Launched in 2004, Benchmark Email has grown into a trusted email marketing service, serving over 150,000 loyal users with its user-friendly platform designed for small to medium-sized businesses. But with so many options available, is Benchmark Email the perfect fit for your specific needs?
This comprehensive Benchmark Email review dives deep into every facet of the tool, evaluating its features, strengths, weaknesses, and pricing. Here’s a quick summary of what we found:
Benchmark Email Software Review Summary
Benchmark Email Marketing is a robust email software solution that small and medium-sized businesses will find incredibly valuable.
- Creating your very first email newsletter is exceptionally straightforward.
- They offer a generous free plan, and their paid plans deliver excellent value for money.
- New users will appreciate the clean, intuitive interface and extensive help articles.
- While automations aren’t overly complex, the autoresponders and triggered emails effectively meet most needs.
- Customer support is personalized and provides quick responses to any queries.
True to its promise, Benchmark Email makes it fast to get started and easy to use. If your primary focus is sending newsletters and promotional emails, it’s definitely worth exploring.
Key Features of Benchmark Email
While many marketers utilize Benchmark Email for sending newsletters, its capabilities extend far beyond. You can automate triggered campaigns, grow your email list, send welcome emails, and much more. Let’s explore the most important features of Benchmark Email marketing software:
- Drag-and-Drop Editor: Experience an intuitive, block-based design interface with real-time email previews, making email creation exceptionally easy.
- Email Templates: Access over 200 professionally designed templates, intelligently categorized and available in multiple languages to suit diverse needs.
- Marketing Automation: Benchmark Email excels in automating email sequences and managing contacts, featuring a smart visual builder for seamless workflow creation.
- A/B Testing: Optimize your email campaigns by testing various elements like subject lines, copy, calls-to-action (CTAs), and send times to discover what resonates best with your audience.
- Landing Page Builder: As a valuable bonus, Benchmark Email includes a straightforward landing page builder with extensive content options, though it offers a limited number of templates.
- Integrations: Connect with over 1500 popular technologies and applications, ensuring smooth integration with your existing marketing stack.
- Customer Support: Reach out to Benchmark Email‘s responsive and helpful support team via phone, email, and live chat, available to assist you promptly.
In-Depth Benchmark Email Review
When you sign up for Benchmark Email, they claim you can send your first email in under 15 minutes. While that’s a bold promise, the platform certainly makes it feel effortless. Upon first opening Benchmark Email, you’re greeted by a welcoming introduction dashboard.
Intelligent assistant prompts are strategically placed throughout the Benchmark Email interface, guiding you through each step. You can immediately “start building” and begin drafting your first email campaign.
Benchmark Email Marketing: Sending Emails
Let’s dive into the process of sending an email. As a dedicated email marketing tool, Benchmark Email empowers you to create various types of campaigns, including:
- Newsletters
- RSS/Blog Emails
- Autoresponders
- Recurring Emails
- Date-Triggered Emails
- Automated Email Campaigns
The email editor is intuitive and simple to use. To truly grasp the ease of Benchmark Email, we recommend you try it for free today.
Email Templates
When creating a new email, you select a template and jump straight into action. Benchmark Email offers an impressive 221 free email templates, ensuring you’ll always find a suitable starting point. Templates are conveniently categorized by type, occasion, or industry.
Hovering over any template provides a quick, detailed preview – a very handy feature. A pleasant surprise is the inclusion of templates for specific platforms like eBay, Etsy, and SurveyMonkey. Once you connect any of these to Benchmark Email, these specialized email templates become instantly available.
If you prefer not to use templates, you also have the option to use the code editor and import any HTML design you’ve created.
Benchmark Email also offers templates in several foreign languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish – a commendable global approach.
Benchmark Email Editor
With your template or layout chosen, you move directly into the email editor. The first thing you’ll notice is the ability to edit all text and images directly inline, allowing you to see the real-time results of your email as you build it.
