Constant Contact Review 2023: In-Depth Analysis of Pros, Cons, and Ratings

Constant Contact has established itself as one of the pioneering email marketing platforms in the industry, continually evolving since its initial release. With a wide range of features that span from email marketing and automation to SMS marketing and CRM integration, Constant Contact aims to cater to all aspects of your marketing needs. Additionally, it offers solutions for social media posting and advertising.

In this comprehensive Constant Contact review, we leverage our extensive knowledge of email marketing solutions to provide a detailed analysis of what Constant Contact brings to the table. We delve into its key features, highlight its strengths and weaknesses, and provide valuable insights to help you determine if Constant Contact is the right fit for your business.

Constant Contact Overview

Constant Contact is an email marketing software company that helps businesses of all sizes reach their customers through email. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Constant Contact is a service designed to simplify the marketing efforts of small businesses and beginners. With its niche features and the ability to process payments for events, it also proves to be highly beneficial for event organizers.

As one of the top email marketing services we've reviewed, Constant Contact boasts excellent email deliverability rates, ensuring that your messages reach the intended recipients' inbox instead of being flagged as spam.

While its pricing is attractive, particularly for those starting out and seeking affordability, businesses with larger audiences may find themselves facing higher costs.

Constant Contact offers a variety of features that help businesses create, send, and track email campaigns. These features include:

Email Marketing

Constant Contact's drag-and-drop email editor allows users to easily create professional-looking email campaigns. The customizable templates cater to different industries and purposes, making it easy to create visually appealing emails. Users can add images, text, buttons, and social media links to enhance the design. The platform's list management tools and segmentation options help users organize and target their audience effectively. Automation features enable users to set up email series triggered by specific actions or events, streamlining the email marketing process.

Marketing Automation

Constant Contact's marketing automation features help businesses nurture leads and engage with their audience. Users can create automated email series that deliver personalized content based on triggers or customer behavior. For example, welcome emails can be automatically sent when someone subscribes, or abandoned cart reminders can be triggered when a customer leaves items in their shopping cart. These automated emails help drive customer engagement and increase conversions.

Event Marketing

Constant Contact offers event marketing tools that simplify the planning and promotion of events. Users can create customized registration forms for events, send invitations and reminders to attendees, and track event attendance. The platform's event management features, such as ticketing and seating options, streamline the event organization process. Integration with payment processors enables smooth payment transactions for event tickets.

Social Media Marketing

Constant Contact allows users to connect their social media accounts to the platform. This integration enables businesses to schedule and share their email campaigns, promotions, and other content directly on social media platforms. By centralizing social media marketing within Constant Contact, businesses can save time and increase brand visibility by reaching their social media followers with targeted messages.

Website Builder

Constant Contact's website builder tool simplifies the process of creating a professional website. Users can choose from customizable templates, and the drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to design and modify website elements. The platform ensures that websites created with Constant Contact are mobile-responsive, meaning they adapt to different screen sizes and devices for an optimal user experience.

Reporting and Analytics

Constant Contact provides detailed reporting and analytics to help businesses track the performance of their marketing efforts. Users can access metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, engagement, and conversions to measure the success of their email campaigns, social media posts, and website. These insights allow businesses to make data-driven decisions and optimize their marketing strategies for better results.

Support and Resources

Constant Contact offers customer support through various channels, including phone, live chat, and email. Their support team is available to assist users with any questions or issues they may encounter. Constant Contact also provides a wealth of resources such as guides, webinars, blog articles, and a community forum. These resources help users learn best practices, stay updated with industry trends, and make the most of the platform's features.

Constant Contact is a comprehensive online marketing platform that offers a wide range of tools and features to help businesses effectively engage with their audience. Its user-friendly interface, customization options, automation features, and robust reporting make it a valuable solution for businesses of all sizes looking to optimize their digital marketing strategies.

Pros of Constant Contact:

User-Friendly Interface

Constant Contact's user-friendly interface makes it accessible to users of all skill levels. Its intuitive design and clear navigation make it easy to create and manage email campaigns without needing extensive technical knowledge or experience.

Comprehensive Email Marketing Tools

Constant Contact offers a wide range of tools and features specifically designed for email marketing. Customizable templates provide a professional and visually appealing starting point for creating engaging emails. List management tools allow users to organize and segment their contacts effectively. Automation features enable businesses to set up targeted email series based on triggers or customer behavior, enhancing customer engagement and conversions.

Marketing Automation Capabilities

Constant Contact's automation features enable businesses to streamline their marketing efforts. Users can create automated email workflows, such as welcome emails, abandoned cart reminders, and birthday greetings, which help nurture leads and drive customer engagement. This saves time and effort by automating repetitive tasks, allowing businesses to focus on other important aspects of their operations.

Event Marketing Integration

Constant Contact's event marketing tools simplify the planning and promotion of events. Users can create customized event registration forms, send invitations and reminders, and track attendance. The integration with email marketing campaigns ensures seamless communication with attendees, making event management more efficient and organized.

