information age, and its fundamental to modern marketing for any business big or small. This makes the platform or software you use very important.
      Thanks for these powerful insights!

    3. This post is providing something amazing about email marketing software. I appreciate the reading. I hope people will find something amazing here. By the way, I am going to share the post on my social media pages to see my friends and followers. It’s hard the start-ups. By the way, I appreciate your hard work on data research.

    4. Email marketing is one of the most efficient and effective ways to market your company or product. There are a variety of email marketing software options available, so it can be hard to decide which one is best for your business. This guide will help you choose the best email marketing software for your needs.

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