Send Personalized Emails with SMTP and Mail Merge in Google Sheets

The Mail merge add-on lets you send personalized emails to multiple recipients in one go. The emails are always sent via your Gmail account or your Google Workspace email address. Google also imposes a limit on the number of emails you can send per day.

Mail Merge with SMTP

Mail merge is convenient because you can put your contacts in a Google Sheet and the add-on will individually send the emails for you. However, if you aren’t using Gmail or have a large mailing list, an SMTP service like SendGrid or AWS may be more a suitable option for sending out personalized emails.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could enjoy the ease of the Mail Merge add-on while still utilizing an SMTP service to send personalized emails? That’s where the Document Studio add-on can help.

Generate SMTP Credentials

Google for SMTP settings for [your email provider] and you’ll find the SMTP server address, port number, and the authentication details like the username and password (or API key) for your email service.

For instance, if you plan to use Zoho Mail for mail merge, the SMTP settings would be as follows:

  • SMTP Server: smtp.zoho.com
  • Port: 465
  • Username: Your Zoho account email address
  • Password: Your zoho.com password

Send Email with SMTP

Prepare Mail Merge Data

Open the Google Sheet with your mail merge data and launch the Document Studio add-on. Create a new workflow and choose the Send Email task.

From the list of Email Service providers, choose SMTP Server and enter the SMTP server address, port number, and the authentication details that you found in the previous step.

SMTP for Mail Merge

Next, move to the Email Message section and configure your email template. You can use placeholders like {{First Name}} and {{Title}} in the message body and subject line to personalize the emails.

If you would like to attach files to the email, you can do that as well. You may attach the same file to all emails or use placeholders to attach different files to each email.

Click the Preview button and you should see a sample email sent to your own email address through the SMTP server. You can now click the Save and Run button to send personalized emails to all recipients in your Google Sheet.

6 Best WordPress SMTP Plugins (Expert Pick)

Are you looking for the best WordPress SMTP plugin for your website?

Using SMTP plugins on your website can improve the deliverability and security of the emails you send to your users. This can prevent your emails from ending up in your users’ spam folders.

In this article, we have hand-picked the best SMTP plugins for your WordPress website to improve email deliverability.

Best WordPress SMTP plugins

Why Use a WordPress SMTP Plugin?

By default, WordPress uses the PHP mail () function to send emails from your WordPress website.

These include order confirmation emails for customers in your WooCommerce store, form submission emails, newsletters, account activation emails, and more.

However, due to server issues, plugin conflicts, or incorrect email settings, most of these emails never make it to the users’ inboxes or even end up in the spam folder.

For more details on this, you may want to see our beginner’s guide on how to fix the WordPress not sending email issue.

This is where SMTP plugins come in. These plugins easily integrate with popular SMTP services to improve the overall deliverability of your emails.

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the standard protocol for sending emails. Unlike the PHP mail () function, it uses proper authentication, making SMTP a more reliable protocol with high deliverability rates.

Moreover, an SMTP plugin also encrypts all your emails to prevent them from being intercepted by hackers.

SMTP plugins give you more control over your email settings and even allow you to customize the email that will be sent to the recipients.

That being said, let’s take a look at the best WordPress SMTP plugins on the market.

1. WP Mail SMTP

WP Mail SMTP website

WP Mail SMTP is the best WordPress SMTP plugin on the market that easily replaces the PHP mail() function on your WordPress blog with SMTP.

Used by over 2 million+ websites, the plugin allows you to connect your website to SMTP service providers like Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), SendLayer, and AWS to improve your email deliverability.

Choose a mailer

Moreover, WP Mail SMTP even allows you to send test emails to check if the emails are being successfully sent to the users.

The plugin sends you an email every week summarizing the weekly statistics of your WordPress emails. This information can help you strategize and improve your email marketing for better results.

Other than that, its free version also offers features like email logging, advanced email reporting, and backup connections. However, if you want to unlock smart email routing, email tracking, or White Glove setup, then you can upgrade to the paid plan.

Pros

  • It lets you view a log of all the emails sent from your website.
  • WP Mail SMTP offers a free version of the plugin.
  • The plugin sends you an email failure notification through Slack, email, or SMS.
  • It tracks open and click rates for emails sent through WordPress.
  • WP Mail SMTP allows you to enable or disable different types of notifications.
  • It’s compatible with all of the WordPress hosting providers.

Cons

  • Some of the plugin’s more advanced features, like email tracking and email routing, require a paid plan.

Why we recommend WP Mail SMTP: Overall, WP Mail SMTP is the best choice for WordPress users as it comes with a super high email deliverability rate and easily integrates with many popular SMTP service providers.

Other than that, it completely secures all the emails sent from your website and offers spam protection, IP address restrictions, two-factor authentication, and more.

2. Easy WP SMTP

Easy WP SMTP website

Easy WP SMTP is a lightweight plugin that allows you to easily configure SMTP settings on your website to increase email deliverability.

It comes with a free plan that you can use to connect with SMTP providers like SendLayer, Brevo, and Mailgun.

Choose a mailer in Easy WP SMTP

The free plan of Easy WP SMTP also allows you to integrate with Gmail and offers debugging on email failure.

Plus, if you upgrade to the paid plan, then you can also access features like backup connections, smart email routing, priority support, and more.

Pros

  • Easy WP SMTP has a simple interface, making it ideal for beginners.
  • Its paid plan comes with features like email tracking, email logging, and email reports.
  • The plugin also allows you to connect your WordPress site with Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo accounts.

Cons

  • Its free plan offers limited features that only allow you to integrate your website with an SMTP provider.
  • Easy WP SMTP offers limited support compared to other plugins on this list.

Why we recommend Easy WP SMTP: We recommend opting for the Easy WP SMTP plugin if you are looking for a simple solution. The plugin offers all the features that you will need to switch to an SMTP service, making it a great choice for beginners.

3. Post SMTP Mailer

Post SMTP Mailer

Post SMTP Mailer is another great plugin that can help boost your email deliverability.

The plugin allows you to easily connect your WordPress site with SMTP service providers and even sends you notifications via the Slack app if an email delivery fails.

It also uses OAuth 2.0 to protect your emails and performs a connectivity test to detect firewall blocks or configuration errors.

Pros

  • It comes with a built-in email logger to keep track of email details.
  • You can also connect this plugin with Gmail, Mandrill, SendGrid, and Mailgun using an API.
  • It’s compatible with WordPress multisite setups.
  • With Post SMTP Mailer, you can design a secondary fallback SMTP server if the primary server fails.

Cons

  • The plugin does not offer as many features as other SMTP plugins on the list.
  • Its free plan does not offer priority customer support.
  • Its email logs are not very comprehensive.

Why we recommend Post SMTP Mailer: Post SMTP Mailer is a great solution if you are on a budget, as its free plan offers most of the features that you will need to securely deliver your emails.

Other than that, you can also use its paid plan to unlock features like email authentication, email scheduling, email encryption, and more.

4. FluentSMTP

FluentSMTP

FluentSMTP is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to easily deliver emails using SMTP providers like Brevo, SendGrid, Mailgun, and more.

Other than improving your email delivery, the plugin allows you to keep a log and track the emails sent to users from your WordPress dashboard.

Pros

  • It is an open-source plugin that’s completely free.
  • FluentSMTP offers email encryption to make your email completely secure.
  • It comes with email routing and lets you resend failed emails.

Cons

  • FluentSMTP is a bit tricky to set up with some SMTP providers.
  • It does not support Microsoft Exchange servers.

Why we recommend using FluentSMTP: We recommend using FluentSMTP if you are on a tight budget and looking for a simple solution, as it’s open source and completely free.

5. Gmail SMTP

Gmail SMTP

The Gmail SMTP plugin is an ideal choice if you want to use Gmail as an SMTP server. The free plugin allows you to easily connect your WordPress website with Gmail and send emails through it.

The plugin also offers spam protection, email logging, and great customer support.

Pros

  • Gmail SMTP uses OAuth 2.0, which is a more secure login method.
  • It allows you to send test emails to verify if everything is working correctly.
  • It encrypts your emails before sending them to protect them from hackers.

Cons

  • Gmail SMTP is a bit trickier to set up compared to other plugins on this list.
  • It does not offer email tracking or analysis features.

Why we recommend Gmail SMTP: We only recommend Gmail SMTP if you want to send WordPress emails through your admin Gmail account.

6. SMTP Mailer

SMTP Mailer

SMTP Mailer is a free WordPress plugin that allows you to easily send emails through SMTP service providers like SendLayer, SendGrid, SMTP.com, and more.

The plugin has an easy-to-use interface and uses authentication to ensure that your emails are delivered to the recipient’s inbox.

Pros

  • It has a simple user interface.
  • SMTP Mailer is completely free.
  • The plugin lets you test sending emails to ensure deliverability.

Cons

  • You have to manually connect the SMTP Mailer plugin with a mailing provider.
  • It doesn’t allow you to track emails, log emails, or schedule them.
  • It doesn’t offer great customer support.