The drag-and-drop editor is the most common method for creating marketing emails, and Benchmark Email employs a clever design approach. You can drag and drop pre-built blocks, such as “image card” or “image groups,” from the left side of the screen directly into your email. This streamlines the element combination process, so you don’t have to worry about piecing them together yourself.
This drag-and-drop functionality works flawlessly, offering a faster and simpler way to create emails. It’s especially beneficial for beginners, allowing you to bypass some design steps and focus directly on your email content.
The email editor lets you edit and preview the entire email on a single screen, enabling you to move or delete blocks on the fly. The block duplication feature is incredibly useful; instead of building a new block from scratch, simply copy an existing one and update its text or images.
Spam Check and Send Tests
One of the most valuable features in the Benchmark Email editor are the pre-send spam checks. These ensure your email is deliverable and renders correctly. You’ll find them in the small “test” roll-up menu at the bottom.
You can send test emails to up to five contacts for review. A spam check provides your email with a spam score and actionable recommendations to reduce the likelihood of it being flagged as spam. For example, when testing a poorly designed email, Benchmark Email highlighted low-contrast colors that could negatively impact spam ranking.
Inbox Checker and Previews
Email previews are available for desktop, mobile, and plain text. The Inbox Checker demonstrates how your email campaign will appear across various email clients.
The Inbox Checker is powered by Litmus, one of the leading email testing platforms. While tests incur a small additional cost, they are highly economical, priced at $14 for 100 tests. Alternatively, sign up today and receive 100 Inbox Checkers for free, along with a 15% discount on the annual plan and a complimentary list verification for your subscriber list.
Benchmark Email Marketing Automation Tools
Now, let’s explore marketing automation. Benchmark Email offers two tiers of marketing automation. Automation Lite is available for free across all plans, allowing you to create basic trigger-based emails.
Automation Lite offers three types of triggers:
- List Triggers: Send an email when someone subscribes to a list.
- Scheduled Emails: Perfect for sending birthday greetings or other time-sensitive messages.
- Drip Campaigns: Ideal for follow-ups, membership renewals, or ongoing marketing sequences.
Timing is crucial in automation. Benchmark Email allows you to precisely schedule email delivery by adding delays and selecting specific days of the week or time zones, ensuring your message reaches recipients at the optimal moment.
Automation Lite is an excellent starting point for simple email marketing automation. If you require more advanced control and options, we recommend upgrading to Benchmark Email‘s Automation Pro.
With Automation Pro, you can:
- Personalize your subscribers’ experience based on their behavior on your website and interactions with your emails.
- Target contacts from multiple lists or segments within a single automation workflow.
- Visualize how your customers interact and convert throughout their journey, enabling you to make data-driven adjustments for improvement.
Benchmark Email offers 11 useful automation templates.
Automation Pro comes with 11 pre-built automation templates, covering common scenarios like abandoned cart campaigns and retargeting efforts.
As an example, we explored the template “Promote and Target Opens, Clicks and Website Engagement.”
Benchmark Email does an excellent job of explaining what these automation templates accomplish. They clearly outline expectations, how the automation functions, required assets, and provide a video walkthrough for each step, which significantly saves time and simplifies understanding.
Once you load your chosen template, you’re presented with the automation builder, which is sleek, easy to understand, and simple to navigate.
This particular automation begins when a contact joins a list, immediately sending the first email. Subsequently, a delay is added, and contacts are segmented based on their email opens, clicks, and website visits. Depending on their behavior, they are then added to different email lists.
The visual automation builder is truly remarkable. With automations, you can trigger emails, add contacts to different lists, send SMS messages, and much more. While other email software with a focus on automation, like ActiveCampaign, allow for dynamic emails and complex flows, Benchmark Email maintains simplicity and directness. But how do we get people onto our lists in the first place?
Lead Generation with Benchmark Email
There are several integrated methods within Benchmark Email to generate leads and capture email addresses. These features are valuable bonuses, especially if you don’t already have dedicated lead generation tools or a landing page builder. They are incredibly practical if you’re just starting out.
Benchmark Email Opt-in Forms
Benchmark Email provides embedded forms, pop-ups, and third-party form integrations.
