Likelihood to Recommend I would only recommend it if someone was a small business. I think they are the best suited for companies who will send out a coupon or offer here and there. The most recent updates made it more complicated to use for more complicated processes. It is easy to train someone on the program, and so quick to learn. But I would also only stick to the simpler things. I also think the colorful templates are great, and show great creativity. But again, it is hard to justify recommending the program when it isn't WYSIWYG.
Read full review Mad Mimi is perfect for scheduling remainder emails. For instance, if you need to remind a client about a pending order next week, you can schedule the remainder email today and it will be sent exactly the date and time you want it to even if you are out of office. If you need to contact thousands of people at a time, Mad Mimi can be used to send the emails all at once to all of them, especially for marketing purposes and newsletter purposes.
Read full review Pros Contact management. iContact is really great for entering all your contact. You are able to put them onto different lists, and let them choose which lists they would like to be a part of as well. There are many data fields provided to fill in information. Emailing. We use the email feature at least once a month. They are always improving and adding new features, which is very helpful in presenting content in a new and exciting way to our readers. There are many options with remade templates and themes, or you can add your own. Insights. It is really helpful being able to have the data to see what is working and what isn't. It is nice to be able to go back and see how things went in the past compared to now. Opens, clicks, shares, etc. Read full review I've been on the free plan for years and it has suited me very well. It's reliable and has all the core features I need at the moment. Considering how all the online tools can add up, this is right for my business. Mad Mimi has a super-simple interface, and it's drag and drop, so I don't have to spend a lot of time designing each email. Although you can customize with your logo and colors. There are several free add-ons, which allow for a limited amount of automation. I would recommend taking advantage of the RSS feed, webform, and drip campaign features. You can segment your list into as many groups as you like, which makes for more effective email marketing. Read full review Cons We also would like to send transactional messages which don't require an opt-out, this is a challenge with iContact. (May be a feature with pro?) The regular version of iContact doesn't support event management or logic flows for automated messaging. Custom form fields have limited field type options (can't build a drop-down). Read full review The ease on adding links, such as unsubscribe links, is not as easy as it is with other email service providers. Creating simple tags that take the place of a link could help a lot, especially for those not as familiar with HTML. Perhaps a way of archiving old emails, or hiding them from the past emails area. It can look a bit cluttered, and can be confusing in some circumstances. Providing some learning material, or at least a more thorough overview of email marketing, and the user interface would be of great use to beginners. Read full review Likelihood to Renew iContact has been a quick and easy way to send any announcements and news directly to email and social media subscribers. Its tracking and reporting capabilities turn a simple email into a marketing campaign that can be used as a tool to efficiently gauge reader response and customer satisfaction, and ultimately to reach potential customers. The consistency and excellent customer service is what makes this program a pleasant experience.
Read full review Pretty simple, I know I'm getting what I pay for and a little more. Although simple and easy for the new user; a more seasoned marketer can still get the most from MadMimi. Especially if the primary purpose is to generate strong brand loyalty with effective communication that integrates your various outlets: MadMimi makes it easy for your customer to pick-up what the business owner wants to relay.
Read full review Usability I rate iContact as an easy to use program due to its user friendly dashboard and user interface. Most companies of small to medium size do not have a dedicated marketer, therefore it is someone multitasking who may or may not have this kind of experience. iContact makes it relatively simple and can actually expand one's knowledge in the area of business promotion.
Read full review I find it very easy to use just like my colleagues too. The learning curve is straight forward.
Read full review Reliability and Availability iContact is regularly up and running. Only once has it been unavailable for maintenance, which is to be expected and even desired for optimal performance when needed.
Read full review Support Rating They have always been responsive to any issues or concerns that have arisen with our account. Our customer account manager participates in our monthly county-wide communicators meetings via telephone to ensure that we are getting the most from the service. He also analyzes our lists to help us weed out inactive contacts.
Read full review My issues are usually quickly resolved and their support staffs are very knowledgeable on the software generally
Read full review Online Training The templates are difficult to customize, and they don't render well in email platforms
Read full review Implementation Rating i wouldn't be using it if i wasn't satisfied. time is money
Read full review Alternatives Considered I didn't have a say in the decision because I wasn't with the company at the time. I listed
HubSpot here because I know we used it in conjunction with iContact for email automation, but
HubSpot Email was only recently built-out to the point where it is today. Now, iContact and
HubSpot are no longer integrated.
Read full review Constant Contact is the Goliath of the industry and to us, it was unnecessarily complex and expensive. We chose Mad Mimi, after looking at several other new offerings and we've been extremely satisfied with our choice of Mad Mimi.
Read full review Scalability iContact stays the same with the number of users added or taken away. It certainly remains reliable despite increased usage, and so, can be considered scaleable in that aspect.
Read full review Return on Investment We have a template for webinars that we send every month. We just edit it and send. This couldn't be easier (once you know where to find it). We like the breakdown of statistics in the dashboard. They're easy to read. iContact isn't a comprehensive solution, so it is only one of a few products we use for marketing. Read full review I've spent 3 years creating blog posts, and it is only now encompassing the breath that allows me to draw upon this pieces as a reusable resource, but now this is happening. I preferred the Mad Mimi platform to Mail Chimp, and I suspect it continues to offer advantages. I felt Mad Mimi did themselves a disservice by failing to support their free subscriber service to the same extent that Mail Chimp does. When one's mail list gets sufficiently large, then it does pay to pay them, but not in the context I was using it. It seems that Mad Mimi is targeting direct marketing purposes, as this is a use where ROI is more easily measured. Read full review ScreenShots