Why we recommend SMTP Mailer: SMTP Mailer is a plugin with limited functionality and a simplistic user interface. We only recommend using this plugin if you are on a tight budget and don’t mind manually integrating an SMTP service provider with the plugin.

What Is the Best SMTP Plugin for WordPress?

In our expert opinion, WP Mail SMTP is the best WordPress SMTP plugin on the market. It’s used by over 2 million websites and allows integrations with popular SMTP service providers like SendLayer and Brevo (formerly Sendinblue).

The plugin also tracks emails, sends weekly email statistics reports, and comes with email logs, making it the ultimate SMTP plugin.

However, if you are a complete beginner, then you might prefer using the Easy WP SMTP plugin, as it is super easy to use, offers a free version, and allows you to connect your WordPress site with Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo accounts.

You can also use Post SMTP Mailer if your run a WordPress multisite or opt for Gmail SMTP if you use Gmail as an SMTP server.

Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress SMTP Plugins

Here are some questions that our readers often ask us about using WordPress SMTP plugins.

What is an SMTP plugin?

By default, WordPress uses the PHP mail () function to send emails from your WordPress site to your users.

However, most of the time, emails sent using the function are never delivered, making it unreliable and insecure.

With an SMTP plugin, you can easily connect your WordPress website to an SMTP service provider and send emails through an SMTP server. This ensures higher deliverability rates for your emails.

What are the benefits of using an SMTP plugin?

An SMTP plugin uses SMTP servers to send emails, which is a more reliable method. This means that by using one of these plugins, your emails are less likely to end up in a user’s spam folder.

Moreover, SMTP plugins use encryption to protect your emails from being intercepted by hackers, helping you prevent spam and phishing attacks.

Other than that, these plugins also allow you to track the delivery and open rates of your emails, which can improve your email marketing strategy.

What is the best SMTP provider for WordPress?

SendLayer is the best WordPress SMTP provider on the market because it’s super easy to use, affordable, and has a high deliverability rate.

It also works seamlessly with WP Mail SMTP to connect to your WordPress site and even offers amazing features like spam filter protection, subdomains to protect your reputation, built-in email list management, and great customer support.

For more details, you may want to see our expert picks for the best SMTP service providers with high email deliverability.

What is the best free SMTP plugin?

WP Mail SMTP is the best free SMTP plugin for WordPress, as its free version allows you to integrate with any SMTP provider of your choice. It also offers many helpful features, including email logging, advanced email reporting, and backup connections. 

However, the free version of Easy WP SMTP is also a great choice as it allows you to easily configure SMTP settings to increase email deliverability and lets you integrate with any SMTP service provider of your choice or your Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo accounts.

The Best Guides for Email Marketing in WordPress

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The post 6 Best WordPress SMTP Plugins (Expert Pick) first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Get a Free Email Domain (5 Quick and Easy Methods)

Are you looking for a free email domain? The email domain is part of an email address that comes after the @ symbol.

It is really important to get an email domain for your business instead of using a generic Yahoo, Gmail, or Hotmail email address. Not only will having your own email domain look more professional, but it will also help your messages avoid being sent to junk folders.

In this guide, we will show you a few different ways to easily get a free email domain for your business.

Get a free email domain

What is an Email Domain? (Definition)

An email domain is the web address that comes after the @ symbol in an email address. For example, in an email like syed@companyname.com, “companyname.com” is the email domain.

Email domains allow you to set up an email address with a @company name using your own business/brand name.

You can either buy an email domain, or you can get a free email domain for your business when you create a website.

Since there are multiple ways to get a free email domain for your business, we have covered the best options in this guide:

Ready? Let’s get started.

Method 1. Get a Free Email Domain with Bluehost

Typically, a custom domain name would cost you $14.99 per year, and email hosting services start from $9.88 per month (usually paid annually).

This is a significant amount of money especially when you are first starting a business website.

Luckily, our friends at Bluehost have agreed to offer WPBeginner users free email domain with discounted hosting packages.

Basically, you will get a free email domain with a shared hosting plan and a free SSL certificate for $2.75 per month.

Each hosting account includes webmail, email forwarding, spam filter protection, and the ability to use any email client on your mobile phone or desktop to send or receive emails.

Here is how to get your free email domain with Bluehost.

Step 1. Set up your free email domain

First, you need to visit the Bluehost website and click on the Get Started button.

Bluehost website

Next, you will see the pricing page where you’ll be asked to select a plan. Basic and Plus plans are popular among businesses looking for an email domain.

Click to select a plan, and you will be taken to the next step. From here, you will choose a free email domain name.

Choose domain name

After that, click on the Next button to continue.

Bluehost will now check the availability of the domain name you entered. If the domain name is unavailable, then it will show you some alternative options to choose from, or you can just enter a new domain name.

For tips on choosing a domain name, see our article on how to choose a domain name for your business.

After you have selected the domain name, you’ll need to enter your account information and finalize the plan details.

Uncheck extras

You’ll notice some optional extras on this page. You can safely uncheck them to keep your costs down.

Lastly, you need to enter your payment information to complete the purchase.

You will now receive an email with details on logging in to your account control panel. This is where you manage everything, including email accounts and other settings.

Step 2. Adding email accounts to your domain

Once you log in to your account dashboard, click on the Email & Office tab and then click ‘Manage’ under the Bluehost Email box.

Email setup Bluehost

This will bring you to an email account management area.

From here you need to click on the ‘Create’ button to add a new email account.

Create email account Bluehost

Next, you need to enter the email address you want to use and then enter a password.

Optionally, you can choose how much email storage space you want to allow.

Create account settings

After that, click on the Create button to save your new email account.

Bluehost will now create your email account, and you will see a success message.

Step 3. Using your custom domain email with Bluehost

Now that you have created your first account on your email domain. Let’s start using it.

There are multiple ways to use your new email account.

1. Webmail

Bluehost provides a neat interface to manage your email under your account using your browser.

Simply go to the Bluehost account dashboard and click on the Advanced page.

Bluehost advanced settings

This will open the cPanel (web hosting account control panel).

From here, click on the ‘Email Accounts’ icon under the Email section.

Email accounts cPanel in Bluehost

This will bring you to the email accounts page, where you’ll see all your created email accounts.

Go ahead, and click on the ‘Check Email’ next to your email account.

Check email in Bluehost

You’ll be asked to select a default webmail app. They all work the same, but Roundcube has a cleaner interface.

2. Other Devices and Apps

You can also send/receive email using any email app on your phone or computer like Outlook, Thunderbird, or another mail app.

Head over to the Advanced page and click the ‘Email Accounts’ icon. From here, you need to click on the ‘Connect Devices’ link next to your email account.

Connect devices to your Bluehost email account

On the next page, you’ll see a list of all popular email apps and devices.

Click on the app you want to connect to, and you’ll see step-by-step instructions to connect with your email client.’

Mail client configuration

Below the list, you’ll also find manual IMAP settings to connect any other device or app not already listed.

You can also use these outgoing server settings in WP Mail SMTP plugin to send WordPress emails using an SMTP server.

Manually set up with any mail client

3. Use it with Gmail

Gmail allows you to send and receive emails from your Google account, and you can also use it as a full-fledged email client to get all your email in one place.

You can send emails using your custom domain email directly from your free Gmail.com account or the mobile app.

Simply log in to your Gmail account and click on the Gear icon at the top and then click ‘See all settings’ button.

See all Gmail settings

From here, switch to the Accounts and Import tab and scroll down to the ‘Check mail from other accounts’ section.

Click on the ‘Add a mail account’ link to continue.

Managing email accounts in Gmail

This will bring up a popup where you’ll be asked to add the email account you want to add.

Fill in the custom domain email address you created with Bluehost earlier.

Enter your Bluehost email

Click on the Next button to continue.

The wizard will now ask how you would like to import your emails. POP3 is the only option available for Bluehost mail servers so it will be automatically selected for you.

Import mail options

Click on the Next button to move on.

After that, you will be asked to provide your account details.

Gmail configuration popup

Your username and password will be the complete email address you created earlier and its password. The POP server value will be your domain name with a mail prefix.

You must select the ‘Always use a secure connection (SSL)…’ option and then change the port value to 995.

Click on the Add Account button to save your settings.

Next, Gmail will ask you if you would want to use that account to send emails. Select ‘Yes’ and then click on the Next button.

Gmail configuration step 2

After that, you will be asked to provide a sender name. You can also choose to use this account as an alias.

Basically, an alias is useful when you own two email addresses. For example, an individual’s company email account.

Uncheck the alias box if you want to keep the ownership of this account separate.

For example, if it is your business’s departmental address like support@example.com or info@yourdomain.com.

Add your email account

Click on the ‘Next Step’ button to continue.

Now, you will need to provide your server’s SMTP information. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the industry standard to securely send emails.

outgoing SMTP

Your SMTP outgoing server will be mail.yourdomain.com (replace yourdomain.com with your actual email domain).

After that, use your complete email address as the username and enter the email account’s password.

Click on the ‘Add account’ button to continue.

Gmail will now send a verification code to the email address. Since you have already added that email address, you will get the email directly in your Gmail inbox.

