Don’t Waste Budget: Unnecessary ESP Features to Avoid

When selecting an Email Service Provider (ESP), it’s easy to get sidetracked by alluring, advanced features. These “shiny things” often promise groundbreaking results but end up going unused, leading to wasted resources and diluted focus. Understanding what these features are can help organizations make smarter, more strategic decisions when investing in their email marketing platform.

What Are “Shiny Things” in ESPs?

The concept of “shiny things” refers to those sophisticated, ultra-cool features that marketers initially believe are essential but ultimately fail to integrate into their workflows. These can distract from truly vital functionalities. Our caution is to watch out for these often-overhyped or outdated features when you’re comparing ESPs, ensuring you focus on what truly matters for your marketing objectives.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of features frequently observed to be unused. Some fall squarely into the “shiny and sexy” category, while others are simply outdated—no longer offering significant utility, yet still perceived by marketers as must-haves.

Expert Insights: Common Unused ESP Features

Insights from Jessa Halford at ClickMail

Jessa Halford, Senior Manager for Customer Success, highlights the following as features clients often desire but rarely utilize:

• Relational data
• Predictive intelligence
• Ability to integrate with other data sources
• Landing page creators
• Mobile push notification capabilities

Grant Johnson’s List of Overlooked ESP Features

Grant Johnson, Vice President of Strategic Services, identifies these as typical “shiny, unused things”:

• Lots of built-in templates that never truly meet specific needs
• A/B and multivariate testing, often neglected due to lack of time or simplified into basic 50/50 split tests
• “Share with your network” options, as users typically link directly to Facebook and Twitter, bypassing the ESP’s built-in sharing functionality
• Click heat-maps, as most marketers simply track total clicks
• Remarketing automation, particularly resending to non-openers, despite being a highly recommended tactic

Jordie van Rijn‘s Perspective on Unnecessary Features

Consultant Jordie van Rijn provides valuable insights, categorizing unused or unnecessary features:

• Things that don’t add value (either to your strategy or the email program)
• Things that you won’t realistically be using in the upcoming period
• Things that are easily worked around/customized, or are simply not good enough but are still pursued, such as inadequate integrations or basic landing page creators

Jordie van Rijn also warns against buzzwords, as they can often signal a “shiny thing.” His current “beware of” buzzwords include social media integration and predictive intelligence (especially if the promised capabilities aren’t delivered).

Specifically, Jordie van Rijn names these as shiny features:

• Pop-ins and list growth plug-ins, as numerous effective alternative options exist outside the ESP
• Spam word checking, which is largely irrelevant now given the sophistication of modern email filters
• Everything that pertains to big data without a clear, actionable strategy

Additional Features Often Left Unused

From our observations, these are additional features frequently offered and desired, yet largely ignored:

• Drag-and-drop functionality for automated email; while nice to have, it’s often unnecessary if flows are set up once and only require minor tweaks thereafter
• Premium reporting that remains unaccessed
• A custom profile center, if insights gathered from customer preferences are not actively used
• SMS/MMS functionality

It’s worth noting that “social media integration” and “predictive intelligence” were commonly mentioned across these lists—and were also highlighted by Jordie van Rijn as key buzzwords to be wary of. As Grant Johnson aptly put it, “It’s sad these go unused, but they do.” Therefore, it’s prudent to avoid paying for or being distracted by them in the first place.

Overcoming “Shiny Things Syndrome” in ESP Selection

If you’re struggling to identify a “shiny thing” or prevent a colleague from making an unwise investment, consider using a structured assessment tool.

The Shiny Things Scorecard: A Decision-Making Tool

Utilize this scorecard to objectively evaluate whether a feature is a genuine asset or merely a “shiny thing” destined for disuse:

By carefully evaluating each potential feature against your actual needs and strategic goals, you can avoid the trap of “shiny things” and ensure your ESP investment truly serves your email marketing success.