Auto Parts Ecommerce and Mailchimp – What You Need To Know

There are dozens of email marketing systems available to auto parts etailers. Some of our client’s favorites include ConstantContact, Campaign Monitor, Drip, and Emma. However, there is one email marketing system we prefer over them all: Mailchimp.

Mailchimp Is The Best Choice For Parts Ecommerce

In the last couple years, Mailchimp has become one of our favorite marketing tools. Here’s why.

Ease of use. Many email systems boast “drag and drop” functionality and simple editing, but few deliver the way Mailchimp does. It really is easy to modify campaigns, unlike in other systems that require HTML knowledge.

Ready-to-go templates. All Mailchimp templates are responsive and look great. In fact, we often recommend one of their simplest templates because it looks slick with plenty of white space. No fuss.

Analytics integration. See results from your Mailchimp dashboard AND from your Google Analytics. Analytics integration may be offered from most email marketing platforms, but we especially like the ease of Mailchimp’s reporting features.

Lots of 3rd party tool integrations. There are a surprising number of available tools and integrations, like Facebook, Twitter, Gravity Forms, OptinMonster, and Salesforce just to name a few. It’s hugely beneficial (both in convenience and time) to have your marketing systems speak to each other.

No cost. You read that right. You have access to basic Mailchimp features at no cost up to 2,000 subscribers. That means you could enjoy the benefits of Mailchimp for years without paying a dime. After you’ve surpassed 2,000 subscribers, or if you opt to use some of the advanced features, subscription rates are still very reasonable.

Ecommerce integration. Mailchimp has modules and plugins for popular open source ecommerce platforms Magento, WooCommerce, and PrestaShop, as well as an open API that’s easy to integrate with more proprietary ecommerce systems (like the auto parts ecommerce platforms listed here).

Automated campaigns. Automated campaigns are powerful when configured correctly. The trick is to know what you want to say, why you want to say it, and how you’re going to choose when to say it.

When Mailchimp Might Not Be The Best Option For You…

If you need to have tech support on speed dial, Mailchimp may not be right for you. Support comes in the way of email or chat only. For customers who are looking for telephone support, Constant Contact is worth a look.

If you don’t want to pay any fees, you can definitely send email from your own web server using any number of modules or plugins. However, you must bear in mind that your email may not be delivered. When you send from your own email server, your odds of having a problem with delivery go up.

Mailchimp Really Is Great

We recommend Mailchimp to all our clients. We like them so much that we’re an affiliate, and anyone who signs up using our links will net us a small finder’s fee.

However, we’d recommend Mailchimp without that finder’s fee, as it really does offer a tremendous number of features for a great price. Happy emailing!

Check out these Spork posts if you want to increase your email reach or get tips on how to get the most from your email marketing.