Email verification code

Copy the code and enter it to complete the SMTP setup.

That’s all. You can now use your Gmail account to send and receive emails using your custom domain.

Method 2. Get a Free Email Domain with Hostinger

Hostinger is another popular WordPress hosting company that offers domain, web hosting, and business email accounts.

You can use Hostinger’s free domain to get an email domain for your business. Simply follow the instructions below to set it up.

1. Getting Your Free Email Domain with Hostinger

The folks at Hostinger are offering WPBeginner users an exclusive 81% off with a free domain name and free business email accounts.

You can get started for $2.69 per month.

Simply go to the Hostinger website and click on the Start Now button.

Hostinger website

This will take you to the signup page.

First, you need to choose a hosting period. We recommend 12 12-month period as it gives you the most savings.

Hostinger Pricing and plans

After that, you can create your account and complete the purchase by entering your payment information.

Once you have signed up, you’ll receive an email with instructions to log in to your Hostinger account dashboard.

They call it the hPanel and this is where you will manage your domain name, website hosting, and email accounts.

Hostinger setup step

Next, you will be asked to set up your hosting plan. Click on the Set up button to continue.

After that, you will be prompted to create a new website or migrate an existing website.

For the sake of this tutorial, you can simply click on the ‘Skip, create an empty website’. Don’t worry. You can always create a website or migrate your existing website later.

Skip website Hostinger

Next, you need to click on the ‘Select’ button under the ‘Claim a Free Domain’ section.

Claim free domain on hostinger

Simply enter the domain name you want to use for your business email domain and click Continue.

If the domain name is available for registration, Hostinger will register it for you and add it to your account.

Step 2. Setting up an Email Account in Hostinger

Now that your domain name is ready, you can use it to create your professional email address.

Go to your Hostinger account dashboard and navigate to the Emails » Email Accounts page.

Email accounts Hostinger

On the next screen, you will be asked to choose the domain.

You need to click Manage next to the domain you claimed in the earlier step.

This will take you to the email management area for your domain.

Click on Create a New Email Account to create your first email account.

Create new email account in Hostinger

After that, you will be asked to choose a username (the part that comes before the @ in an email address) and a password.

Below that, don’t forget to add a password recovery email address.

New account details

Click on the Create new account button, and Hostinger will set up your email account.

Step 3. Using your custom domain email with Hostinger

There are multiple ways to use your newly created custom domain email account.

1. Web Mail

You can access your email account using the webmail feature. Simply go to the email management area and click on the webmail button.

Hostinger webmail

2. Use it with other email apps and devices

You can use any third-party email app on desktop or mobile devices to use your custom domain email address.

This is the information you’ll need to add your email account into third-party email apps.

IMAP (Incoming Server):

Host: imap.hostinger.com
Port: 993

SMTP (Outgoing server):

Host: smtp.hostinger.com
Port:465

Pop (Incoming Server):
Host: pop.hostinger.com
Port: 995

3. Use your custom domain email in Gmail

Lastly, you can also use your custom domain email within your Gmail account.

Simply log in to your Gmail account and click on the settings button. After that switch to the ‘Accounts and forwarding’ tab and click on ‘Add a mail account link’ next to the ‘Check mail from other accounts’ option.

Add to Gmail

This will bring up a popup, where you need to follow the on-screen instructions to add your account.

Method 3. Get a Free Email Domain with HostGator

Another easy way to get a free email domain is by signing up for HostGator’s hosting plan. They are one of the top web hosting providers in the world and offer excellent plans for startups and small businesses.

We use HostGator to host several of our smaller websites.

HostGator is offering WPBeginner users an exclusive discount on WordPress hosting + a free domain name. Basically, you’ll be able to get started for just $2.64 per month.

You get free unlimited custom domain email addresses with your account. It also includes webmail, email forwarding, and support to send/receive emails using any email client of your choice.

Step 1. Sign up for a HostGator account

First, you need to visit the HostGator website and click on the ‘Get Started Now’ button.

HostGator website

Next, you will be asked to select a plan. Hatchling and Baby plans are the most popular among beginners and small businesses.

Click to select a plan and continue.

HostGator plan

After that, you will be asked to select a domain name.

Simply enter the domain you want to register to see if it is available.

HostGator choose domain name

If the domain name is available, then you can click to select it.

Scroll down a little to enter your personal and billing information. After that, you’ll reach the additional services section. We don’t recommend choosing them at this point, and you can add them later if you really need them.

Uncheck additional services

You can now review your order details and click on the ‘Checkout Now’ button to complete the purchase.

You will now receive an email from HostGator with details on how to login to your hosting dashboard.

Step 2. Create an email account

Login to your HostGator hosting dashboard and click on the Hosting panel on the left column.

On the next screen, select your domain name and then click on the Email Accounts button.

Manage email accounts for your domain

This will launch the control panel where you can manage your email accounts.

Click on the Create button to continue.

Create email HostGator

On the next screen, you will be able to create a new email account by entering an email username and password.

Click on the ‘Create Account’ button to save your new professional email address.

Username and a password

Step 3. Using your custom domain email account on HostGator

HostGator provides the same methods of sending and receiving emails as Bluehost above.

1. Webmail

You can view and send emails directly from your HostGator dashboard. Simply visit the email accounts page and click on the ‘Check Email’ button.

Check webmail

2. Send or receive email using other mail clients and apps

You can also access your custom domain email account using third-party mail apps on your computer and phone.

Here is the information you will need to set up email on different devices and email clients.

Pop3:

Username: Your full email address
Password: The password for the address you wish to access.
Mailserver/ Server Hostname: mail.yourdomain.com
Port: 995
SSL: SSL/TLS

SMTP:

Username: Your full email address.
Password: The password for the address you wish to access.
Mailserver/ Server Hostname: mail.yourdomain.com
Port: 465
SSL: SSL/TLS

You will also use the same settings to send or receive emails using Gmail.

Simply log in to your Gmail account and click on the settings button. After that switch to the ‘Accounts and forwarding’ tab and click on ‘Add a mail account link’ next to the ‘Check mail from other accounts’ option.

Add to Gmail

This will bring up a popup, where you need to follow the on-screen instructions to add your account.

Method 4: Create a Custom Domain Email with Google Workspace (Paid Solution)

Email is crucial for the success of any business, which is why we recommend using Google Workspace (formerly G Suite).

Google Workspace is Google’s suite of applications for small businesses. It allows you to use the same Google apps like Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Calendar, but with your own domain name.

You also get Google’s powerful spam filtering and security features for your business email. It is much easier to use and works on all your devices.

Last but not least, Google Workspace is an extremely reliable email provider with very little downtime. This is why we use Google workspace for our business.

To get started, you need to visit the Google Workspace website and select a plan.

Google Workspace pricing

Their basic plan starts from $6 per user per month with 30 GB of storage.

Next, you will be asked to enter your company name, size, and country.

Google Workspace account details

After that, you need to enter your contact information and click on the Next button.

This will bring you to the domain selection screen.

If you already have a domain name you would like to use, then you can use that. Otherwise, select the ‘No, I need one’ option.

Domain options

You can now enter the domain name you want to register and click on the Next button.

If your entered domain is available, you will see its pricing.

Domain available

Click on the next button to continue.

After that, you will enter your business information and payment details to finish the process.

Google Workspace account created

You can now click on the ‘Continue to Set up’ button to start adding email accounts and users from your Google Workspace admin console.

Google Workspace admin console

On the setup screen, you can create your first email account.

After that, you can add more accounts for your employees or departments or click on ‘I have added all user email addresses’ and click on the Next button.

Add more users and email accounts

That’s all. You can now use your newly created email account in Gmail and use it with your own custom domain.

You can now use it to sign in to Gmail on your computer and mobile devices.

Sign in Gmail with your custom domain email

If you need more detailed instructions, then please see our guide on setting up professional email with Gmail and Google Workspace.

Most business owners do not buy an email domain from Google Workspace. Instead, they start with the free email domain services offered by their web hosting companies and then later switch to Google Workspace when they can afford it.

We use Google Workspace for our business because it allows us to better data retention, easy file management, calendar, and many other useful apps to grow our business.

They used to have a free plan, but they no longer offer that. Their premium email service is well worth the cost, especially if you’re an eCommerce business.

Method 5: Create Domain Email with Microsoft 365 Formerly Office 365 (Paid Solution)

Microsoft also provides its office productivity suite called Microsoft 365 with support for custom domain email. In terms of features and functionality, it is similar to Google Workspace

Want to compare both platforms, then see our comparison of Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 to find out how they stack up against each other.

Here is how to set up your custom domain email with Microsoft 365.

Step 1. Setting up Microsoft 365 with custom domain email

First, you need to visit the Microsoft 365 website and click on ‘Buy Now’ button under the plan you want to purchase.

Microsoft 365 plans

This will bring you the Microsoft 365 sign-up page, where you will be first asked to set up your plan.

You can start with Business Basic plan, which includes professional custom domain email support. However, it doesn’t come with desktop apps for Microsoft Office products.