The embedded form builder offers various customization options. You can change the title, image, and styling, and add as many fields as you need. The form sends a standard confirmation email, or you can automate triggered follow-ups or incentive emails. Simply select the contact list as a trigger in an automation, add all your follow-up emails, and you’re good to go!
Designing a pop-up is similar, with a few additional global settings. You can control how the pop-up appears and grabs visitors’ attention.
The form builder is self-explanatory. One suggestion is for Benchmark Email to add more form templates, similar to the excellent job they’ve done with email templates. This would significantly ease the workload for their users. For now, if you need custom forms, you can always integrate them with third-party applications.
Benchmark Landing Page Builder
Consistent with its other features, Benchmark Email keeps its landing page builder user-friendly. You begin by choosing from one of three layouts or seven pre-designed templates.
The landing page builder features a drag-and-drop editor, allowing you to sculpt your design using various layouts and content blocks. Even with a limited number of templates, the editing experience is quite good compared to some other landing page builders.
Easily add elements such as:
- Columns
- Images
- Videos
- Text blocks
- Buttons
- Navigation bars
- Forms
- Social media widgets
- And much more
Seamlessly switch between desktop and mobile views to ensure your landing page looks perfect on all devices.
Don’t forget to measure your landing page’s performance with tracking integrations for Google Analytics, Tag Manager, and Facebook Pixel.
Crucially, landing pages can be displayed on your own custom domain, making them appear as a seamless part of your existing website.
List Management
Importing contact lists into Benchmark Email is a straightforward process. When you upload a CSV file, Benchmark Email intelligently asks which fields you wish to retain and import.
Benchmark Email thoroughly verifies all your contacts, identifying any email addresses that are invalid, risky (high bounce probability), or unresponsive.
This is an excellent way to maintain a clean email list and ensure high engagement rates for your campaigns.
Speaking of segmentation, you can create segments based on any data you possess about your contacts. Furthermore, you can build targeted lists based on interactions such as email opens and clicks.
The list view displays contact email addresses, names, and engagement ratings. You can search across all fields and criteria using the search bar.
With the list cleaning tool, you can easily add individuals to your suppression list. There’s no need to send emails to contacts who have unsubscribed, bounced, or haven’t interacted with your emails for an extended period.
Reports and Analytics
To effectively measure and enhance your email campaigns, you need clear results. Benchmark Email provides standard email statistics on open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates.
An interesting reporting feature is the geolocation graph, which breaks down opens by country, offering valuable audience insights.
If you wish to analyze the performance of each link within an email, there’s a dedicated overview called link performance statistics. Benchmark Email also offers an hourly performance graph and an email heat map.
For more in-depth statistics, you can integrate with tools like Google Analytics for deeper performance analysis.
Other useful reports included in the Benchmark Email dashboard are:
- Automation Reports
- A/B Testing Reports
- Complaint Reports
- Survey and Poll Reports
- Engagement Reports
For landing pages, you’ll gain statistics on:
- Visitors
- Conversions
- And Conversion Rates
Please note that a direct display for subscription numbers isn’t available; these figures are determined by cross-referencing the email list they subscribed to.
The presentation of these KPIs and statistics makes them easy to interpret and act upon. Most data can be exported to CSV or XLS files for custom data handling.
Integrations
Benchmark Email performs exceptionally well compared to other email marketing services when it comes to integrations. It offers over 1,500 integrations with popular categories such as:
- CRM systems
- E-commerce platforms
- Social Media tools
- Lead Generation services
- Productivity apps
This includes widely used integrations like Google, Facebook, Zapier, Shopify, WordPress, PayPal, Zendesk, and many more.
If you need other applications to access your API key, you’ll find it under Account > Settings > Integrations > API Key. Should an integration you need not be available, Benchmark Email encourages you to contact their support team, who will assist you in establishing the connection.
Benchmark Email Customer Support
Benchmark Email‘s customer support is renowned for being responsive and friendly. They offer phone support for the UK, USA, and an international hotline.
Even with a free plan, Benchmark Email encourages users to contact them for setup assistance. You can connect via email, live chat, or phone, with support available 24/7.
