Sep 18
iContact Review
A lot of us bloggers are serious about what we do. As such, we treat our blogs like our business and need tools to help our business run effortlessly, smoothly, and professionally.
iContact is a website (and probably more to the point) a set of tools that gives webmasters and business professionals the ability to easily take care of common marketing tasks such as newsletters and mass e-mailings.
First Impressions
As I start with most of my reviews, I had to take a look at the website. Most of the sites I’ve been reviewing lately have that “fresh and clean” look and iContact Email Marketing Software is no exception.
Everything that you want to find in regards to the product is right at the top, so finding what you need is a breeze.
Features That You’ll Smile About
Depending on your level of computer proficiency, you may find some of their tools beneath you, but for regular business folk who are still getting up to speed with computers and the net, a lot of these are sure to peak their interest. Check out a few of them:
- WYSIWYG Newsletter Editor
- Mass E-Mailings take the load off of YOUR server!
- Contact Management System and Follow-up System
- Make surveys, web signup forms and more…
Is This Right for You?
If you’re a business professional who does a lot of salesperson like tasks, I could see iContact being gold. Especially considering you can use it for as little as $9.99 per month and you have the ability to access it from any computer. For others, you may not immediately see the need for something like iContact but then again, sometimes you need a set of tools to remind you that you should be reaching out to customers (and not just the first time) but months down the line. Sure, with a little elbow grease and knno how, a few of us could create a set of tools like iContact Email Marketing Software for personal use, but as they say - “Time is Money” and it looks like iContact could’ve already put in all the time for us. *nod*
September 19th, 2007 at 8:29 am
Nice post, buddy! Well-written and organized. Stumbled! :)
September 19th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Nice post! I want one that does all that for free though. Maybe one day I’ll actually spend some money towards my blogging. To date, I have never spent a single penny!
September 19th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
@Mark - Thanks buuuuuuuuuuddy!
@Bobby - Nice job on not spending any money. I think (from a business point of view) that’s what is so attractive about the web. If you approach a lot of web ventures right, you don’t have to drop a cent!
September 29th, 2007 at 9:41 am
I was hired by someone using their service to make the form he got from them to work. I am a profession programmer, and when I saw the form they gave him I was floored. It is not only terribly written, doesn’t come close to the standards for web pages set by the W3C, it couldn’t work because the submit button was wrapped in an anchor, so clicking submit could only open a page with a picture of the button on it. I don’t know how these people make money, I suspect it’s from people paying to become affiliates and then just giving up because it doesn’t work. Anyone who would put these people forth as a good company must be getting a kickback.
October 7th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
I was looking for a review of iContact’s services and this has helped very much. I did not care very much about the price tag but the time it would waste and if it is worth it.
October 7th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
@Thomas - Hey man, sorry I didn’t respond to this earlier. Somehow it slipped through the cracks!, In any event just wanted to say thanks for sharing your experience. I wonder if others have had the same…
@Mental - If you got something from my review, you’re certainly welcome! Though it should be noted that iContact Review seems to offer a lot…A lot that I didn’t have the opportunity to cover in depth. So I guess what I’m saying (esp after Thomas’ comment) is buyer beware. *nod*
November 15th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
@Thomas - You may want to verify that the code that was “given” to your client, did indeed come from iContact. The existing signup form code options allows for your choice of javascript or standard HTML versions. I am assuming that your client opted for the HTML version, which is easily manipulated to meet the form-fit and functional characteristics of your client’s website/application. Our standard Signup Forms are not wrapped in any type of anchor, nor are the subscribers forwarded to a page with a submit image. When subscriber click on the submit button to authorize their subscription, they are forwarded to a success landing page of the Client’s choosing. I would suggest signing up for a FREE 15-day Trial of our product, and verify for yourself how our signup forms truly function, and also check out some of our various features and services included as part of all subscription packages: BLOGs, Newsletter Archives, Surveys, List Organization, List Segmentation, Custom Fields, Auto-Responders, Full Statistical Tracking of Published Content, Campaign Management, Signup Form Management, Viral Marketing Tools (Forward-to-a-Friend), Image Library, RSS Feeds, and especially our newest product enhancement, the iContact Community (http://Community.iContact.com).
February 1st, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Hi - I use iContact for one of my client sites, and to be honest - although there is a lot I can say that is good, I wish I had gone for a different provider. I have had one problem since starting to use their service that will not go away. It’s complicated, but put simply, sometimes, the system refuses to send a confirmation message out to people who sign up for the newsletter. This means I have to manually monitor the list and manually invite each person so affected. I have contacted iContact lots of times, but they do nothing to address the problem. They say they will escalate it, but never do.
