newsletter service ... why

[Bobby_S]

hi guys,

something I don't well understand: why do websites (even big websites) use an email service of another site to do their newsletter service?

[candelbc]

It's speculation on my behalf, but I think a lot of web site owners do not have a full time staff of web developers. This given, I would imagine it is easier for companies to utilize services that make it easy to handle users and marketing campaigns.

Another reason would be that if a client came to me today wanting to provide email newsletters to their online customers, I would probably suggest an external service instead of coding one from scratch. Not because I am lazy, but because my customers money is better spent utilizing these services. It's cheaper, more feature filled, and faster..

Just my two cents, there may be several other reasons why this is the case..

-Brad

[chong]

external newsletter service comes with a large pool of opt-in recepients

[winged1]

Interesting that you make such comments in the business section. Not all websites are assembled by technos. Many sites are assembled where marketing is the higher priority, and are done for strictly business desires. Technos are an expense in those models.

[Compguy Pete]

Winged1 I dont get the Techno's comment... help me out here

Candelbc - I found a comment you made very interesting.. and that was about writing an emailer from scratch... Help me out here but why would you create one from scratch when there are so many precreated options out there? For example PHP list seems to be a very well community supported app. To me I would think maybe I'm wrong but that would be the superior way to vs. creating a home made app.

A not about external newsletter services... if they supply the list for you and it's not a self created list it's outright spam and should be avoided.

I've had a saying I tell my clients: "If they ask for the mail they'll read the mail"

[Bobby_S]

For example PHP list seems to be a very well community supported app. To me I would think maybe I'm wrong but that would be the superior way to vs. creating a home made app.

A not about external newsletter services... if they supply the list for you and it's not a self created list it's outright spam and should be avoided.

I also don't think such a free list has much value ...
Hey, Pete, could you give us a link to that php tool? php list?

thx!

[Compguy Pete]

http://www.tincan.webbler.co.uk/

Sorry about that, I totally intended to put that in the last post.

[chong]

The external parties do not provide "free" list. You pay them, they use their list (could be hundreds of thousands valid emails) for your forwarded mails for a limited period of time.

Its not spam either, the emails collected are opt-in. For e.g., when you sign up for certain mail accounts, there will be forms asking if you wish to recieve mails from sponsors or something. Basically this is a case of you joining into the mailling lists.

Value wise, many of these lists are non-generic. ie., the users actually specify if they are interested in certain areas such as finances. So the list actually goes further with the interest factor. But ultimately it is the volume of mail they can provide.