How Do I Choose the Best Open Source Newsletter Software?

Open source newsletter software, also known as an open source bulk email program, is responsible for sending out massive amounts of newsletters, so the program has to have intuitive design features and be very stable. A newsletter template in the open source newsletter software will help users design newsletters, even if they do not know hypertext markup language (HTML). Subscription management, both in adding and removing subscribers, will help the newsletter following flourish and grow. Campaign statistics will help the business owner know, based on response, if the newsletter was a success or failure. The ability to add forms to the email will help business owners collect even more data on the target market.

Many business owners want to send out newsletters, but not all of them know HTML, the language responsible for making most professional newsletters. Rather than learning HTML or hiring a designer, choosing open source newsletter software that has a newsletter template will help the user make a newsletter in minutes. This template usually has one or several preloaded designs, and the user just types in words. Even for seasoned newsletter designers, a program with a template can mean less time spent on design work.

As the user’s business grows, the subscription base will change. New people will want to join, and some old customers will want to be taken off the subscription list. The ability to manage subscriptions is essential for open source newsletter software. Users must be able to remove subscribers — emailing them after they request to be removed from the list is considered spam and can be illegal — and adding members allows the list to grow.

It can be difficult to track the success of a newsletter campaign just by watching sales, because it will be hard to know how many sales the newsletter directly influenced. Email statistics will help the user understand how successful a campaign is by telling him or her how many people responded to the newsletter, if the newsletter was forwarded to other people, and if anyone unsubscribed because of the newsletter. This helps the user understand what the audience is looking for and may help him or her create better a newsletter and, thus, a better business.

When someone subscribes to a newsletter, he or she often inputs minimal information, such as email address and name. If the open source newsletter software is able to use forms, then users may be able to collect more information, which can help section off the market and allow a business to advertise to everyone in a unique way. These forms can be used to collect information about age, gender and hobbies or interests, for example.