Set up office subscription

Follow the on-screen instructions by providing a payment method and email address to complete the setup.

Once set up, you will reach the Microsoft 365 dashboard.

Office365 admin dashboard

Step 2. Add Custom Domain to Microsoft 365

Microsoft does not provide a domain registration service, so you’ll need to separately buy a domain name or use an existing domain name to add to Microsoft 365.

There are a number of domain registrars that sell domain names. We recommend using Domain.com as they are the best domain registrar on the market.

Simply visit the Domain.com website and look for the domain name you want to purchase. WPBeginner users can use our Domain.com coupon code to get and additional discount.

Search domain name

If your selected domain name is available, then you can proceed to the billing and complete the purchase.

Now, you can add this domain to Microsoft 365.

Complete domain registration

Head over to your Microsoft 365 admin dashboard.

Then just click on Set up email with a custom domain prompt.

Office365 admin dashboard

This will bring up the custom domain setup wizard.

Since you already purchased the domain name, click on the ‘Use a domain name you already own’ option to continue.

Use domain

Next, you need to enter the domain name.

Simply enter the domain you purchased earlier and click Continue.

Add your domain

After that, you will be asked to verify your ownership of that domain name.

You will see the TXT record and MX record that you need to add to your domain.

Verify domain ownership

Switch back to Domain.com and log in to access your domain settings.

Select your domain name and then click on the DNS and Nameservers menu.

Add DNS records

First, you need to select the TXT record and enter the value shown by Microsoft 365.

Next, save the settings by clicking the ‘Add DNS’ button.

Adding DNS record

After that, repeat the process, and this type select MX under the DNS record Type.

Copy and paste the MX record value from Microsoft 365.

Add MX record

Don’t forget to click the ‘Add DNS’ button to store your changes.

After that, switch back to the Office365 setup screen and click on the Verify button.

Verify domain

After the verification, you will be prompted to create email address.

This will be your first email address with your custom domain name.

Add email account

Your new custom domain email account will now become your admin email account for Office365.

You can now click on the Update and Sign Out button to continue.

After that, log in to the Microsoft 365 admin console with your custom domain email address.

The setup will continue where you left off. You will now be asked to add additional DNS records to your domain name.

Additional DNS records

After adding those DNS records, click the Connect email button to continue setup.

Office365 will now check your DNS records and finish the setup.

Step 3. Using your Microsoft 365 custom domain email account

Microsoft offers a web version of their popular Outlook email software called Outlook.com. From here, you can simply log in using the email address you created earlier.

Login to Outlook

Depending on your Microsoft 365 subscription plan, you can also download Microsoft Office apps like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and more on your computer.

This also includes their popular Outlook email client.

Outlook app on desktop

You can also use your custom domain email address with the Outlook app on your mobile phone.

If you prefer to use another app, your email address will work with just about any mail client and app without any special configuration.

Which is Truly The Best Free Email Domain Option?

We have shown you three free email domain solutions and two paid ones. All of them would work well for small businesses and even large enterprises.

Most small business owners start with a free custom email domain offered by their web hosting company. This option is extremely affordable because it’s included in a package deal when you build a website.

Companies like Bluehost, Hostinger, and HostGator and give you free business email addresses with your free domain when you use their hosting service to build a WordPress website.

As your business grows and you can afford the extra $6 per month, you can use Google Workspace. It gives you the familiar Google apps Gmail, Drive, Calendar, and more with your business name. It is easy, secure, and comes with the best spam protection in the industry.

We use Google Workspace in our own business.

But remember, you don’t want to register your domain with Google Workspace because you likely want to build a website using that domain name, and Google does not offer a website builder.

Instead, you should register your domain name with a proper domain registrar like Domain.com or use a WordPress hosting company like Bluehost to get a domain and build a website.

After that, you can use this custom domain in your Google Workspace settings so you can retain complete control over your domain at all times.

We hope this article helped you learn how to get a free email domain for your business. You may also want to see our guide on the best business phone service to help you manage all your business calls, and the best email marketing services to easily send bulk emails to improve communication with your users.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Get a Free Email Domain (5 Quick and Easy Methods) first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Properly Configure Your WordPress Email Settings

Are you wondering how to configure your WordPress email settings?

The default WordPress email settings are not always reliable and can lead to many sending errors and email delivery problems. This means that you and your customers may not receive emails sent from your WordPress website.

In this article, we will show you how to properly configure your WordPress email settings.

Properly configure your WordPress email settings

Why Do WordPress Email Settings Not Work Properly?

The default email settings on your WordPress website use the PHP mail () function to send emails about form submissions, account activation, and more.

However, your website may experience email delivery problems if your hosting provider’s mail server is not properly configured. Plus, many popular email services like Gmail can flag these messages as spam.

This means that when an email is sent from your website to your user, it may end up in the spam folder of their email account, or it may never reach their inbox at all.

Luckily, you can get past this problem by properly configuring your WordPress email settings. To do this, you will need to use an SMTP service or plugin.

What Is SMTP, And How Can It Fix Email Settings in WordPress?

SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a standard protocol for mail transmission. Unlike the PHP mail () function, SMTP uses proper authentication to send and receive email messages.

By using an SMTP service on your website, you can get high deliverability rates, avoid the spam folder, and make sure that your emails reach the user’s inbox immediately.

To properly configure your WordPress email settings, you will need to use a popular SMTP service provider like SendLayer, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), or SMTP.com. These service providers are easy to use and allow you to safely send emails from your WordPress site.

Once you have chosen a service provider, you will have to connect your WordPress website to your mail server.

This is where the WP Mail SMTP plugin comes in.

It is the best WordPress SMTP plugin on the market that allows you to send emails via SMTP. It comes with powerful features like email logs, email controls, priority support, and more.

The premium version of the plugin can even integrate with popular SMTP service providers like SendLayer and Brevo and any WordPress hosting company that offers email accounts.

Having said that, let’s see how to properly configure your WordPress email settings.

How to Properly Configure Your WordPress Email Settings

It is super easy to configure your WordPress email settings using the WP Mail SMTP plugin and an SMTP service provider.

For this tutorial, we will be using SendLayer, which is the best SMTP service provider on the market.

Step 1: Create an Account with SendLayer

First, you need to visit the SendLayer website and click the ‘Get Started With SendLayer’ button.

Click Get Started with SendLayer button

This will take you to the Pricing page, where you can select a plan that suits your needs.

However, if you don’t want to buy SendLayer yet, then you can click on the ‘Try our SendLayer free trial (send up to 200 emails)’ link at the bottom.

Click on the link to start free SendLayer trial

This will take you to the ‘Checkout’ page, where you will have to provide your email account, password, and payment details.

Once your account sign-up has been created, just click the ‘Continue to Dashboard’ button.

Click Continue to dashboard button

Step 2: Add Your Domain For Authorization

Next, you will need to authorize your domain name to allow email servers to recognize you as a verified sender.

This means that the email sent from your account after authorization won’t end up in the spam folder of your users.

To do this, click the ‘Add Domain’ button in the top right corner of the screen.

Click Add Domain button

This will open up a new page on your screen where you need to type your website domain name into the field.

Once you’ve done that, just click the ‘Add Domain’ button.

Add your domain name to connect it with SendLayer

SendLayer will now automatically generate five types of DNS records for your domain.

Now, you have to copy and paste these records into your website’s DNS settings one by one.

To find these DNS settings, you must go to the WordPress hosting account dashboard for your website. The exact location of the DNS settings will depend on your hosting provider, but SendLayer provides some documentation to help you out.

Add DNS records

Upon adding all of the DNS records in your hosting dashboard, simply check the ‘I have added these DNS records and am ready to proceed’ box at the bottom of the SendLayer page.

After that, click the ‘Verify DNS Records’ button to continue.

Click the Verify DNS Records button

Keep in mind that it can take up to 48 hours for the DNS record changes to take effect.

To check your domain authorization status, head over to your SendLayer dashboard and click the ‘Settings’ tab in the left column.

Once you are on the Settings page, switch to the ‘DNS Records & Settings’ tab from the top.

If your DNS settings have been verified, you will now see a green symbol in the Status column for each type of DNS record.

Check DNS records status

Step 3: Copy the SendLayer API Key

Now that you have authorized your domain name, it’s time for you to copy the API key for your SendLayer account. This API key will allow you to connect the SMTP service with your WordPress website.

To do this, click on the ‘Settings’ tab in the left column of your SendLayer dashboard. Next, switch to the ‘API Keys’ tab from the top of the page.

Once you are there, click the ‘Show API Key’ link and then copy the key into your clipboard.

Copy the SendLayer API key

Step 4: Set Up the WP Mail SMTP Plugin on Your WordPress Website

Once you have created a SendLayer account and copied the API key, head over to your WordPress website’s dashboard.

Next, you need to install and activate the WP Mail SMTP plugin. For detailed instructions, you may want to see our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Note: Keep in mind that you will need the pro version of the WP Mail SMTP plugin to connect it with your SendLayer account.

Upon activation, you need to head over to the WP Mail SMTP » Settings page from the WordPress admin sidebar.

