iContact Reviews

Pros

iContact is easy to use in most cases. There are tons of different templates and creating your own email template is a breeze. If you get one of the Pro plans they'll even help you make templates for future use, so that's great, too.

There are plenty of ways to upload data and keep track of that data. In fact I tend to use iContact to export my data for use on other platforms because it keeps everything so nicely. My point of sale doesn't even allow the breadth of exports and options that iContact does, so it's more than just an email platform to me.

Automation is visually very simple and means that I know I'm reaching my audience at the correct times. I no longer have to manually send each email, and with the automation there are tons of options to segment in addition. This means I'm not sending frivolous emails, so that keeps our open rate high.

Cons

I have three businesses that have to be kept separate and my only big complaint is that I can't copy automation plans or other things back and forth between them. So a lot of time is wasted redoing certain campaigns between the locations.

I also think the social connectivity needs to be updated. Twitter for one is outdated and the actual website allows much more text to be posted than in-app. They're several updates behind on Twitter.

Pros

It's extremely easy to deploy automated marketing campaigns, newsletters, quick information to your target audience using this platform. I enjoyed the ease of use in terms of sending out an email. It's nice for small business owners who don't have the time, energy, or resources to allocate to figuring out an email marketing platform.

Cons

I love this platform, but it's extremely out-of-date compared to other email platforms. For example, it's impossible to edit a template. For it being 2022, I would assume this would be easier from a user-friendly perspective.

Alternatives Considered

Higher Logic Thrive

Reasons for Switching to iContact

Ultimately the price point is what led our small business to choose iContact

Pros

The new email templates are nice and easy to use once you get the hang of it. The analytics and insights are helpful in gauging how many people are seeing our messages. I also like the ease with which we can add and remove contacts.

Cons

The new templates are easier to use than the original email layout, but there are an awful lot of steps in the formatting. I feel like that process could be streamlined. Also, I understand that our account doesn't allow for tons of file storage, but it would be nice if the individual file/asset upload size was a bit bigger. I also think that there could be a more user-friendly way to re-verify contacts. We have over 8,000 contacts we email regularly but the process to re-verify contacts to keep our lists healthy is really confusing.

Pros

The recent upgrade to the platform matches natural workflow (and spots for quality checks to prevent mistakes). We've saved time creating and managing our emails. We have a dedicated advisor that responds quickly when we have needs or questions. It's much nicer than an anonymous "call center" where you get who you get. I especially like the new upgrades to the platform, which reflect the way I/we work in an increasingly intuitive way.

Cons

I would like to see more seamless integrations with other software and extensions, such as a text-to-join feature.

Pros

'm really enjoying using iContact as a full-fledged communication tool. It's simple to send out emails and messages to my contacts promptly, plus I can tailor the content to suit my requirements. Moreover, the customer service is excellent, always responding quickly and being helpful. Additionally, I'm impressed with the range of features that come with iContact - such as contact segmentation, email automation, and the analytics tool. The analytics feature is especially helpful, as I can keep tabs on who opened my emails, and from that data, I can make informed decisions about upcoming campaigns.

Cons

I have no complaints about the product so far.

Pros

I found IContact to be an incredibly user-friendly email marketing service. Its user interface was easy to understand, making it simple to create, customize and personalize newsletters and forms. I was especially impressed with the drag-and-drop design feature that allowed me to produce attractive campaigns quickly and efficiently.

Cons

I can't think of anything that I disliked about iContact. It's a great platform for managing email campaigns and building relationships with customers.

Pros

Ease of use, It is a reliable tool for our business

Cons

I can't think of anything negative right now

Pros

Many-to-many relationships of all entities (except subscription to one list). Very flexible. Also ability to select multiple segments or exclude them.

Cons

Would like to be able to insert an image with text scrolling around it. ((Captions do not do that.) MailChimp allows this!

Pros

CS picks up the phone great traing video

Cons

no complaints at all - great staff is always there for me

Pros

We've used iContact for several years and their Customer Service personnel are wonderful. They go above and beyond, are extremely professional and so helpful always.

Cons

I wish it were easier to remove contacts and easier to move contacts around to different lists.

Pros

When our company first switched to Icontact from our email provider, we were very satisfied as their responsive technical support, quick setup, and easy to use interface was a perfect email solution. Icontact is a solid choice for small to medium sized companies looking to grow their list in a comfortable environment. You will get better support from regular technical support and they are more willing to work with you, and quickly resolve any issues. Their email deliverability is above average.

Cons

Their templates leave much to be desired. If you have some html/css knowledge and are creative, then you can modify theirs or create your own. Sometimes our emails would end up in spam, without explanation from Icontact. Icontact is a good company, however if you are considering in moving to Enterprise account, you may consider looking elsewhere. Stick with regular technical support plans due urgent issues being resolved quicker. They have a deliverability team but they may disable sending and removing large amounts of emails without a warning which is very strange especially if you need to send out emails the next day.

Pros

At our business, we appreciate the timed releases, simple platform, and easy-to-access data following an email release.

Cons

The only thing we wish there could be an improvement on is ease of design. It seems like there are some quirks where we try to change a font color and it snaps back to the original, forcing us to go into HTML mode to edit. Thankfully, it's easy to switch between "design-mode" and "HTML mode."

Pros

It's easy to use as long as you don't try to get creative. I also like that you can copy a previous email and use it as a template for a new email - much quicker.

