Why You May Want to Switch Email Platforms
There are several common reasons why you may decide to switch email service providers:
- Outgrowing Your Current Platform’s Features or Capacity: As your business and list grow, you may find your old platform doesn’t offer the level of segmentation, automation and advanced features you now need. Upgrading to a more powerful email platform can provide more sophisticated options.
- Seeking Better Analytics and Reporting: If your current email reports don’t provide the depth of data you want, switching platforms can give you access to more detailed statistics on opens, clicks, unsubscribes, spam complaints and more.
- Identifying Deliverability Issues: If your current platform has developed a poor sender reputation leading to low inbox placement, a fresh start with a new IP can improve your email deliverability.
- Wanting Lower Costs: As your email volumes increase, the costs of your current platform may have gotten too high. Changing to a more affordable provider can lower your email marketing expenses.
- Seeking More Sophisticated Automation and Segmentation: Basic email platforms only offer limited options for automating workflows and segmenting your lists. Switching to a more advanced platform enables more personalized, timely and relevant email campaigns.
Choosing Your New Email Marketing Platform
When selecting a new email service provider, you’ll want to thoroughly evaluate potential platforms to find the best option for your specific needs. Here are some key factors to consider:
- Features & Functionality – Carefully review and compare features across platforms. Look for key capabilities like automation, segmentation, template libraries, analytics, and more. Ensure the platform provides the tools you need to execute your email campaigns and strategy.
- Deliverability – One of the biggest risks in switching platforms is hurting your sender reputation and deliverability. Prioritize platforms that offer sophisticated deliverability monitoring, alerting, and optimization capabilities. This will give you the best chance of maintaining your sender score through the transition.
- Cost & Scalability – Evaluate both current pricing and options to scale up your account over time. Look for a cost-effective solution that can grow with your business. Watch for any hidden fees or complex pricing structures.
- Reviews & Reputation – Check third-party reviews and talk to others who have used the platform. An established reputation and satisfied customer base is a good sign. But also verify the platform has appropriate deliverability expertise and resources to support your transition.
Thoroughly testing potential platforms by sending test campaigns on a small scale is also recommended. Take time upfront to find the best email service provider for long-term success. The right platform will provide the features you need plus the deliverability capabilities to make switching seamless.
Exporting Data from Your Current Platform
Before switching to a new email provider, you’ll want to make sure you export all of your subscriber data from your current platform. Here are some key things to extract:
- Subscriber lists – Download your full subscriber list, including all contact details like names, emails, locations, etc. You’ll import this into the new platform.
- Email templates – Save all of your pre-designed email templates, including the images, content blocks, and formatting. Most platforms allow exporting HTML templates.
- Campaign data – Pull out stats and performance data on all your email campaigns. This includes open rates, click rates, unsubscribe rates, deliverability rates, and more. You’ll want campaign analytics to reference later.
- Images and content – Download any images, documents or other content used in your emails. Don’t lose important branding assets and copy in the transition.
Take your time gathering all this data from your current platform. It can take a while to export large subscriber lists from some tools. But having clean, complete data will make it much easier to start sending and segmenting once you setup your new email service provider.
Setting Up and Testing Your New Platform
Once you’ve chosen a new email service provider, it’s time to set up your account and start testing things out. Here are some tips for safely switching over:
- Create your account and connect your website domain to the new platform. This allows you to start sending from your branded domain right away.
- Set up confirmation processes for new subscriber sign-ups. You want to make sure every new subscriber is legitimate before sending them emails.
- Build templates and import creative assets like images from your old platform. Recreate your sign-up forms, automations, and regular newsletter templates in the new system.
- Send test emails to small batches of engaged subscribers to see how the emails look and perform. Start with just 1-2% of your list so you can work out any issues before rolling out more broadly.
- Seek feedback, monitor engagement, and refine the process. Check open and click rates to see if they differ from your old platform. Ask subscribers for input on the templates and content. Tweak things until you’re satisfied.
Going slow with lots of testing is crucial to ensure your new platform is operating smoothly before migrating over fully. Take the time to get things right during this transition period.
Switching Over Fully to the New Platform
Once you’ve set up your new email marketing platform and feel comfortable with how it works, it’s time to fully transition over from your old platform. This needs to be done carefully and gradually in order to avoid disruptions that could hurt your deliverability rate.
First, start increasing the volume and frequency of your email sends through the new platform. You can begin sending more broadcasts, automations, and campaigns, bringing them in line with the level of email activity you had on your old platform. Monitor the deliverability rate closely and make sure it remains consistent even as your send volume rises.
Next, you’ll want to update your DNS settings to direct all traffic to the new platform. This will ensure new sign ups, unsubscribes, bounces, and other email events are all routing properly through your new provider. Keep the old platform active during this period in case any issues come up that require reversing the DNS switch temporarily.
As the new platform takes over fully, wind down messaging on the old platform systematically. Stop sending broadcasts and campaigns, but keep essential automations like welcome emails active as long as you still have subscribers on the old platform.
Throughout the transition, keep a close eye on your deliverability rate and performance metrics. Watch for any unusual spikes in spam complaints or drops in inbox placement, which could indicate deliverability problems arising from the switch. If you notice anything concerning, you may need to pause the migration and troubleshoot before continuing.
With a gradual, meticulous approach, you can successfully switch email service providers without negatively impacting your sender reputation. Just take it slow, follow email best practices, and keep deliverability at the forefront. Then you’ll seamlessly complete the transition while still delivering your emails to the inbox.
Frequently Asked Questions about Switching Email Platforms
Why should I consider switching email service providers?
You might switch providers due to outgrowing your current platform’s features, seeking better analytics, identifying deliverability issues, wanting to reduce costs, or needing more sophisticated automation and segmentation capabilities.
What should I look for in a new email marketing platform?
When choosing a new platform, consider features and functionality, deliverability support, cost and scalability, and the platform’s reputation and customer reviews. Prioritize platforms that fit your specific needs and offer a smooth transition.
How do I export data from my current email platform?
Export your subscriber lists, email templates, campaign data, and any used images or content. Ensure you have a complete dataset to import into your new platform for a seamless transition.
What are the steps for setting up and testing a new email platform?
Create your account, set up confirmation processes, import creative assets, and send test emails to a small portion of your list. Seek feedback, monitor engagement, and refine your processes before fully transitioning.
How do I fully switch over to a new email marketing platform?
Gradually increase your email send volume on the new platform, update your DNS settings, and systematically wind down messaging on the old platform. Monitor deliverability closely to ensure a smooth transition without impacting your sender reputation.