Once you are there, add the license key for your plugin next to the ‘License Key’ option. You can find this information on your account page on the WP Mail SMTP website.

Type your WP Mail SMTP license key into the field

After that, scroll down to the ‘From Email’ section and add the admin email that you want to use to send emails to your users.

If you want the From Email to be the same across your entire site, then simply check the ‘Force From Email’ box.

After that, type the name that you want to use to send emails next to the ‘From Name’ field.

For example, if you have an online store, then you can use your store’s name in this field. This way, users will immediately know who is sending them a message.

For detailed instructions, you may want to see our tutorial on how to set up WP Mail SMTP with any host.

Add from email and from name into the fields

After that, scroll down to the ‘Mailer’ section and choose the SMTP service that you want to connect with your WordPress site.

For this tutorial, we will be choosing the ‘SendLayer’ option.

Choose SendLayer as the mailer

Once you do that, a new ‘SendLayer’ tab will open up on the screen.

Here, you have to paste the API key that you copied earlier from the SendLayer dashboard. If you were unable to copy the key before, then you can just click the ‘Get API Key’ link to be directed back to your SendLayer account.

Add the SendLayer API key

Once you are done, simply click the ‘Save Settings’ button to store your changes.

You have now successfully connected WP Mail SMTP with SendLayer.

Step 5: Send a Test Email

To check if your SMTP service provider and the plugin are working properly, you can easily send a test email.

To do this, switch to the ‘Email Test’ tab from the top of the WP Mail SMTP settings page.

Once you are there, simply add an email account that you have access to in the ‘Send To’ field. After that, go ahead and click the ‘Send Email’ button.

Send test email

Once the email has been sent, you will see a success message on your screen.

Next, check the inbox for that email address where you will see the test email that you just sent.

Test email preview

WP Mail SMTP and SendLayer will now eliminate your email deliverability problems by making sure that your emails are sent to your users’ inboxes and don’t end up in the spam folder.

Next Steps: How to Grow Your Email List

Now that you have properly configured your WordPress email settings, it’s time for you to start growing your email list.

Building an email list is extremely important as email marketing is a cost-effective way to bring back your customers and increase conversions.

To do this, you can create popups using OptinMonster that will be displayed on your website as targeted email signup forms.

Similarly, you can also build a lead magnet page, create an email newsletter, or offer content upgrades. For more detailed tips, you may want to see our beginner’s guide on tested and easy ways to build your email list.

You can also host giveaway contests using RafflePress which is the best giveaway plugin on the market.

This way, users that are interested will have to sign up on your website to enter the giveaway which will help build your email list. For details, you may want to see our tutorial on how to run a successful giveaway/contest in WordPress.

We hope this article helped you learn how to properly configure your WordPress email settings. You may also want to see our tutorial on how to use a free SMTP server to send WordPress emails and our expert picks for the best email marketing services for small businesses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Properly Configure Your WordPress Email Settings first appeared on WPBeginner.

What factors should I consider when choosing the perfect SMTP server for my

When choosing the perfect SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server for your business, there are several factors you should consider. Here are some important considerations:

Reliability and uptime: Look for an SMTP server that offers high reliability and uptime guarantees. The server should have a stable infrastructure and a track record of minimal downtime to ensure that your emails are consistently delivered.

Scalability: Consider the scalability of the SMTP server to accommodate your business's growing email needs. Ensure that the server can handle your current email volume and has the capacity to handle increased traffic in the future.

Security: Email security is crucial to protect sensitive information and maintain the reputation of your business. Choose an SMTP server that supports secure transmission protocols such as TLS (Transport Layer Security) and offers robust authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access.

Deliverability rates: Opt for an SMTP server that has good deliverability rates and a positive reputation with email service providers (ESPs) and ISPs (Internet Service Providers). High deliverability rates ensure that your emails reach the recipients' inboxes instead of being flagged as spam or blocked.

Compliance with regulations: Depending on your industry, you may have specific compliance requirements such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) or GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Ensure that the SMTP server you choose complies with these regulations and offers features to help you maintain compliance.

Configuration and ease of use: Consider the ease of configuration and management of the SMTP server. Look for a server that provides a user-friendly interface or APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that integrate well with your existing systems.

Support and documentation: Evaluate the level of support provided by the SMTP server provider. Check if they offer documentation, tutorials, and responsive customer support to assist you in case of any issues or questions.

Cost: Consider the cost of the SMTP server, including setup fees, monthly charges, and any additional fees for add-on services or higher usage levels. Compare the pricing with the features and capabilities offered to ensure you get the best value for your money.

Integration with other services: If you use other tools or services such as marketing automation platforms or CRM systems, ensure that the SMTP server integrates seamlessly with these systems. This integration can streamline your email workflows and enhance efficiency.

Reputation and reviews: Research the reputation and reviews of the SMTP server provider. Look for feedback from other businesses or industry experts to gauge their experience and satisfaction with the service.

By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and choose the SMTP server that best fits the needs of your business.

What factors should I consider when choosing the perfect SMTP server

When choosing the perfect SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server for your business, there are several factors you should consider. Here are some important considerations:

Reliability and uptime: Look for an SMTP server that offers high reliability and uptime guarantees. The server should have a stable infrastructure and a track record of minimal downtime to ensure that your emails are consistently delivered.

Scalability: Consider the scalability of the SMTP server to accommodate your business's growing email needs. Ensure that the server can handle your current email volume and has the capacity to handle increased traffic in the future.

Security: Email security is crucial to protect sensitive information and maintain the reputation of your business. Choose an SMTP server that supports secure transmission protocols such as TLS (Transport Layer Security) and offers robust authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access.

Deliverability rates: Opt for an SMTP server that has good deliverability rates and a positive reputation with email service providers (ESPs) and ISPs (Internet Service Providers). High deliverability rates ensure that your emails reach the recipients' inboxes instead of being flagged as spam or blocked.

Compliance with regulations: Depending on your industry, you may have specific compliance requirements such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) or GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Ensure that the SMTP server you choose complies with these regulations and offers features to help you maintain compliance.

Configuration and ease of use: Consider the ease of configuration and management of the SMTP server. Look for a server that provides a user-friendly interface or APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that integrate well with your existing systems.

Support and documentation: Evaluate the level of support provided by the SMTP server provider. Check if they offer documentation, tutorials, and responsive customer support to assist you in case of any issues or questions.

Cost: Consider the cost of the SMTP server, including setup fees, monthly charges, and any additional fees for add-on services or higher usage levels. Compare the pricing with the features and capabilities offered to ensure you get the best value for your money.

Integration with other services: If you use other tools or services such as marketing automation platforms or CRM systems, ensure that the SMTP server integrates seamlessly with these systems. This integration can streamline your email workflows and enhance efficiency.

Reputation and reviews: Research the reputation and reviews of the SMTP server provider. Look for feedback from other businesses or industry experts to gauge their experience and satisfaction with the service.

By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and choose the SMTP server that best fits the needs of your business.

What are the factors to consider when choosing a reliable SMTP server

There are several factors to consider when choosing a reliable SMTP server with responsive performance and exceptional customer support. Here are some of the most important ones:

Reliability: The SMTP server you choose should be highly reliable and able to handle large volumes of email traffic without experiencing downtime or errors. Look for a provider with a proven track record of uptime and reliability.

Performance: The performance of the SMTP server is critical to ensure that emails are sent and received quickly and efficiently. Choose a provider with fast delivery times and low latency.

Security: Email security is a top concern, and the SMTP server you choose should offer robust security features to protect against spam, phishing, and other malicious attacks. Look for a provider that uses encryption and authentication technologies to ensure secure email delivery.

Customer Support: In the event of an issue or outage, you need access to responsive and knowledgeable customer support. Choose an SMTP server provider with excellent customer support and a strong reputation for resolving issues quickly and efficiently.

Scalability: As your business grows, you may need to scale your email infrastructure to handle increased traffic. Choose an SMTP server provider that offers scalable solutions that can grow with your business.

Cost: Finally, consider the cost of the SMTP server. Look for a provider that offers transparent pricing and competitive rates for the features you need. Keep in mind that the cheapest option may not always be the best choice, so balance cost with the other factors mentioned above.

Engagement Tips to Woo Clients and Extend the Honeymoon Phase

Having a brilliant website isn’t enough. Even if your business came with a substantial, pre-existing customer base (and let’s face it, most don’t), continuing communication is essential for retainment and growth.

Running a successful business means building and maintaining a connection with your clients – existing and potential.

There are, of course, many ways to reach your business prospects in today’s digital world: paid ads, social media, real-time messaging platforms, chat, and more.

But would you be shocked to learn that email – approaching its 45th birthday! – remains the most used, most successful platform for customer engagement?

According to Tom Wozniak, of OPTIZMO Technologies: As audience tracking and targeting become more challenging, the email address will continue to be the most valuable piece of audience identification data. [Forbes]

In this article, we’re going to look at why email is the most effective way to promote, proffer, and position your business for prime growth. Plus, we’ve hand-picked a selection of WordPress plugins that handle the various outreach tasks quite effectively.

