There is a wide variety of email applications that plug in to Salesforce and it is often difficult to compare them as they all look, cost and behave very differently!  For many non-profit organisations, cost is a key consideration but there are other elements that can influence the final decision – here are a few things to think about:

C = COST

• Is there a one off integration / training fee?
• What is the pricing model (licence per user, costs per email send, pay as you go)
• Do you pay up front based on annual estimates and what if these are higher/lower than anticipated?
• What ‘cool features’ are available as standard and which cost extra?

R = RELIABILITY

• What is their reputation when it comes to deliverability – does the tool assist CAN-SPAM compliance, whitelisting, content optimisation?
• How quickly on average will emails take to deliver once you click send now?
• What do existing customers say about them in reviews?

I = INTEGRATION

• How exactly does the application integrate with Salesforce?
• How does the app affect standard objects and what custom objects and fields will be required?
• How are Salesforce users set up for access to the application and how flexible are permissions around data and template asset visibility?
• How do you segment groups to receive emails; campaign members, reports, individually?
• How do you map fields for personalisation and are there any limitations?
• What level of reporting and analytics are pushed back into Salesforce? (bounces, click throughs etc)

T = TEMPLATES

• How easy to use and intuitive is the template-builder?
• Do you have access to a library of pre-built editable templates?
• Can you create email content quickly without html skills?
• Can you preview content to optimise for different devices?

I = INTERFACE

• How clunky, smooth is the transition between Salesforce and email app screens?
• Is the screen design user-friendly?
• Is the email send process intuitive and simple to follow?

C = CUSTOMER SERVICE

• Where is the customer support team based?
• What are their hours of availability and standard response times?
• What do existing customers say about levels of service?
• What professional services are available for design, consulting?
• Do you have access to best practice resources or a user community?

A = AUTOMATION

• What level of automation is available as standard – single campaign or multi-level drip campaigns?
• Can you trigger email sends based on behavioural or event-driven criteria?
• Can you easily create custom triggers using an API?

L = LONGEVITY

• Is the application scaleable to grow in line with your marketing objectives?
• Does the provider have a roadmap for development?
• Are there regular planned upgrades to functionality and how are these communicated?
• Is there access to code via an open API and how easy it is to develop?
• What are the data implications if you switch providers in the future?