SEOPOS - Search Engine Optimisation

Overview

Here’s the problem, I’ve been sending out emails to an opted in list of users for 12 months now. This is a weekly (or fortnightly) update of news and jobs. Up till now I’ve been using Microsoft’s bCentral, but its very crude and for the last 2 months I’ve not been able to buy any more credits, as their payment system doesnt work.

So, Time to look at the alternatives.

• Use an online service via subscription and ’pay per email’
• buy some software to run on our own servers
• write some software

The main considerations here are:

• Cost (obviously) boths set up and any ongoing costs
• Time to get off the ground (erm, obviously)
• Flexibility (integration with our other systems).

Some of the ones I’ve looked at or used so far:

Microsoft bCentral
This was a reasonably priced mailing service provided by Microsoft. Whilst using it, I always got the feeling that they weren’t taking it very seriously, and I was right. They decided to pull the plug on it. The interface was pretty poor, the reporting almost non existent, but it was relatively cheap.

Vertical Response
http://www.verticalresponse.com
I’ve used this for some time now, for sending close to 20,000 emails per week. The main disadvantage is the cost. You buy credits in advance and the price breaks are clearly better for the more you buy. However, I get through a lot, and I cant help thinking that there is a cheaper way of sending emails.

Features wise, its very good, and i’ve not had any issues with the system. They now provide an API for the techy amongst you so that you can communicate directly with their system and create and send emails through your own site or software.

Constant Contact
http://search.constantcontact.com/index.jsp
This is another online service that I’ve tried. Admitedly it was a couple of years ago now, but I felt that verticalreponse had the edge.

Web Wiz NewsPad
http://www.webwizguide.com/webwiznewspad/
This is a free system that runs under ASP and mySQL. I’ve used their free forum (web wiz forum) for quite a number of projects and quite like it, and I believe it integrates well with the newsletter system. I’ve currently got this installed and I am playing with it.