Keep reading, or jump ahead to any section:

Okay, off we go to the electronic post office…

Which (Customer Acquisition) Channel is Best to Watch

The ways in which you reach your audience are your customer acquisition channels. They are also the avenues for increasing your customer base.

Though some might rule it out because it’s the oldest, email remains one of the best acquisition channels available. [Lesson: Don’t throw the baby granddaddy out with the bathwater.]

Email is simultaneously simple yet powerful in terms of content that can be delivered. And it’s separate from third-party elements (eg, social media, search, etc); meaning, there’s no algorithm to work around. It’s a straight shot into the hands (ie, inboxes) of your customers.

Here are some telling stats:

  • By 2025, the number of global email users is expected to reach a total of 4.6 billion [Statista]
  • When it comes to online advertising, email has seen higher click-through rates than on social media [Statista]
  • 59% of marketers say email is their biggest source of ROI [Sopro]
  • 59% of survey respondents say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions [Sopro]

Email is also extremely cost effective, allowing for a minimal investment in a tool/platform that will likely have most of the important features that mirror its high-end counterparts. It’s also easy to scale as your business grows.

With consumers averaging an online time of 397 minutes daily – giving you a golden opportunity of 6+ hours for engagement – there is simply no better way to speak directly with your customers than email. [Oberlo]

email vs social media marketing stats
Email topples social media in marketing stats. [Source]
Three more stats on email’s impressive reach: [OptinMonster]

  • 44% of users check their email for a deal from a company they know, whereas only 4% will go to Facebook
  • 60% of consumers state that they have made a purchase as the result of a marketing message they received by email
  • There are 400 million more email users than social media users

Repeat: Four hundred million MORE. If those numbers don’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

Now that we understand the value of email as a customer acquisition channel, let’s look at the different types of emails you can employ to build relationships and drive sales. Plus, one very important bit of housekeeping that needs attention first.

How to Deliver Successful Results Easily and Reliably

Whether you run a simple website or a large eCommerce store, reliable email-sending is a necessity. As fantastic a CMS as WordPress is, it has multiple limitations when it comes to sending emails.

Because WordPress uses PHP mail functionality to send emails:

  • you can’t easily build HTML templates, embed images, or add attachments; and
  • it lacks proper email headers, which often results in delivery impediments, causing emails to land in spam folders (or not get delivered at all)

Luckily, there’s a simple solution.

smtp illustration (sendinblue)
SMTP server infrastructure. [Source]

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (ie, SMTP) provides an easy way to improve successful sending of WordPress emails, increasing email deliverability by using authentication and assuring that your intended audience receives what you send.

SMTP can be set up manually using the PHPMailer library (more difficult), or connected through the use of a plugin (easier).

SMTP Plugins

There are a number of plugins for setting up SMTP in your WordPress email. After looking at the most popular, here are the five we like best.

wp mail smtp banner

1. WP Mail SMTP

This plugin sits at the top of this list, allowing over three million WordPress users to send their emails reliably.

When using one of WP Mail SMTP’s built-in SMTP mail provider integrations (see below), emails are sent using the provider’s direct API. This means even if your web host is blocking SMTP ports, your emails still send successfully, helping you fix the not-sending-email issues that are prevalent in WordPress.

An easy-to-use setup wizard and detailed documentation will guide you through the process, and for most options, you can specify the “from name” and “email address” for outgoing emails.

You can send emails using your own or third-party SMTP email server, or by using integrations with popular email providers, such as:

  • SendLayer
  • SMTP.com
  • Sendinblue SMTP
  • Gmail SMTP (Gmail, Google Workspace, G Suite)
  • All Other SMTP

Instead of having to use different SMTP plugins and workflows for different SMTP providers, WP Mail SMTP brings it all into one, providing the ideal SMTP solution for WordPress.

They also offer paid plans, which include additional features (like one-on-one support, white glove setup, and native integrations for Microsoft, Amazon SES, Zoho Mail, etc).

easy wp smtp banner

2. Easy WP SMTP

With 700,000 active installs, Easy WP SMTP resolves email deliverability issues using transactional mailers or an SMTP server.

The plugin offers configuration from a number of popular mailers, including SendLayer, Mailgun, Sendinblue, and more.

Easy WP SMTP also allows you to debug events that log any failed email sending attempts and the error that caused them, and the ability to specify a Reply-to or BCC email address.

Premium, paid versions are also available, and add more features (like shopping cart plugins, priority support, and reports).

post smtp banner

3. Post SMTP Mailer

With active installs at 300,000 and climbing, Post SMTP Mailer is a next-generation WP Mail SMTP plugin that improves email deliverability for your WordPress websites, sending emails to millions of users worldwide.

Post SMTP has a smart setup wizard that covers everything from getting started to sending test emails. It uses a commercial-grade connectivity tester to better diagnose server issues, has a built-in email log that can help with any failed email problems, and uses OAuth 2.0 security to increase the protection of email passwords.

Post SMTP also offers premium upgraded integrations, through a number of pro extensions. These are: Zoho Mail Pro, Mail Control, Twilio, Office 365, and Amazon SES.

branda banner

4. Branda

WPMU DEV’s Branda plugin, known as the White Labeling wunderkind, also has an easy SMTP tool built right in, and is completely free. Setup is a cinch with our easy-to-understand documentation.

Branda allows you to customize every aspect of WordPress to fit your brand. Transform your dashboard, customize system (default) emails, quickly toggle maintenance mode and “coming soon” landing pages, change every aspect of your login screen, remove or replace logos, create color schemes, and much more. Branda has everything to rebrand WordPress for free without touching any code or hacking modifications.

There is also a pro version of Branda, if you’d like to get the full collection of 30+ modules, along with a membership that includes an entire suite of plugins, premium 24/7 live chat support, and more.

wp offload ses lite banner

5. WP Offload SES Lite

WP Offload SES Lite is trusted by more than 20,000 sites to send their email, with good reason – it works exceedingly well.

This plugin is different in that it’s not sent over SMTP. They believe that going the SMTP route makes you prone to hitting rate limits, and is also missing some key features (like an email queue).

WP Offload SES Lite gives you the high deliverability, powerful managed infrastructure, and low cost of Amazon SES, with the support of a quality WordPress plugin that’s easy to set up and notifies you of sending failures.

Some of WP Offload SES Lite’s top features include:

  • Effortless configuration with an easy step-by-step setup wizard
  • Configure the default email address and name that WordPress uses for notifications
  • Set up a custom “Reply To” and “Return Path” address
  • View statistics on your Amazon SES send rate

There is also a pro version, which gives you additional features like premium support, open and click reporting, engagement analysis per specific emails, filter/search functionality, and more.

The Marketing Tools and Strategies You Need to Know

With your WordPress email primed and ready for most effective delivery, let’s turn our attention to the best ways to engage with your audience using email.

marketing illustration (freepik)

First, you need to collect that all-important contact information (email addresses and names, at the very least), so you have a concrete way to reach interested parties.

Second, you’ll want to offer something of value, to establish a sense of fairness/generosity and drive interest in what you do. This free offering to potential customers, in exchange for a piece of their personal information (e.g. an email address or social media follow), is a tried-and-true marketing technique.

Common incentives – like a discount coupon, downloadable, or other item of interest – can be offered as compensation for providing an email address, in order to attract potential customers. Hence the name: lead magnets.

Finally, you’ll want to measure and track which campaigns or giveaways get the best results. That will give you a sense of how your site is performing; the number of visitors to your different pages, and where you’re getting conversions from. All of which help you understand which content performs the best.

This is where lead generation tools come in. They are specifically designed to identify, capture, store, and analyze leads – with the goal of turning visitors into paying customers, and paying customers into repeat business.

Lead Capturing Plugins

Employing tools and services specific to lead generation is a great way to collect the desired information, without requiring any manual work on your part. The tools automate the process, allowing you to focus on other areas of your business.

Various methods for lead capture include:

  • On-page, opt-in forms and sign-up campaigns
  • Email address finders
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM); sales funnels
  • Communication channels (chat)
  • Advertising (social media or paid ads)

It’s not a bad idea to experiment with different options from the methods above. But for the purposes of this article, our focus will be on-page, opt-in forms, as they are the simplest to employ and incredibly successful.

Why? Well, you’re collecting contact details from people who already have an interest in your business, even if it’s at the most basic level. They’re on your site, and therefore the most likely to provide you with their contact information. After all, they came looking for you, not the other way around.

Additionally, studies have shown that most people are receptive to emails that come from companies they’ve already shown an interest in.

Here are our top 5 picks for lead capturing plugins.

forminator banner

1. Forminator

Of course we’re partial to our very own contact form, payment form and custom form builder, Forminator, but it’s more than just us who think so, with more than 400,000 happy users.

Forms, polls, quizzes… nothing’s off limits with Forminator. Create new campaigns in minutes with the easy-to-use, drag-and-drop form builder, using pre-fab templates or starting from scratch – with the ability to customize settings, style, and behavior.

