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iContact
- 30-day free trial
- 50+ integrations
- Exceptional support
- Real-time analytics
- No free forever plan
- Limited customization
Discover why iContact is an ideal choice for small businesses, excelling in email marketing automation and segmentation, though it may lack advanced customization.
Read our full iContact review to learn more.
SMB Guide’s Verdict for iContact
iContact scores an impressive 8 out of 10 based on the factors we rate. While iContact offers competitive pricing, costs rise with additional features, making it a less budget-friendly option for small businesses.
It features robust automation tools to streamline email marketing tasks and improve campaign efficiency. The email builder is highly intuitive, so you can easily create professional emails – and this is definitely one of iContact’s strongest features.
In this review of iContact, I’ve followed SMB Guide’s detailed criteria for evaluating the email marketing software.
Basic personalization options are available, but advanced customization is somewhat limited, which may be a drawback for more specialized campaigns.
Comprehensive analytics and detailed reporting provide valuable insights into campaign performance, aiding strategic decision-making.
The platform is user-friendly and easy to navigate, though some advanced features may pose challenges for new users. Seamless integration with various platforms enhances broader marketing efforts, making it versatile for different business needs.
It offers award-winning customer support and access to strategic advisors to ensure you have the assistance you need to optimize your email marketing efforts.
Pricing & Plans
iContact offers a range of email marketing plans to suit various business needs, from startups to larger companies.
Each plan provides unique benefits tailored to different goals and budgets.
Free
- Price
- $0/month
- $0/year
Features
- 250 contacts
- Up to 500 sends per month
- Drag and drop email designer
- Single hosted landing page
- Email support
Who it’s for: Startups and small businesses
Standard
Get started with essential email marketing tools.
Price
- $9/month
- $92 per year
Features
- 750 contacts
- Drag-and-drop email designer
- Basic email automation
- Contact management tools
- Customizable templates
- Performance reporting
- Social media integration
- Split testing
Who it’s for: Startups and small businesses
Premium
Enhance your email marketing with advanced automation and social media tools.
Price
- $16 per month
- $163 per year
Features
- Everything in Launch plus:
- A total of 1500 contacts
- Advanced Email Automation
- Enhanced Audience Segmentation
- Landing Pages & Forms
- Social Creation & Posting Feature
- Smart Sending
- Multi-user Access
- In-depth Analytics
Who it’s for: Growing businesses needing more sophisticated to boost engagement and streamline marketing processes.
Email marketing made easy. Use iContact to grow your business anytime, anywhere.
Marketing Automation Capabilities
iContact excels in providing a straightforward yet powerful automation builder. The visual builder uses a logical interface, making adding steps and customizing workflows based on specific conditions easy.
You can set up branching paths that cater to different user behaviors, ensuring each recipient receives a tailored experience. For instance, if a recipient clicks a particular link in an email, the system can automatically trigger a follow-up email or add the contact to a new segment.
The software supports a comprehensive array of triggers that initiate automated actions, enhancing its flexibility and responsiveness, including user behavior triggers, time-based triggers, and external event triggers.
While iContact primarily focuses on email marketing, it also offers features for social media integration. You can create and schedule posts directly from the interface for platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
However, the platform doesn’t support SMS marketing, which may be a limitation if you seek a more comprehensive multi-channel automation tool.
Email Builder
iContact offers a vast library of professionally designed email templates that cater to different industries and campaign types. The templates are visually appealing and are a great starting point for users with varying design skills.
You can adjust colors, fonts, images, and layouts to match your brand identity. That said, the selection of templates is limited compared to other platforms that offer more niche-specific templates.
The drag-and-drop email editor is user-friendly and intuitive, so you can easily create custom emails without coding knowledge.
Advanced users might find the editor lacking in more complex functionality and that could limit the scope of highly customized designs.
However, for more advanced users, direct HTML editing is available. This allows you to have full control over the email’s design and make precise adjustments beyond what’s possible with the drag-and-drop editor.
All templates are responsive, so they adjust to the screen size. And, you can preview the emails to see how they look and reduce the risk of formatting issues.
But, there may occasionally be slight discrepancies in how emails render across different devices, requiring additional tweaking for perfection.
iContact includes a spam testing feature that scans emails for common red glads that might trigger spam features. It provides actionable insights and suggestions to improve email content for better deliverability rates.
Personalization & Customization
iContact allows for dynamic content insertion based on recipient attributes and behaviors. Options include things like name, location, and historical behavior.
It also supports customization based on sophisticated segmentation criteria, including demographics, purchase history, and engagement levels, to keep marketing messages relevant and timely.
There are standard merge tags, but you can also use custom fields to create custom merge tags with additional data specific to your business.
This level of segmentation makes it easy for you to target very specific audience subsets with tailored messages.
Campaign Performance Tracking
iContact offers tracking of critical metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. There are real-time reporting dashboards so you can monitor campaign performance as it happens.
You get an at-a-glance view of key metrics like opens, clicks, bounces and unsubscribes, helping you to make informed decisions quickly.
You can set specific campaign goals, like lead generation or revenue targets. This helps you align your email strategy with broader business goals.
iContact also features an easy-to-use split testing framework so you can test different email elements such as subject lines, content, images, and calls-to-action. Setting up the tests is straightforward, with clear guidelines and options provided.