Cons

Sometimes it won't send test messages, and, a few months ago the Facebook connection feature stopped working so I haven't been able to use it. Also, it's a pain to include pictures in an email. The text wrapping feature does not work. I get it looking great in the program, but as soon as I send the email or test it, it gets all messed up. Lastly, the links get corrupted if you try to copy and paste them in a lot, so that is frustrating if you have to redo all the links sometimes.

Pros

I appreciate the ability to maintain a large number of segmented mailing lists. It's easy to view and compare engagement at a glance through open and click through rates. AB testing is easy and efficient.

Cons

Email builder can be a little restrictive, I'd prefer more freedom and flexibility.
Support are US based and support for premium users is restricted to relatively limited times for those of us based in Central Europe.
Unsure yet whether iContact are GDPR compliant/

Pros

Building workflows is incredibly easy. They take the mystery out of building comprehensive automated workflows that make a marketer's life easier. And the support is amazing. My company's Strategic Advisor is helpful and eager to answer any questions she can. If she doesn't have the answer, she always takes the time to think it through and get back to me with solutions.

Cons

We're having some issues with open/click discrepancies, which is frustrating, but Strategic Advisor assures me the support team is working on a solution. I'd like access to more comprehensive analytics. Strategic Advisor pulls monthly reports for me, but I'd love the ability to pull these reports myself.

Pros

It's practically point and click - if it's not, a simple phone call and it becomes that! I love having a 'person' connected to our account - so I may frequently utilize their expertise. Many other companies do NOT offer phone help - which is a deterrent.

Cons

I do wish integrating forms into our website is easier - but it seems to be a hassle. Mainly because we've spent over a year creating our own forms to find out it isn't compatible with iContact. We're working on a solution but it is tiresome.

Pros

The software is easy to use and offers enough flexibility to get our messaging out to our residents.

Cons

I would like it if the search function was more robust. In addition, there are times that what I see on my screen is not how it looks when I send it to myself to Q.C. I tend to keep layouts simple to avoid this challenge.

Pros

It is quite user-friendly, allowing us to create high-quality, professional emails with strategic segmentation. Their support team is excellent. Our "Strategic Adviser" is always pushing us toward the latest industry best-practices and keeping us at the cutting edge. Their support team is also quick to respond to any challenges we have and readily offers solutions.

Cons

Sometimes it can be glitchy and the format/design that you create doesn't always comet through exactly on different email platforms. Also, it would be ideal if it offered e-commerce tracking.

Pros

Very easy to use and great customer support! They have helped us improve our email deliveries and upgrade our image, including our social media presence.

Cons

They do upgrade routinely and it takes a little time to get used to the changes. Even then, support helped us with it.

Pros

It's really cheap, easy to use and it works with no problems at all. We had it for almost 3 years and never experienced an error, bug or anything else that could have resulted in a bad case scenario for us. Also, the customer support team is really kind and considerate.

Cons

It doesn't have too much space for customization, and the templates are kinda plain. Also, the new interface was really delayed in comparison to its competition that already had drag an drop customization and a large number of quality templates. It also lacks quality analytics reports (it's really basic) and it's short of integrations with some CRMs.

Pros

I love the new functionality! the drag and drop makes creating a new email simple and easy which is great since some store owners are not technically savvy. I can't wait for the next release of software.

Cons

The reporting could be more robust instead of a list of every person that clicked, I would like to see the link with the number of clicks and be able to click on the number to see who clicked.

The dashboard would be easier to view if it was set up as rows so you can see more than 3 campaigns. In addition to have the ability to copy a campaign from the dashboard instead of having to go into Emails > Sent.

When trying to change the font color, the theme colors show, but not any standard colors. So when you want to change the font to black, you have to go into the color chart to select black.

As with any software, it has it's qwerks, but it's nice to now that iContact is actively enhancing the software.

Pros

Makes responsive emails quickly, once you create your basic template/style
Customer Service & Account reps are friendly
Good value
I used MailChimp elsewhere before iContact and I think iContact's pretty good. They updated the email designer this past year with a responsive drag and drop format that makes our emails easier to view on mobile devices and easier for the less digital-savvy members of the team to use.
We send a lot of emails to a lot of people and really don't pay that much to do it. Other services may offer more bells and whistles --I don't know, I haven't looked -- but for where we are now, we're satisfied.
For perspective, our usual list has <70,000 emails on it, and we send a couple times a month.

Cons

Creating list segments is tough without planning ahead
Bullets don't center with the text
Not 100% customizable, but hey, it's responsive!
Integrate social sending with Hootsuite or Nuvi (<-- wishlist item)

Pros

For the most part, it is easy to navigate. I like that it is compatible with almost any type of HTML code.

Cons

I don't like how it's set up to tag contacts. My company never uses the feature because it's way too complicated and frustrating. The HTML designers also do an okay job of creating templates from scratch. The most recent one I received had too much coding and took me hours to add in content.

Pros

I'm very happy with all the great templates and designs! The navigation has also improved a great deal. It's easy to be creative and put out a great informational product to my guests. I also appreciate the information that I can see what worked best within the email I sent, by watching open, clicks, etc.

Cons

This software is a big improvement from the previous software, so it's difficult for me to say what I like least. I don't have any complaints.

Pros

iContact is more that and great platform, the technical assistance/guidance is the best advantage for our company. We have monthly meetings with our rep to help us get better at what we do; Take advantage of the customize-able products and measure our increased success in the industry. Our current open rate is about 30% more than 100,000 active emails.

Cons

icontact 2.0 is a little slow painting our HTML code and has some clunkiness to it, but this is common for any new roll-out. I have no desire to change to any other provider.