Forminator is the easiest way to create any form, such as a contact form, order form, payment form, email form, feedback widgets, interactive polls with real-time results, Buzzfeed-style “no wrong answer” quizzes, service estimators, and registration forms with payment options.

Speaking of payments… take donations, down payments, full payments, sell merch and more with the included Stripe and PayPal integrations. (No Pro upgrade required!) SCA-compliant Stripe and PayPal come included. Just enter your publish keys to activate the Forminator payment module for both fixed and variable payments.

Forminator comes stacked with crowd-favorite third-party integrations – email services, CRM, storage, and project managers such as HubSpot, Google Sheets, Trello, MailChimp, AWeber, Slack, and any generic webhooks (such as Zapier).

But wait – there’s more! Forminator also has these amazing features:

  • Gutenberg Block – say goodbye to shortcodes and quickly add forms to posts with the Forminator block for Gutenberg
  • Email Routing and Pre-Populate – make your site more efficient, from visitor input to email response times; use query strings to pre-fill visitor information and deliver forms direct to specific teams with email routing, auto-response and conditions
  • User Front End Post Submissions – visitors can submit post ideas from the front end of your site so you can easily curate and publish their thoughts
  • Captchas – stop the crazy bots without making it hard on your visitors (ie, no more hard-to-read random phrases)
  • Collect, Track and GDPR ready – store and organize submissions to sort, analyze, and manage responses; all while complying with the GDPR and other legal privacy policies

There is a pro version as well, which contains all the same features as the free version, plus the additional “E-Signature” and “Stripe Subscriptions” features.

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2. Formidable Forms

Formidable is a solutions-focused WordPress form plugin. Use drag and drop to create a contact form, survey, quiz, registration form, payment form, lead form, or calculator form.

Formidable is 100% mobile responsive, so your forms look great on all devices (desktop, laptop, tablets, and smartphones). It’s also optimized for speed and maximum server performance.

This free version of Formidable comes with a variety of features, like advanced email subscription forms, multi-page forms, a smart form with conditional logic, stack on repeater fields, payment integrations, form templates, relationships, and cascading dropdown fields.

Submissions are stored in your WordPress database so you won’t lose any leads, and quiz and survey entries can be viewed right from your WordPress dashboard. Also, the form generator is GDPR-friendly (even though entries are saved), and you can turn off IP tracking or stop saving submissions entirely.

Create a payment form and accept credit card payments right from your website, with seamless integration with PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net. You can even create a WooCommerce form with custom fields.

There is a pro version as well, that includes many more features and functionalities that help you build more powerful and larger applications.

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3. Ninja Forms

Design beautiful, complex forms with a dedicated support team at your back.

Easy drag-and-drop fields, row and column layouts, multi-page forms, conditional forms… you don’t have to be a designer to create forms that will blend beautifully with your WordPress website.

You can accept PayPal and credit card payments securely and easily from any of your WordPress forms: single payments, subscriptions, fixed, variable, or user entered amounts. Give your customers or donors all the options, or just one with a PayPal form, Stripe form, and more.

Grow your mailing lists and bring in new leads using integration with MailChimp, Constant Contact, Campaign Monitor, Salesforce CRM, Zoho CRM, Insightly CRM, and more.

Ninja Forms is also GDPR compliant, as it doesn’t collect or store personally identifiable information, or any information, from your forms. Easy-to-use templates are included for Right to Be Forgotten and Data Export requests, and tie into native WordPress GDPR features for automated compliance.

Includes pre-built templates for a contact form, registration form, application form, MailChimp form, quote request form, PayPal form, Stripe form, and more. Also mobile responsive and design-adaptable to fit in with any theme or brand.

Ninja Forms offers additional features and upgrades in two ways: per add-on, or through a membership (different tiers vary in the number of allowable sites and add-ons).

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4. Contact Form 7

At five million+ active installs, Contact Form 7 is the OG WordPress plugin for contact forms.

It has stood the test of time, still able to create simple and multiple contact forms, while allowing for the customisation of the form and the mail contents flexibly with simple markup.

Forms support Ajax-powered submitting, CAPTCHA, Akismet spam filtering, and do not track user data or use cookies. However, activation of certain features may invoke personal data to be sent to service providers (eg: reCAPTCHA, Stripe).

While the plugin boasts massive numbers and is still popular, it is becoming less so as more advanced, feature-rich competitors have become available. Especially since most of these are free to use as well.

Additionally, unlike newer plugins, an additional plugin is needed (they make one called Flamingo) just to save submitted messages from contact forms in the database.

They have also started requesting contributions from users, citing the difficulty in continuing support and development of a free plugin.

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5. Hustle

Hustle in the ultimate marketing plugin for building a mailing list and converting site traffic.

Incredibly versatile and engaging, Hustle has a myriad of options and customizations.

Easily grow your mailing list or display targeted ads across your site with popups, opt-ins, slide-ins, widgets, and shortcodes.

Build a social following with Hustle’s diverse social sharing capabilities.

Choose colors, animations, layouts, drop shadows, and display conditions for all your marketing modules from easy-to-use design settings. (There’s even CSS if you really want to go all out.) All a cinch with Hustle’s flexible appearance settings.

Default layouts and templates are fully mobile responsive, while allowing for granular adjustments (margins, padding, borders, container sizing) so you can make every module your own.

Target visitors with email opt-ins or ads using Hustle’s behavior and condition settings, and set up intelligent conditions if desired as well (e.g. specific pages/posts, visitor device/browser, country, browser cookie, etc).

Smart triggers allow you to set up a range of options for popups and slide-ins, including time on page, scroll, exit intent, and more.

Schedule when you want your marketing modules to deploy by selecting start/end dates, or show them on specific days of the week, time of day, along with custom time zones.

Easily follow up on user engagement with manual or automated email messages, and build your following on social networks with floating widgets and shortcodes to add followers.

Hustle smoothly integrates with popular form builders (like Forminator), to embed those forms/polls/quizzes into popups and slide-ins for interactive lead generation.

While you’re at it, integrate Hustle with an email service; 19 of the most popular are offered (including AWeber, MailChimp, Sendinblue, MailPoet, Zapier, and more).

Rounding out the additional features you get with Hustle:

  • Gutenberg WP editor block
  • ReCAPTCHA spam warrior
  • Ability to override Ad Blockers that try to prevent popups and slide-ins
  • Intelligent tracking on each module (including conversion stats, insightful charts, custom dashboard widget)

There is also a pro version of Hustle, which gives you all the same settings and options as the free version does. The difference is, Hustle Pro offers unlimited opt-ins, custom content, and social sharing, whereas the free version allows three of each type (popups, slide-ins, social share bars, and embeds).

Email Campaigns and Analytics Plugins

Once you’ve got those all-important email addresses collected, it’s time to set your sights on the various campaigns you can use to turn casual interest into a revenue stream.

There are a number of ways to use email campaigns to engage your audience and increase sales.

Blog posts can help by specifically targeting your audience, catering your content to them. It’s a proven way to align with your audience by providing (free) information of value to them, while keeping the connection warm. Plus, they can be kept in a devoted section of your website, making it easy for both old and new customers to partake in the historical canon unique to your business.

Newsletters and announcements are great for keeping your audience up to date on any site changes, or to promote particular products or discounts. Announcements could include down-time notices (for example, planned changes where your site will be offline briefly), or information about sales, coupons, special offers, etc – anything that is a change in your ‘norm’ that falls within a specific timeframe.

We looked at some email plugins early on, where the purpose was to improve email delivery by directing through SMTP servers or transactional mailers.

There is another category of full-featured email plugins/services that provide additional marketing, campaigning, and analysis features on top of trustworthy delivery. These can be quite handy if you want to avail yourself of pre-designed email templates, auto sending schedules, and tracking customer journeys.

Here are our favorites in this category.

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1. MailPoet

More than 600,000 websites use MailPoet to keep in touch with their subscribers, delivering 30 million+ emails each month to inboxes, not spam boxes. Enjoy high open rates with their unmatched deliverability rate and rock solid infrastructure.

MailPoet works seamlessly with your favorite CMS so you can start sending emails right away. Quickly add content and images directly from your media library. No need to upload files to third-party services when it’s all right there, ready to use in your WordPress dashboard.

From first hello to loyal customer appreciation, send emails to the right people at the right time. Welcome new subscribers with an automated series of onboarding emails and enjoy open rates of 40% and higher.

Automatically send email updates to let subscribers know about your latest blog posts, in your choice of sending schedule (daily, weekly, monthly) and bring them back to your website.

Create email updates and newsletters your subscribers can’t wait to open with beautifully designed templates you can customize to match your personality (and brand). With plenty of design options and advanced features, you can choose from a template, customize whatever you need, then send it out. Quick previews allow you to always see how your emails look before hitting send.

MailPoet is available via paid plans as well, which add features and functionality like more subscribers, unlimited emails, advanced analytics, the ability to remove branding, priority support, and more.

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2. HubSpot

HubSpot is an extremely popular, all-in-one CRM platform with tools and integrations for marketing, sales, and customer service.

