It’s not secret that I dislike Mailchimp. Talk to me for 5 minutes and I’ll tell you why.
We don’t have five minutes, so I’ll go ahead and jump right in.
1. The templates ARE NOT flexible.
You are at the mercy of their templates every time you design an email.
Want to have a row of 3 images instead of 2? Oh, no big deal, then you’re gonna need to redesign that email in a totally different template.
Yes, seriously.
I have been here and HATED it.
2. The automations aren’t super great either.
Want an email automation that actually DOES what you want it to? Prepare yourself for hours of hacking your way through alternative routes to get it done.
(and don’t get me started on their segments)
3. Only ONE form per list.
If you have multiple forms that you want to custom tag your audience so that they all go on the same list, forget about it. You only get one FORM.
Many other email service providers provide you with limitless forms that all can go to one list.
BEST ALTERNATIVES TO MAILCHIMP:
TOP RECOMMENDATION: ActiveCampaign
Plain and simple, ActiveCampaign will get you the biggest bang for your buck.
You can segment your audience very easily.
The automations are in an actual visual map instead of a confusing list (*cough* Mailchimp *cough*).
Their email template builder is SUPER flexible.
AND you can track website behavior of your contacts to see what they’re browsing before they buy.
They do not have a free version, but if you’re serious about email marketing for your business, I HIGHLY recommend investing in a tool like ActiveCampaign.
I use it for my own business and have migrated several clients over to it who also love it.
BONUS: They have a tiered package that offers a CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) that can help you keep track of your sales pipeline if you’re a service-based business.
Mailerlite offers visual automation flows and beautiful, flexible templates.
Their segmentation is robust enough to create personalized experiences for your email subscribers.
AND their automation is a beautiful visual flow that is incredibly user-friendly and gives you options for creating truly optimized automation strategies.
BEST FOR E-COMMERCE: Klaviyo
If you’re selling products online, Klaviyo is incredible!
I’ve worked in top dollar Email Service Providers that can’t do what Klaviyo does.
It harvests your customers’ purchasing data and can predict when they will order next. It’s so cool!
It integrates with most retail and e-commerce platforms.
For real, if you’re planning to sell products online (or at a brick-and-mortar store) check it out.
***full disclosure: I am an affiliate for all of these services. I receive a small commission for anyone who signs up for these services through the links above.