Social Media Integration

Constant Contact allows users to connect their social media accounts to the platform. This integration makes it convenient to schedule and share email campaigns, promotions, and other content directly on social media platforms. It expands the reach of marketing efforts and helps businesses maintain a consistent brand presence across different channels.

Website Builder

Constant Contact's website builder tool enables users to create professional-looking websites without the need for technical expertise or coding knowledge. The customizable templates, drag-and-drop functionality, and mobile-responsive designs make it easy to create an attractive and functional website that aligns with the brand's identity.

Customer Support and Resources

Constant Contact offers excellent customer support through various channels, including phone, live chat, and email. Their knowledgeable support team is readily available to assist users with any questions or issues they may encounter. Additionally, Constant Contact provides a wealth of resources such as guides, webinars, blog articles, and a community forum. These resources help users learn best practices, stay updated with industry trends, and make the most of the platform's features.

Cons of Constant Contact:

Pricing

Constant Contact's pricing may be higher compared to some other email marketing platforms, especially for businesses with larger contact lists or higher email volume. This could be a limitation for budget-conscious businesses or those with specific pricing constraints.

Limited Customization Options

While Constant Contact offers customization options for emails and websites, some users may find the level of customization to be more limited compared to other platforms. This could be a drawback for businesses with specific design requirements or those seeking advanced customization options.

Learning Curve for Advanced Features

While Constant Contact's interface is user-friendly, some of the more advanced features, such as marketing automation workflows, may require a learning curve for users who are new to email marketing or marketing automation. Training and familiarization may be necessary to take full advantage of the platform's capabilities.

Limited Integration Options

While Constant Contact integrates with popular third-party platforms, the range of integrations may be more limited compared to other marketing platforms. This could be a limitation for businesses that require seamless integration with their existing systems or rely heavily on specific software or tools.

Constant Contact Pricing

Constant Contact offers several pricing plans to accommodate different business needs.

Lite: The Lite plan is for businesses with up to 500 contacts. It costs $20 per month and includes the following features:

• Email templates
• Email design tools
• Email deliverability tools
• Email analytics tools
• Basic segmentation
• Basic reporting

Standard: The Standard plan is for businesses with up to 2,500 contacts. It costs $45 per month and includes all of the features of the Lite plan plus the following features:

• Advanced segmentation
• Advanced reporting
• A/B testing
• SMS marketing
• Landing pages

Professional: The Professional plan is for businesses with up to 10,000 contacts. It costs $90 per month and includes all of the features of the Standard plan plus the following features:

• Customer relationship management (CRM) integration
• Webinar marketing
• Social media marketing
• Dedicated customer support

Enterprise: The Enterprise plan is for businesses with more than 10,000 contacts. The price of the Enterprise plan is customized for each business.

Constant Contact also offers a free plan for businesses with up to 250 contacts. The free plan includes the following features:

• Email templates
• Email design tools
• Email deliverability tools
• Email analytics tools

Additionally, Constant Contact provides a free trial period, allowing businesses to explore the platform and its features before committing to a paid plan. This trial period typically lasts for 60 days, enabling users to evaluate whether Constant Contact meets their needs and is worth the investment.

Here is a table that summarizes the Constant Contact pricing plans:

Constant Contact Alternatives

There are several alternatives to Constant Contact that offer similar email marketing and online marketing solutions. Here are some popular Constant Contact alternatives:

Mailchimp: Mailchimp is a well-known email marketing platform that provides a range of features for creating and managing email campaigns. It offers customizable templates, audience segmentation, automation, and analytics. Mailchimp also integrates with various third-party tools and platforms.

ConvertKit: ConvertKit is a popular email marketing platform designed specifically for content creators and online businesses. It offers features like customizable opt-in forms, automation sequences, tagging, and advanced subscriber management.

AWeber: AWeber is an email marketing platform that offers features such as email templates, list management, automation, and analytics. It is known for its user-friendly interface and provides robust customer support.

Sendinblue: Sendinblue is a comprehensive marketing platform that includes email marketing, SMS marketing, chat, CRM, and more. It offers email campaign creation, automation, contact management, and reporting.

GetResponse: GetResponse is an all-in-one marketing platform that includes email marketing, automation, landing pages, webinars, and more. It offers a drag-and-drop email editor, advanced segmentation, automation workflows, and analytics.

Here is a table that summarizes the features of these Constant Contact alternatives:

Conclusion

In conclusion, Constant Contact is a versatile email marketing and online marketing platform that offers a range of features and tools to help businesses effectively engage with their audience. With its user-friendly interface, customizable templates, list management capabilities, automation features, and integration options, Constant Contact provides businesses with the tools they need to create and manage successful email campaigns, promote events, integrate with social media, build websites, and analyze their marketing efforts.

By thoroughly evaluating the features, pricing plans, and customer support options, businesses can determine whether Constant Contact aligns with their marketing goals and budget. It's also beneficial to explore alternatives and compare them to find the best fit for your specific needs.

Ultimately, Constant Contact can be a valuable tool for businesses looking to enhance their email marketing efforts and overall online marketing strategy. With its array of features and resources, it provides businesses with the opportunity to effectively reach and engage with their target audience, nurture leads, and drive conversions.

FAQ