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Email Service Provider
EXPERTS

The 1 (choosing), 2 (integrating), 3 (creating),  and The ab… 10 c’s of email,  emailexpert is here to help you make sense of it all.
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What is an email service provider?

A Reliable and Efficient Email Service Provider is like Oxygen for Business

An Email Service Provider (ESP) is the mechanism that allows for bulk and marketing emails to be sent across the internet. If you are using email to send marketing emails, sales communications or alerts then you will need a dedicated email service provider for these bulk or systemised emails.

An Email Service Provider:

  • Protects your domain when you are sending bulk, large volumes or automated email communications
  • Manages your subscribers or customers and allows for them to unsubscribe or opt-out of your emails, which is essential for global businesses
  • Ensures emails are CAN-SPAM compliant providing you with tools and directions to produce emails that are compliant with global conditions and legislation around email marketing and privacy
  • Ensures maximum deliverability so that your emails are sent directly to inbox’s and not caught in junk or spam

Emails Service Providers can be standalone systems or may come combined with marketing tools to assist you in creating emails and email marketing campaigns, optimising your marketing funnel and customer journey and reporting on your previous sends.

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Popular Questions about Email Service Providers

What is the difference between an email provider and an email service provider?

It sounds like double-dutch but there is a big difference in one small word – “service”. An email provider is the company that provides your general email and gives you an email address. You can then use either your email provider or an email client to login and access the emails sent to that address.

The big email providers are Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo. There are both free and paid versions of these services. Most web hosting companies will also offer email as part of the package – these are all standard email providers.

An email service provider is different as it uses a list of subscribers to send emails to. It is how marketing and bulk emails are sent to gain maximum deliverability and adhere to legislation and guidelines around email privacy and communications.

Why can’t I send marketing emails via my email client?

Marketing emails that are sent via a traditional email setup will flag as spam as the normal email providers are not designed to handle the volume of traffic sent for marketing and e-commerce purposes. Sending bulk emails through an ordinary email provider is never a good idea, leading to deliverability ramifications for your business. In many cases, email accounts can be barred or your domain can be blacklisted, both of which can lead to catastrophic consequences for your business.

How do I choose an Email Service Provider?

When looking for an email service provider it is important to think about how your business works and what your needs are in a provider. Some businesses will simply need a service to ensure their email list is maintained and their email marketing messages get into inboxes with reporting to ensure transparency and results. Other organisations will want to use a platform that integrates more features such as an email builder and more sophisticated marketing reporting and email marketing optimisation options.

What should I look for in an Email Service Provider?

Choosing an Email Service Provider can be daunting as there are hundreds in the marketplace. Like with any piece of technology or marketing software, it is important to look at what your business needs and then match that requirement to the features of the email service provider. Here are a few additional important things to look out for in an email service provider.

  • IP Address Ask the email service provider how they manage IP addresses on their platform. You should be looking for an ESP that provides a private IP address or one that limits the number of users per IP address.
  • CAN-SPAM Act Requirements Does the ESP meet CAN-SPAM Act requirements?
  • What is the ESP’s deliverability metrics? Are they happy to share this data and do they have strategies in place for good deliverability of your emails?

An Email Service Provider is an essential tool in your marketing toolkit. A robust and reliable ESP enables you to engage better with your clients to ensure that they turn into customers who have a great experience with your business and your brand.