What is worse is that they seem to staffed by a bunch of people who have been trained to say stock phrases, rather than actually think. I despair - I am on the point of tearing my hair out. It does not matter what you say to them they just repeat the same answer. It is like they don’t know how to problem solve - like they are aliens from another planet where they think a customer is happy if you manage to get rid of him without addressing his problem. I end up having to make suggestions to them on what could be wrong with their software.
I am thinking of moving to another provider before our list grows any bigger, but I am afraid the next lot will be worse.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Hey Liz,
In case, you check back try Constant Contact they have a free version so you can try it out to see whether you like it. This is the software I used in the corporate and nonprofit setting, and with my own business. In the corporate setting we used the paid version and the non profit we used the free version. I never had an issue, and our list (for corporate and my business) had/have hundreds of subscribers. http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp
February 1st, 2008 at 9:09 pm
@Liz -
Wow. Well first, I’m sorry to hear that you’ve been having so many problems with iContact. I’m not apologizing of course because I’m in anyway affiliated with the company, but just because from your comment, I can feel your anguish.
So is that the only complaint you’ve had with the service? (Just curious)
February 2nd, 2008 at 6:48 am
Look Bush - I don’t have anything against aliens from another planet, I used the term to mean - it’s like they operate via a set of rules with which I am not familiar.
I can’t believe I am not a typical customer - although I do have a very technical background and worked in customer support myself for a few years, I can’t be the only one who can code a form without having to point and click to do it.
When I was in support, my experience of how we dealt with software problems was completely different. We took them seriously and fixed them. When I call iContact I have to re-explain the problem each time, and each time I am asked to send in the urls of the page where my signup forms are. What have I learned? I’ve learned that a) the problem has not been fixed (it keeps happening)
b) The support person does not have or does not read the history of my calls or they would not repeatedly ask me for the same information
c) Their escalation people do not have a telephone (that is a direct quote from iContact) so I can’t *ever* speak to someone with any real knowledge of the software as they have told me I cannot be put through
d) I did once get through to real support via email, and they said the problem would not happen again, but it did a couple of days later, and continues until now.
e) The level of my frustration is such that I rant about it on my blog and now, here I am doing it in public again.
iContact do have some good features - many actually - which is why when I evaluated a number of service providers, I chose them. But this issue of customer service not having the tenacity to come back and actually deal with a problem, is utterly frustrating. It is like they are reading a script and if the problem means they have to deviate from the script, their support DNA prevents them.
It’s like they suddenly lose the power of reason.
I have just been told the problem has been escalated again. That was after I emailed to say I had heard nothing for days (meanwhile people sit in my list unconfirmed, because if I manually confirm them, I destroy the evidence of the problem). So why are they not in a hurry to resolve it? Why do I hear nothing for days and then when I email am told she will now escalate. That means she sat on it for days doing nothing. Then she asks me why I email her directly instead of the general support email address - don’t I realise she may be out of the office? Oh my god! It’s because I AM DESPERATE NOT TO HAVE TO REPEAT MYSELF TO YET ANOTHER CARDBOARD CUT-OUT SUPPORT PERSON. Am I making myself clear yet???
February 2nd, 2008 at 11:07 am
@Liz - When I said “Wow” in my previous comment, I should’ve added ha ha ha ’cause you really had me laughing with that alien statement of yours. That’s not to say that I don’t understand what you’re saying ’cause I certainly do. And I also think that these things are worse when you yourself come from a customer service background (as I have) because you know problems like these shouldn’t be a lasting as apparently yours is.
I can only hope someone from iContact sees this and does something about it, but hearing your experiences, it sounds like that’s a desperate hope. (#):(
February 2nd, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Oh! OK - I should have realised you were laughing! I am feeling a bit better now - thanks for the opportunity to get that off my chest. Liz
February 3rd, 2008 at 11:03 pm
@Liz - …That’s what I’m here for. (#):)
March 20th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Icontact sucks. I honestly find it hard to believe they are a million dollar company and yet manufacture such a mediocre product with terrible customer support. I heard all the hype on tv and gave it a shot– my goodness, I was bamboozled and taken for a fool. Take this as a warning– you get what you pay for >:(
March 27th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Just to update you all. I am now with aweber in general, but still have one account to move away from iContact. And the reasons why I can’t move away form them easily are tied up n their incompetence. The previous commenter (Peter) is correct. They totally suck. At best their support staff are sympathetic, at worst moronic. As my mum says, sympathy without help, is no help at all.
