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Frequently Asked Questions
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Email Lists
- Can I rent or buy an email list to use with the Constant Contact service?
- Constant Contact can only be used with email lists for which you have permission to communicate to. Please read our ANTI-SPAM policy.
- What happens to my list after I upload it in to Constant Contact?
- Your list is safe behind our heavily secured firewalls. It will reside in your Constant Contact account until you remove your list. Constant Contact will never rent, share or sell your list. For more details read our Email Privacy Policy.
- How do I get my list imported in to my Constant Contact account?
- Constant Contact will accept your email addresses in 3 file formats; .txt (text file), .csv (Comma Separated Values) and .xls (Microsoft® Excel® Spreadsheet). Simply browse to where the file lives on your computer and let the Constant Contact wizard guide you through the import.
- If I want to use the email addresses I have in my Microsoft® Outlook® Address book, how do I get them in to Constant Contact?
- To import an address file from Microsoft® Outlook®, you must export your Microsoft® Outlook® Contact folder to a text (i.e., contacts.txt) file. Detailed instructions.
- What if I don't have an email list?
- No Problem. It's time to get started! There are several ways you can collect email addresses. Constant Contact provides a list building tool in the form of a sign up box to be put on your website. Your site visitors can sign up for your email list and their addresses are automatically imported in to your Constant Contact account. You have access to this tool even in the free trial.
Other ways to collect would be to set up a guest register and have customers provide you with their email addresses that you will import in to your Constant Contact account. Trade shows, conferences, purchases - any time you touch your customer, invite them to join your list.
Pricing
- How does pricing work?
- Constant Contact offers two payment options for your convenience. You can pay for the service monthly or prepay in advance (six months or annually) for an additional discount. Your fee is determined by the maximum number of unique email addresses you had in your account for a billing period.
- What are the non-profit Discounts?
- The prices are based on the number of email addresses in your account. The standard discounts that we offer are 10% for 6 months and 15% for a full year. However, if you forward your 501 (c) (3) or equivalent non -profit documentation, you are eligible for a 20% (6 months) or 30% (annual) discount.
- What are the Pre-Pay Discounts?
- The pre-payment options provide discounts on the standard pricing. You can pre- pay for 12 months of service and get a 15% discount, or pre-pay for 6 months and get a 10% discount. If you do decide to choose a pre-payment plan, you have the option of paying by check or credit card. We accept American Express, Visa, Mastercard & Discover Card.
- How can I sign up for a paying account, and bypass the 60-day free trial with the 100 email address restriction?
- In order to create a paying account, you will first need to sign up for a trial, then enter your credit card information by clicking on "My Account"
- Do I have to sign a contract to use Constant Contact?
- Absolutely not! You are under no obligation to sign a contract or commit to a certain period of time when signing up for our free trial.
- Do I have to give a credit card to take advantage of the free trial?
- No credit card is required when signing up for the free trial.
- Isn't this more expensive than downloading software?
- There are many cost and time-saving benefits to having a service, just to name a few:
- Requires no technical support or expertise, no set-up (Easy)
- Access your email marketing account from anywhere (web-based)
- Many formatted templates to choose from
- Automated bounce management and one-click unsubscribe
- Real-time reporting (clicks, opens etc.)
- Established ISP relations on your behalf
- Technology and legislation changes are tracked and kept in compliance
- Software never out of date; no need to upgrade (at a cost) to a new software version in the future.
Creating Email Campaigns
- Do I need to know HTML to create an email campaign?
- Absolutely not! You will be able to create beautiful html campaigns by simply pasting your content in to our wizard driven templates.
- Is there a cost to customize Constant Contact templates?
- No way! You can add your own logo and pictures, change text color size and type. You can add or remove paragraphs as needed. If you are comfortable with XHTML or HTML, we offer you the ability to work in the code to get the "look and feel" that suits you. Simply click on the "Advanced Editor" link when editing your campaign.
- Can I use my own HTML in Constant Contact?
- Absolutely! You can create a custom template using your own HTML code.
- What if I want my email campaign to match my website and I don't see a standard template that looks like it will work?
- Constant Contact offers a template branding service. You will work with us on designing a customized template with the look you want and feel you desire.
Email Deliverability
- What does Constant Contact do to make sure my emails get delivered?
- Constant Contact has standing relationships and ongoing dialogue with many of the leading ISPs and blacklists. This includes the sharing of information regarding policies, practices and issues. Constant Contact has dedicated resources on the team to make sure that we do everything possible to make sure that your email gets delivered successfully.
Getting Started
- What do I have to do to set up Constant Contact?
- Getting started is really very easy. Signing up for a free trial will only take a minute. Once you have been logged in to your account, you will want to do the following:
- Import your email addresses
- Set up some initial account information (email signature, company name, logo, etc)
- Send a test campaign
- Is there training available?
- Absolutely! We are here to help, starting from the day you sign up for a free trial. You may attend a live product tour and will be invited to view an online tutorial about email marketing. We also provide a robust suite of online tutorials that you can take at your leisure. Really want to get started quickly? We offer a Quick Start service that works with you to prepare your first campaign.
And there's more! During your free trial you will also receive a series of coaching emails. And as always, our support team is on call, available to help you with any questions you may have.
Email Campaign Reporting
- Can I see who opens my email campaigns?
- Yes, you can see the email addresses of who opened your emails as well as those who clicked on what links within your emails. You also have the ability to then export those "open" or "click-thru" email addresses in to a new interest category of their own!
- Does Constant Contact give me any information on the bounced emails?
- Yes! Constant Contact has a bounce management feature that allows you to see which addresses bounced and for what reasons. Additionally it will allow you to export those addresses for easy bounce management of your lists.
Our free 60-day trial allows you plenty of time to get familiar with our full feature set. It's risk free. No credit card required. We simply ask that you keep your mailing list to under 100 contacts during your trial period.
