Business Email
Usually, the host you choose to use for your website will provide you with email accounts. However, if they don't, you can sign up for Google Apps Standard Gmail.
Narrowcast Email
If you've got a mailing list, these tools make it much easier than using your own email account to keep in touch. Most offer the following key features:
- List management
- A way to collect emails from website visitors
- Email creation in text or HTML (ability to add color, fonts, images, etc.)
- Tracking and Reportin: open rates, click-throughs and more
- Opt-in/out management
- Deliverability: you may have a better chance of getting to your intended recipient
Get these tips from MailChimp for writing subject lines that improve your open rates.
Services
Most of these are hosted solutions, which means you use them through a website and there's no software to download. Pricing is either a flat rate per month, or by number of contacts or number of emails sent per month.
AWeber: An autoresponder that allows you to get back to customers, even when you don't have the time to answer every email. Could be very useful for predominantly ecommerce sites when you get a lot of tire-kickers.
Campaign Monitor: Claims to be the email marketing tool for designers. It has a pretty sweet interface and templates. Pricing is $5 + 1 cent for each mailing.
Constant Contact: Most of the functionality you'll need for a pretty low price. However, the templates are a little dated, and the newsletter creation tool is somewhat clugy. Also have a built-in survey creation tool which is pretty handy (costs extra).
Emma: Have all the basics, but their claim to fame is they'll create a custom newsletter template for your business for about $200. Not a bad branding option if graphic design isn't your strength.
Ennect: Tools for managing email, as well as surveys and events, and it's the only one we've seen with a sweepstakes manager.
RatePoint: A key differentiator is that they offer tools for collecting customer feedback & testimonials, which you can then directly promote on your website. They're also integrated with Twitter and Facebook, making it easy to send campaigns to friends and followers.
Vertical Response: What makes these guys different is that they'll create coordinated postcards for you too. Good for when you want to combine email and snail mail.
MailChimp: Haven't tried this one myself, but one of my clients is very happy with this one.
StreamSend: Have some advanced tools which are pretty cool, like one that lets you set up A-B tests to measure the results of different emails. Claims to be the email marketing tool for marketers. Have to try this one myself.
GotMarketing Campaigner: Offers many of the same bells and whistles as Constant Contact. Sign up for the free trials to see which one is better for you.
iContact: Here's a new one not added to the downloadable list yet. They claim to be less expensive than Constant Contact, and it looks like they offer about the same features. However, their reporting is somewhat rudimentary.
If you know of others we haven't mentioned or have feedback about our list, please let us know.