Forum Moderators: buckworks
Would like the software to be affordable, easy to use, and secure from proprietary list leeches (where the program shares the list with other companies - or the software publisher/creator).
Doesn't have to support HTML newsletters, but it would be nice. I just want it to be functional and cost-efficient.
Any suggestions?
There is a plug-in to handle subscribe/unsubscribe messages, but you need one of the paid versions to use plug-ins. Reasonable prices, though - $80-$180, depending on which version you get.
I have been playing with PromaSoft's AutoResponder, but I'm just not 100% comfortable with it yet - it does offer incredible tracking capability, but seems a little crash-prone and has a pretty steep learning curve. Others here keep pointing me towards hosted auto-responder solutions, and maybe that is the way to go.
Mach 5 also makes a bulk e-mailer that works well and is inexpensive, and includes a basic subscribe/unsubscribe program.
Jumping way up the curve in price and complexity is Post-Master. However, they offer live telephone support even for the demo version, which I found pretty impressive.
I would be happy to hear what other people are using. If I could find the simplicity and reliability of GroupMail with the recipient-level tracking of PromaSoft, I might have my perfect program. In the meantime, I'm not sure auto-responding (as opposed to just mailing) is a task well-suited to the desktop.
I am considering Topica. Is there anyone who used it? Do they use my list for their own database?
Thanks
QNetwork
I will be handling the subscribe/unsubscribe directly through our site - and we just extract the subscriptions table when we need to do our mailings (quarterly from now on).
I was thinking of just using a server object to send the mail through our site, but then when I thought about it, it was a bad idea on many levels - so we've opted to go with a desktop solution.
Anyone else with suggestions? In the meantime, looks like I'll go check out GroupMail.
I try to stay away from anything where my list is uploaded externally (out of this office). I deal with a few very "hard-to-compile" lead lists - some that I know a few companies would pay big dollars for (already was approached with six figures to sell a client's list - unfortunately for that dishonest party, I don't play that game.)
I trust MS with my lists like I would trust a plumber with rectal surgery.
I am using the built-in tracking for testing - I am sure if I started using the program I would switch to cgi tracking. But tracking does work - pinpoints who has opened mail, at least HTML versions.
I am also trying some Internet-based mailers. Internet Mail Manager seems to work pretty well, and handles subscribe/unsubscribe automatically. Reasonable monthly fee; free under 200 mails a month.
emaillabs.com has a pretty nice service, but pricing starts at $500 per month. Hard to justify that to a client. And amazingly, they never responded to my e-mails requesting a demo - I had to call. Not a good sign for a company that markets autoresponder services!
Unfortunately, it seems to step up the ladder to something like Lyris ($1500 entry fee and $100 a month or more) or emaillabs ($500 per month minimum) brings on a huge premium in dollars but not much difference in functionality - at least not a 10-fold difference in functionality. If Internet Mail Manager only offered a text and HTML option. Any other suggestions? The more I do this the more I don't want a desktop solution.
Sorry for the ignorant question but I have to ask
There are no ignorant questions :)
I have done exactly that, although I find Outlook Express better suited to the purpose (although I use Outlook for my regular mail program).
Reasons to not use OE or Outlook:
1) mail comes addresed to the name of your distribution list (at best) or to "undisclosed recipient" at worst. Mail from, say, GroupMail, will come addressed to "Your Name."
2) Multipart - After hanging out here for a while, I realize that there are many users out there who do not use an HTML-capable e-mail program, or perhaps their administrator has turned off HTML capability (never worried about that before I started reading here ;)). A good bulk mailing solution will let you send a separate text message along with your HTML mail. Of course, if you're not doing HTML, that is not a consideration.
3) Unsubscribes - not a major issue with a few hundred people, but having them handled automatically is nice.
Just a few thoughts...
One minor complaint is that the backup features don't seem very transparent. It seems that in a shared list hosting environment, everyone is in one enormous database. Thus, you can't back up your "file", you need to run some kind of export routine to create a separate file, which can then be downloaded or backed up. Then again, it might be a version thing - I'm still on 4.
I could FedEx my newsletters for those kinds of dollars :) I am sure for those with huge lists, that kind of money is not a consideration. It is for me, though.
Interesting comparison you made between OE and Outlook, I will have to look more into it.
