How to choose the right email marketing platform

If you've started looking at email marketing platforms, you've probably realised there are a lot of them.

Everyone has a favourite, each provider will go on for days about how theirs is the [insert buzzword] platform to use and every comparison article comes up with a different top scorer. It's enough to make you want to close the laptop and think, "I'll come back to this another day."

The good news is you don't need to know every feature or compare dozens of platforms. You simply need to understand what you need now and what you might need as your business grows.

If you're still deciding whether email marketing is the right fit for your business, you might find my guide on Is an email list worth it for a small business? helpful before choosing a platform.

Here's what I'd think about before signing up.

 

Don't just choose for today

When you're first starting out, it's tempting to pick the cheapest option or the platform with the longest list of features.

Neither is necessarily the right, or wrong choice, but what you really want is a platform that can grow with you.

There's nothing worse than spending hours setting everything up, only to realise six months later that it's too limited for what you want to do, or the pricing suddenly becomes far more expensive than you expected.

Most small businesses don't need every bell and whistle straight away. They do need a platform that won't get in the way when they're ready to do a little bit more.

 

The most important email you'll ever send

I always say the most important email you'll ever send is the first one after someone signs up.

I'm not saying it needs to be a work of genius, it doesn't need fancy graphics or perfectly crafted copy. It just needs to arrive.

When someone joins your email list, they're interested in hearing from you right then. Sending a welcome email straight away reminds them why they signed up, delivers anything you've promised and starts building trust from day one.

It also helps build a positive relationship with email providers because your emails are arriving when people expect them. If someone signs up today but doesn't hear from you until your next newsletter lands two weeks later, there's a good chance they've already forgotten who you are.

That's why I'd always check whether a platform lets you create at least one simple welcome email automation, even on its free plan.

 

Ask yourself these questions before you choose

Rather than comparing dozens of features, ask yourself what you'll actually need.

 

Before you choose...	Why it matters
Can I send a welcome email automatically?	It helps build trust from day one and keeps you front of mind while people still remember signing up.
What happens when I reach 500 or 1,000 subscribers?	You don't want unexpected price jumps just as your business starts growing.
Can I organise people into groups or tags?	It makes it much easier to send relevant emails instead of the same message to everyone.
Are landing pages and forms included?	It could save you paying for another tool later on.
Can I build simple automations?	Even a basic welcome sequence can make a huge difference to your subscriber experience.
Is it easy to use?	If it feels complicated, you're much less likely to use it consistently.

 

What are the pricing plans?

Most platforms have a free plan, but they all work slightly differently.

Before signing up, check:

• How many subscribers are included?
• How many emails can I send each month?
• What happens when I reach the limit?
• Is the next pricing tier still affordable?

If you're hoping to grow your list to around 1,000 subscribers over the next year or two, it's worth looking at the longer-term pricing rather than just the free plan. Often the costs across different platforms end up being more similar than you might think.

 

Can I build forms and landing pages?

Most people need somewhere for people to sign up. Some platforms include unlimited forms and landing pages, while others limit how many you can create or reserve certain features for paid plans.

If you're planning to offer different freebies or create separate landing pages in the future, it's worth checking what's included before you commit.

 

Can I create simple automations?

You don't need complicated automations when you're starting out.

Something as simple as this is enough.

• Someone joins your email list.
• They receive a welcome email.
• Three days later they receive another helpful email.
• A few days after that they hear from you again.

That's an automation.

As your business grows, you might want longer welcome sequences or different journeys for different people, so it's worth checking how many automations and workflow steps your platform allows.

 

Can I organise my subscribers?

At some point you'll probably want to send different emails to different people.

For example:

• someone downloaded your free guide
• someone signed up for your newsletter
• someone is already a client

You probably won't want to send exactly the same emails to all three groups, this is where tags, groups and segmentation come in. Don't worry too much about the jargon, just check that it's easy to see how people joined your list and organise them in a way that makes sense to you.

 

Which platform do I recommend?

Personally, I use MailerLite because it ticks the boxes that matter most to me. It's simple to use, includes forms, landing pages and automations, and grows alongside your business without feeling overly complicated. To see my full reasoning head to: MailerLite: The best email marketing platform for small businesses?

If you'd like to have a look, you can use my affiliate link below. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but if you end up on a paid plan, I may receive a small commission. I only recommend tools I genuinely use myself.

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