A comprehensive library of ebooks, webinars, and videos on various topics is also readily available.
User reviews on platforms like G2 and Trustpilot consistently highlight positive experiences, particularly praising the quality of support received.
Benchmark Email Pricing and Plans
Benchmark Email offers Free, Lite, Pro, and Enterprise plans. We recommend starting with the free plan today and upgrading to a paid plan when your business needs grow. The Lite plan starts at $9.99 USD and scales up as your contact list expands.
The Enterprise plan caters to businesses with over 25,000 contacts. If you manage more than 2 million contacts, you can request a customized pricing quote.
Benchmark Email Discount
Looking for a great deal on Benchmark Email? We’ve got you covered. Register for free today and get a 15% discount on the annual plan. Additionally, you’ll receive a free list verification for your email list, plus 100 Inbox Checkers powered by Litmus, completely free. This is an excellent opportunity to enhance your email marketing strategy.
Benchmark Email: Pros and Cons
What We Liked Most
- Benchmark Email offers a robust free plan, allowing up to 500 contacts and 3500 emails per month.
- Choose from over 1,500 integrations, with the flexibility to create custom integrations if needed.
- An extensive collection of email templates caters to virtually any industry or campaign type.
- The platform makes creating email campaigns incredibly easy and intuitive.
- Benefit from powerful and reliable list cleaning options to maintain high deliverability.
Areas for Improvement
- Extra media storage is offered as a paid add-on.
- More template options for pop-up forms would enhance flexibility.
Benchmark Email Verdict: Is It The Right Newsletter Service For You?
Our review aimed to evaluate Benchmark Email as a tool for both new businesses and agencies. It stands out as an excellent starting tool, offering flexible templates and hassle-free dashboards. Here’s how we rated Benchmark Email:
- Ease of Use: 5 / 5
- Value for Money: 4 / 5
- Email Editor & Templates: 4.5 / 5
- Functionality: 4 / 5
- Email Automation: 4 / 5
- Customer Service: 4.8 / 5
Overall Score: 4.4 / 5
Benchmark Email achieves top scores for its user interface, diverse templates, and exceptional customer support. Overall, it’s a fantastic tool for sending straightforward email newsletters. Beginners will find it incredibly easy to get started and utilize effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is Benchmark Email free?
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Does Benchmark Email include autoresponders?
Is Benchmark Email a good service?
What support options does Benchmark Email include?
Does Benchmark Email offer discounts for non-profit organizations?
What kind of training content does Benchmark Email provide?
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Top Alternatives to Benchmark Email
While this review extensively covers Benchmark Email, we understand you might be exploring similar email marketing services or looking for benchmarks to compare against. Here are some of the best alternatives:
Brevo
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) stands out with an excellent free plan and highly competitive pricing even on its paid tiers, making it one of the most affordable email software options available. Its email editor is user-friendly and enjoyable for newsletter creation.
Mailerlite
Mailerlite is a simple, yet effective email newsletter software that consistently delivers. They offer an outstanding free plan, and their paid plans are more economical than competitors like Mailchimp and Constant Contact. It provides easy contact list management and includes a basic website builder. You can effortlessly create responsive emails and switch to a plain-text editor for simpler messages.
GetResponse
GetResponse is one of the most recognized email marketing platforms in the market. Similar to Benchmark Email, you can start immediately with a free plan. It simplifies the creation of email campaigns and signup forms. GetResponse offers a more robust suite of automation features compared to Benchmark Email, allowing you to create highly targeted campaigns and thoroughly evaluate campaign performance. While its free plan doesn’t offer unlimited subscribers, all features are available for use.
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign boasts some of the best automation features in the market. While it doesn’t offer services like inbox checkers, a feature present in Benchmark Email, its strengths lie in drip campaigns, advanced segmentation, and premium support. However, this comprehensive feature set comes at a higher price point. ActiveCampaign delivers a complete email marketing experience with unlimited emails for paid plans. You can sign up for a free account, import your contact lists, and begin sending emails.