ESPs offer tools to help you improve your email deliverability by widening your consumer reach. Meanwhile, ISPs are platforms that make your email campaigns possible. Together, ESPs and ISPs make up the backbone of your business’s email marketing goals.
Some people may remain confused because of overlapping definitions and unfamiliarity. Here is a closer look into each term to clear up any misunderstandings.
What Is ISP?
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) is a company that gives you internet access for a price. Some people may commonly refer to ISPs as “providers,” which may explain why many are unfamiliar with the abbreviation. You can usually connect to an ISP via broadband.
ISP may also stand for Inbox Service Provider, a company that offers mailbox services. However, this expansion is uncommon. At the same time, Internet Service Providers can also offer mailbox features, although not exclusively. You would lose your email data if you change your Internet Service Provider that also gives you a mailbox.
The ISPs initialism mostly refers to internet companies. In the United States, the largest providers include:
- AT&T Internet Services
- Charter Communications
- Consolidated Communications
- Cox Communications
- Frontier Communications
- Lumen Technologies
- Mediacom
- Sparklight
- TDS Telecom
- Verizon High-Speed Internet
- Windstream
- Xfinity (Comcast High-Speed Internet)
What Is ESP?
An Email Service Provider (ESP) or Email Marketing Service Provider is a platform that allows you to send bulk email campaigns. They exist to pick up where standard mailbox providers lack. Some features include:
- Large Email Volume: They allow you to send large volumes of emails. This may prove beneficial for a business that intends to reach as many potential consumers as possible. Standard mailbox providers tend to have limits on the number of emails you can send.
- Email List Segmenting: You can apply your preferences in segmenting emails. Segmentation involves the division of email subscriptions based on set criteria. This strategy helps you tailor your email list based on the emails you delivered that brought in the most sales. You can target customers who are most likely to convert when they see your email promotions.
- Subscription Management: You can manage your subscriptions and conduct other email list-related tasks. This strategy allows you to focus on the subscribers who lead to more conversions than others. At the same time, you can adjust your strategies for the ones who may not be converting as much.
- Creative Tools: ESPs may provide tools that help you create emails with visual appeal. Getting an email subscriber’s attention is important in getting them to convert. So, you may want to make a good first impression with your email’s layout and appearance.
- Tracking Tools: Finally, they can help you track how well your email campaigns have been performing. You may use this data to fine-tune your next efforts as your organization grows.
Why Is ESP Important for Your Email Deliverability?
An ESP is important for email deliverability primarily because of the reach it provides. ESPs offer specialized tools that you may not get from a standard mailbox service provider. Mailbox service providers are companies that offer email services.
As we have established, ISPs can be mailbox providers. However, some may lack essential features that other specialized mail service providers offer.
Standard mailbox providers are usually free services. Some of the largest free mailbox providers include AOL, Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo!. These providers offer email accounts that you would use for basic operations, including job recruitment, networking, setting meetings, and downloading files.
Although free and accessible email accounts may offer more features than the ones with mailbox solutions, they still have some downsides. ESPs eliminate such disadvantages effectively.
One primary benefit that ESPs have over other mailbox providers is their capacity to send large volumes of emails. Non-specialty and free mailbox providers may be suited for personal use. That is, you only need your email account to transfer documents among colleagues or require an address to subscribe to your favorite online programs.
This limitation will not benefit your business, especially when it begins growing. A free mailbox provider such as Gmail only allows you to send emails to 500 recipients in a day. Therefore, you may not reach your thousands of potential consumers to talk about your new product or promote a deal. You may have to resort to third-party tools or switch to a better one.
Besides the larger email volume that you can send with specialized ESPs, these services also offer helpful tools to improve your email campaign. You would need to assess how well your emails are doing, meaning you may want to identify which subscribers have been interacting the most with your emails. This way, you can target them better and learn more about your company’s primary audience.
Choose Your ESP Wisely
Although Email Service Providers have more features than standard mailbox services, one company may fit certain businesses better than another. Be sure to select an ESP that serves your best interests and suits your unique business goals.
Before you select an ESP, consider establishing your goals. Define your email marketing strategy by understanding what kind of emails you intend to deliver to your consumer base. At the same time, you must know what factors you would focus on to measure your email campaigns’ performances.
Once you have a clear vision of the content and messages you want to send, you can compare the features and select one that meets your goals. For instance, if you want to attach articles in your emails, you would need an ESP that can incorporate these elements into your emails flawlessly.
In addition, understanding your brand’s valuable metrics will clarify what items you intend to track, helping you define the best ESP for your business. Regardless of how different your options are, always keep these aspects in mind:
If It Has All the Features You’re Looking For
In essence, you want an Email Service Provider that meets and exceeds your expectations. You want one that is compatible with your business goals and helps you expand your operations through email campaigns.
The Quality of Their Support Team
Be sure the provider you select has a comprehensive and active support team. You want to be confident with your next email campaign with expert guidance in technical aspects you may encounter. Any company that actively helps its consumers get the best services may be a sign of its superiority.
If It Offers the Detailed Analytics You Need
A feature that you may want to prioritize in your ESP of choice is the detailed analytics features it offers. On top of sending bulk emails to your consumer base, you want to know how well these emails perform. Be sure that the provider makes their analytics user-friendly on your part.
Make Sure It Counts With an Appealing Responsive Design
Select an ESP that you can navigate easily. You want one that helps you breeze through your email campaign strategy, which a convoluted interface may fail to offer. In addition, consider choosing one that offers email designs compatible with mobile phones. ESPs that can optimize email templates across different devices cater to wider audiences.
Conclusion
ESPs and ISPs make up the backbone of email marketing campaigns. While they may be confusing at first, their differences are stark. An Email Service Provider is a specific service for email marketing needs, while an Internet Service Provider simply gives you access to the internet so you can execute your campaign.
Email Service Providers offer the necessary tools to help you improve your email deliverability. With this service, you can reach thousands of potential customers and identify how well your email campaigns have been performing.
When selecting an ESP, be sure the one you choose meets your business goals. You want a provider that can keep up with your vision and help you achieve it. Once you establish what you want to achieve with your email campaigns, you can compare your options to determine the best one for your unique needs.