March 28th, 2008 at 8:17 am
@Peter - Yikes! I wonder if there’s anyone out there who actually LIKED their services.
@Liz - I hate it when that happens… When you’re basically held for hostage because customer support sucks so much you can’t get them to let you go. (#):(
April 2nd, 2008 at 3:22 pm
@Bush - Well, I’m not with iContact any more but while I was there, I was working on user experience and graphic design. I have to say I wish I’d had these comments while I was there because I really could have helped. But that era is well past for me. I’ll make sure someone over there sees it, but it looks like they already have. James Wong was a CSR when I was there but I believe he’s moved over to marketing since then.
@James - Your comment is correct. iContact added standards compliant HTML just as I was leaving (so roughly last September).
@Thomas - When that feature request was originally submitted, it had my name on it. I got so tired of fixing that invalid, nested table, mess of HTML I literally got on the floor of the lead developer’s office and begged. Just sayin’….
@ALL - Anybody that wants to talk can email me: alan-NOSPAM-underwood@gmail.com. Obviously remove the bit you’re supposed to remove.
But since I don’t work there anymore, all I can really do is let you vent, but I’m _really_ curious to hear people’s experiences with the current product and the community features they’ve added.
April 2nd, 2008 at 5:19 pm
@Everyone - Wow. It’s really amazing to see how this post continues to live on. Good stuff and keep the comments coming everyone!
April 16th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Hi guys. I have to let you know I went with Icontact b/c I really liked the demo of how their email marketing interface worked… but since having bought it I want to WARN EVERYONE that if you have a serious reason for using this type of software(for me it’s my music career and a fan list that I need to stay in touch with) .. DO NOT get Icontact and here is why.
1. Their tech support/customer support are RUDE and Clueless individuals who do not even know how the software is supposed to work.
2. The very reason you get something like Icontact is for tracking capability right? Well after having purchased the full account I have sent out 11 emails and in all 11 emails, their tracking is less than 10% good in it’s data…. so I have NO IDEA if the other 90% have even gotten my emails, read them or what…. you can imagine that the very reason you pay for such software is for tracking purposes, anyone can send out an HTML Email manually by themselves…..
just my 2 cents..
if anyone knows any other online marketing email software that actually works, please let me know!
June 8th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Having read all of the bad reviews about iContact, can anyone recommend a good email marketing service for a nonprofit organization? User base is around 2500 people and event emails are sent out about twice a year.
August 5th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
After reading a lot of postings across the Internet I was just about to go ahead and sign-up with iContact.
However, after readin gthe above, it sounds like that is a bad idea. Of most concern is that they only allow a 15 day trial, which is pretty short compared with Constant Contacts 60 days.
I’ll continue my quest and thnaks to everyone that posted for the info . . .
PS - Nothing is worse (and less excuseable) in todays business world than bad customer support!!!!
August 29th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
WARNING: Do not join iContact.
1. Very unfriendly customer service.
2. If you go over the 100k the next quote they give you is almost double the cost per email.
3. I was told I should have two accounts as they would give a price better than what they have posted on their site.
September 17th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Interesting…I’m currently shopping around for a new e-mail vendor, and I decided to test iContact using their free account. I sent emails to five email addresses ten minutes ago, but none have received the test email.
September 17th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
ok, so after 14 minutes, one email came through to a test aol account… :-/
September 24th, 2008 at 3:35 am
It’s a shame that the strongly negative opinions (which I fully share) about this company aren’t reflected in the reviewer’s prominent review.
I figured out how to make their website work to get my contacts in - and they wouldn’t even comp me. I spent hours, and hours. I spoke only with increasingly defensive people who knew less about their product and how it functions than did I.
For instance, there’s a bug (they know about) that prohibits importing vcards. THEN WHY NOT POST THAT ON THE WEBSITE, IDIOTS?
I spent about an hour trying to import them. Tech support? Spare me. Even when I documented problems, I got no response.
I could go on and on and on….but I’ll say Mr. Mackel that if you’re going to strongly endorse a technology, you should rigorously test it.
Cheers,
k
September 29th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Forget iContact and ConstantContact. Email Marketer by Interspire BLOWS them out of the water: http://www.interspire.com/emailmarketer/ - they have a hosted OR download edition. I run the hosted and it works flawlessly.