User Interface and User Experience
I found iContact features a clean, user-friendly interface that prioritizes ease of navigation. The menu layout is intuitive, with well-organized tabs and features that are easily accessible.
I could quickly find what I needed without having to dig through multiple layers of menus.
For example, the main dashboard provides a clear overview of recent campaigns, analytics, and key performance indicators, allowing me to monitor my email marketing efforts at a glance.
Everything is logical and straightforward, with distinct sections for campaign creation, automation, audience management, and reporting. Everything is labeled and has hover-over tips for additional guidance for new users.
If you are completely new to email marketing, you may find a slight learning curve even though the design is intuitive. Advanced users may want more intricate design functionalities.
Integrations and Compatibility
iContact boats over 100+ app integrations. It connects with things like WordPress, Calendly, Salesforce, Zoom, Acuity Scheduling, Squarespace, JotForm, and Kajabi.
It also integrates with Zapier, a third-party automation tool that can be used to build custom automated workflows without native integrations. However, depending on the software you want to connect and how often you need the automations to run, you may need to pay for a premium Zapier plan.
At this time, there does not seem to be any mobile app available. A quick Google search found an iOS app by that name in the App Store, but it is not the same as this email marketing platform.
I’d guess there isn’t a mobile app because the web nature of the platform allows it to be accessed from any device with an internet connection.
Customer Support
iContact offers a strong customer support infrastructure with multiple support options, including phone, email, and live chat. I found the support agent to be prompt and professional.
Extensive documentation is available, including detailed user guides, a comprehensive help portal, and a glossary to help you understand and use the software effectively.
High-quality tutorials, with practical and clear videos help you master different features. Regular webinars and workshops are also available to provide ongoing education and skill enhancement.
Certain plans also include access to strategic advisors, who provide personalized advice from experts to help you optimize your email marketing strategies.
iContact — Unique Features
While iContact may not offer SMS marketing, the fact that it includes social media posting can be a unique feature for many businesses. It helps you see how your email content performs across various social channels.
High-volume senders also have the option to use a dedicated IP address, which can significantly improve deliverability rates.
As an added bonus, iContact provides access to strategic advisors who offer personalized guidance and consulting services. The experts can help you optimize your strategies for better results.
If you’re an enterprise with specific requirements, you may be able to leverage custom solution development services to get the platform to meet your unique business needs.
What the Experts Say About iContact
- Capterra rating: 4.5/5 (594 reviews)
- GetApp rating: 4.5/5 (594 reviews)
- G2 rating: 4.1/5 (1,236 reviews)
It makes my life loads easier. I can use my graphic design abilities to make eye catching emails and that intrigues people which leads them to want more information about our church. I can whip up an email in less than half the time it took prior to contracting with iContact. Also, being able to call customer support and rarely have to be on hold is a benefit along with the support coming from people who are easy to talk to, who converse as real people rather sounding mawkish.
Doug S., Communications Consultant – Verified Capterra review
iContact allows me to create and send very engaging emails to my clients and prospective clients with anything from newsletters to sales emails. They also work very hard and closely with me to keep my emails relevant and my social media sites active.
Scott F., Owner – Verified Capterra review
iContact Alternatives
If you’re not sold on iContact, here are a few other options to consider:
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Primary Rating:
4.5
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4.0
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Primary Rating:
4.2
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Free - $1,600/mo
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$12/mo - $80/mo
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Free - $669/mo
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Mailchimp
Mailchimp stands out for its comprehensive free plan and advanced automation features. Starting at $20/month, Mailchimp is ideal for startups and small businesses that need a cost-effective yet powerful email marketing solution with excellent scalability.
Start your free trial of Mailchimp today
Constant Contact
Constant Contact is renowned for its user-friendly interface and robust email marketing tools. Pricing starts at $12/month and best suits small to medium-sized businesses looking for an easy-to-navigate platform with extensive customer support.
Start your free trial of Constant Contact
Brevo
Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, is recognized for its versatility and all-in-one marketing capabilities, including SMS marketing. With a starting price of $9 per month, it is optimal for businesses seeking a multi-channel marketing platform that integrates seamlessly with various e-commerce and CRM systems.
Other options: Best iContact alternatives
Getting Started with iContact
To begin your journey with iContact, sign up for a free plan today and explore the powerful features that make it a trusted name in email marketing.
Start 30-day free trial of iContact
FAQs
Is iContact worth it?
Yes, iContact is worth it for businesses seeking a comprehensive email marketing solution. With its user-friendly interface, automation tools, and excellent customer support, iContact provides significant value, especially for small to mid-sized businesses aiming to enhance their email marketing efforts. Its tiered pricing plans also allow you to choose a plan that fits your budget and needs.
What does iContact deal with?
iContact specializes in providing email marketing services. This includes email design and customization, marketing automation, audience segmentation, performance analytics, contact management, social media integration, and more.
These tools help you create, send, and optimize email marketing campaigns to engage their audiences effectively.
How does iContact work?
iContact operates as an all-in-one email marketing platform designed to streamline the process of creating and managing email campaigns.
You create emails with the builder or use a template, set up your automated workflows, segment your audience into pieces for more personalized and targeted messaging, send the emails, analyze the reports, and access support and strategic advisers as needed.
Email marketing made easy. Use iContact to grow your business anytime, anywhere.
iContact
Revolutionize your marketing strategy with iContact, the ultimate email marketing software designed to boost engagement and drive conversions.
Product Brand: iContact
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