What factors should be considered when selecting a transactional email provider for a SaaS startup?
Summary
What email marketers say9Marketer opinions
Email marketer from customer.io suggests thinking about providers data processing policies and ensuring providers have solid data security policies.
Email marketer from Webmaster Forum shares that startups should focus on providers with strong APIs, webhooks for event tracking, and solid documentation. Scalability to handle growth and reliable uptime are also key considerations.
Email marketer from Email Geeks shares that reliable provider selection (minimal downtime in past year) and customer similarity is important, and to check Twitter/X.com for complaints. They add that most big ESPs are great at sending emails, so choosing comes down to 'vibes'.
Email marketer from Mailchimp notes that it is important to ensure that providers offer tools for GDPR compliance, including consent management, data access, and the right to be forgotten.
Email marketer from Email Vendor Selection states that when comparing transactional email providers, it’s crucial to assess their deliverability rates, reputation management capabilities, and compliance features. They suggest verifying their track record and reviewing customer case studies.
Email marketer from G2 explains that when selecting a transactional email service, businesses should evaluate features like email tracking and analytics, API availability for integration, scalability to handle increasing volumes, dedicated IP addresses for improved deliverability, and compliance with data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA).
Email marketer from Reddit shares that SaaS startups should prioritize transactional email providers offering robust APIs, excellent deliverability, detailed reporting and analytics, and reliable uptime. They suggest looking for providers that specialize in transactional emails rather than general marketing emails.
Email marketer from Neil Patel's Blog shares that when choosing an email marketing platform, consider factors such as pricing structure, ease of use (drag-and-drop editors), automation capabilities (segmentation and workflows), deliverability rates, integrations with other tools, and customer support availability.
Email marketer from Quora recommends prioritizing providers with robust security features, detailed reporting, and excellent customer support. Also, check independent reviews and compare pricing plans to find the best fit.
What the experts say5Expert opinions
Expert from Email Geeks explains that when legitimate ESPs use SMTP providers as outbound smarthosts, they typically have a strong relationship and good support, providing access to valuable data and support staff.
Expert from Spam Resource stresses the importance of CAN-SPAM compliance and suggests evaluating whether the transactional provider offers the right tools and processes to help a SaaS startup adhere to all legal requirements, including unsubscribe mechanisms, accurate header information, and physical address inclusion.
Expert from Email Geeks explains that most analyses of transactional email providers are SEO trash and should be viewed with caution. He notes that deliverability depends on factors like sending volume and recipient types, making simple tests unreliable. He suggests focusing on policies, compliance handling, reporting, white-label authentication support, and support quality.
Expert from Email Geeks suggests that for SaaS products sending mail on behalf of customers, offering an option to use their existing mail provider is a valuable feature that sidesteps deliverability issues for concerned customers.
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that when choosing a transactional provider, focusing on deliverability means looking for a provider that understands sender authentication, manages their IPs well, and actively works to keep spam off their network. They also highlight the importance of strong deliverability support.
What the documentation says5Technical articles
Documentation from Postmark explains that transactional emails should be relevant and personalized. Content should include clear calls to action, and design should align with brand aesthetics to improve engagement.
Documentation from Amazon Web Services explains that to achieve high deliverability with SES, it's crucial to authenticate your sending domain using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. They also recommend monitoring bounce and complaint rates, and adhering to sending limits and best practices to maintain a good sender reputation.
Documentation from SendGrid answers that to properly manage email infrastructure, it's important to have a dedicated IP address to build a sender reputation, monitor bounce rates and feedback loops, segment your email list, and use email authentication protocols (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to improve deliverability.
Documentation from SparkPost details that setting up feedback loops with major ISPs is vital for monitoring complaints and maintaining sender reputation. Promptly addressing complaints is key to long-term deliverability.
Documentation from Mailjet explains that SaaS companies need to keep track of deliverability metrics such as bounce rate, complaint rate, and engagement rate. They also recommend using a dedicated IP address to manage sender reputation, and complying with CAN-SPAM and GDPR regulations.