The CRM in HubSpot’s WordPress plugin is your site’s command center, with 360-degree views of your customers, where you can easily:

  • Manage contacts (CRM)
  • Engage visitors with live chat and chatbots
  • Add beautiful forms to pages; create engaging email marketing campaigns
  • Capture leads with custom or existing forms; send newsletters and automated marketing campaigns
  • Track site health with easy-to-understand analytics, directly from the dashboard
  • See a unified timeline of a contact’s page views, past conversations, and more in a WordPress CRM

You’ve also got full-service email, newsletter, and marketing automation software, from which you can build professional emails in minutes, then send them to your entire contact database.

Features here include:

  • 20+ pre-designed email templates to match your campaign goals
    (Choose from templates such as newsletters, ebooks, welcome emails, and more)
  • Drag and drop email builder; adjust typography, designs, colors, and more to create campaigns your subscribers will love
  • Email automation, tracking, and A/B testing
  • Send emails anytime someone fills out a form or engages with your live chat/chatbots
  • Send messages immediately or use email scheduling to send messages later
  • Email tracking assures all of your emails are logged in your database; measure engagement of each with reports for open rate and click rate

Forms and popups are included, with a variety of templates (contact us, newsletter signup, ebook download, etc) and display options (embed, standalone page, pop-up box, dropdown banner, etc). Choose from a variety of settings, color schemes, and fonts — or start from scratch.

HubSpot also allows for integrations with other WP form builders and lead generators (like Forminator and Hustle 🙂).

And there’s much more, such as:

  • Live chat and chatbots (with custom styling, real-time messaging, Slack integration, 24/7 live support on autopilot)
  • Analytics (email, traffic, WP; marketing, sales follow-ups; time-onsite)
  • Reports (blog posts, landing pages, email campaigns)
  • Seamless use of more than 1030 integrations – including social media, ads (Facebook, Google, LinkedIn), Hotjar, YouTube, Zoom, Gmail, Hustle, MailChimp, Sendinblue, Shopify, WooCommerce, Forminator, LiveChat… and the list goes on

In addition to their free version, which offers a taste of limited features, HubSpot offers a number of paid version packages – Starter, Starter CRM Suite, Business, Professional, and Enterprise – with many different combinations of features and services to suit all needs.

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3. OptinMonster

OptinMonster is a customer acquisition and lead generation plugin. As a SaaS, its use requires an OptinMonster account, but that’s quick to set up.

OptinMonster’s popup maker allows you to create popup campaigns, email subscription forms, sticky announcement bars like hello bar, gamified spin-a-wheel opt-in forms, and other types of interactive popups for your site. Use the drag-and-drop editor to customize the look and feel of your campaigns, or choose from hundreds of templates.

OptinMonster also offers mobile popups so your marketing messages look great on all devices (mobile, tablet, laptop, and desktop). It’s also optimized for both web and server performance.

Popup options include:

  • Lightbox
  • Floating Bar
  • Slide-ins
  • Fullscreen Welcome Mats
  • Gamified Spin a Wheel Popup
  • Countdown Timers

OptinMonster also has targeting behaviors, like page level targeting, geolocation targeting, popup behavior automation, and WooCommerce. Plus trigger behaviors, like exit intent, scroll trigger, and time-on-site popups.

There are also quite a few email and CRM integrations available, such as Constant Contact, MailChimp, AWeber, and more.

A free account includes three campaigns and up to 500 campaign impressions, which never expire.

OptinMonster also offers premium, paid versions which include more features and remove the limits imposed in the free version.

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4. Sendinblue

Sendinblue is a powerful all-in-one marketing platform, trusted by more than 165,000 companies around the world to deliver their emails and SMS messages.

Sendinblue optimizes deliverability using a proprietary infrastructure over SMTP, with options that include email, SMS, Facebook, chat, CRM, and marketing automation.

The Sendinblue WordPress plugin uses their own API to synchronize contacts, send emails and get statistics. Synchronization is automatic, so it doesn’t matter whether your lists were uploaded on your WordPress interface or on your Sendinblue account: they will always remain up-to-date on both sides.

Sendinblue’s free account takes less than two minutes to set up, and allows you to send up to 300 emails per day on their free (forever) plan.

Sendinblue integrates with most lead capture and advanced form builder plugins, but also contains their own native subscription forms, with the following features:

  • Form designer with WYSIWYG and direct HTML, and CSS editing (if desired)
  • Integration as widget or shortcode
  • Send a confirmation email – you choose the template and the sender
  • Use a double opt-in confirmation – you choose the template and the sender
  • URL redirection
  • Confirmation / error message customization

The following additional options are included as well:

  • Contact lists (unlimited custom fields; CSV and TXT import; advanced segmentation)
  • Marketing campaigns (drag-and-drop tools; template library; advanced scheduling)
  • Transactional emails (with auto replacement of default SMTP)
  • Statistics (real-time and exhaustive)

Sendinblue offers a free (forever) plan that includes 9000 emails per month and unlimited contacts, with no hidden costs.

They offer premium, paid plans as well, which remove the limits, and include additional features (like removing the Sendinblue logo, A/B testing, marketing automation, priority support, and more).

Follow the Leader to the Very Top

Lead generation is often the difference between the smashing success or abject failure of a business.

And while there are many components that go into lucrative marketing, you can tap into WordPress’s generous supply of free plugins to eliminate the heavy lifting.

As shown in this post, email still holds the #1 spot when it comes to customer acquisition channels, with significant reach and conversion rates.

Determine the plugins that best meets your needs, and get going on cultivating your contact lists, securing good delivery with SMTP sends, and setting up email campaigns that drive customer engagement, traffic, retention, and loyalty.

If you want to really ensure best results, make sure you have trusted, dedicated hosting (we’re a top pick for web developers), speed and SEO optimization (our memberships come with a suite of premium plugins, including performance and security), and world-class, always-on support.

Introducing SendLayer – Reliable WordPress Email Deliverability Made Easy

Are you tired of your website emails being marked as spam?

Have you ever wished there was an easy and reliable way to get your website emails delivered to your customer’s inbox WITHOUT the high costs?

If you’re like me and most other smart website owners, then you have at least wished for this solution a couple times in your WordPress journey.

Today, I’m excited to announce my new product, SendLayer, which will level up your website’s email infrastructure.

We built this tool to help you get your website emails into your user’s inbox with maximum deliverability, reliability, and scalability.

Introducing SendLayer - SMTP Email Service for WordPress

What is SendLayer?

SendLayer is a SMTP email service API that helps your website emails get into customer’s inbox without being marked as spam.

It offers blazing fast email delivery while protecting your domain reputation from spam filters and giving you detailed email logs along with open & click analytics.

SendLayer Effect

SendLayer seamlessly connects with WordPress, so you can use it to reliably send website emails like store receipts, confirmation emails, shipping notifications, password reset emails, and other WordPress emails with maximum reliability.

Why Do You Need SendLayer?

If you’re like most users, then you have likely run into the problem of WordPress not sending email issue. This is one of the most commonly asked questions on WPBeginner.

Many of our beginner level users ask us why their contact form plugin is not sending emails, or why they are not seeing any WordPress notifications.

That’s because most WordPress hosting servers are not configured to send emails using the default PHP mail() function.

And even if your hosting server is configured properly, many email service providers like Gmail, Outlook, and others use sophisticated tools to reduce email spam. These tools try to detect if an email is really coming from the location that it claims to be.

Emails sent by WordPress websites often fail the test.

This means that majority of the emails sent by your website will either land in user’s spam inbox or not get delivered at all. This include your website’s contact form plugin emails, your online store receipts, password reset emails, admin notifications, and more.

This is why most smart website owners use SMTP for sending emails in WordPress.

And this is why I created the free WP Mail SMTP plugin which is used by over 3 million websites.

How SMTP Works

But the problem was that a lot of beginner users still didn’t know how to set up SMTP properly because simply installing the plugin isn’t enough.

You still needed to use a SMTP email service that’s built for maximum deliverability, reliability, and scalability. We integrated with numerous service providers like Amazon, Google, etc, but they were all quite difficult to use for beginners.

So after listening to a lot of our user feedback, I decided to work with my team to finally create a beginner-friendly SMTP service, SendLayer, that works for all types of websites including WordPress.

Whether you’re using WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, Laravel, Drupal, Joomla, or any other platform, you can use SendLayer to improve your email deliverability.

SendLayer gives you access to:

  • Awesome email deliverability
  • Spam Filter protection
  • Detailed email logs
  • Open and click analytics
  • Event-based webhooks to setup custom notifications
  • SMTP relay API for those that want to use SendLayer inside custom apps
  • Simple suppression list to protect your delivery reputation

… and a whole lot more.

Basically, if you’re serious about your website and want to grow your online business, then you know that email deliverability is important.

And SendLayer offers you one of the best email infrastructure in the market.

SendLayer Types of Emails

Once connected with your WordPress site, it automatically ensures that all your website emails get delivered in your user’s inbox.

How to use SendLayer with WordPress?

First thing you need to do is create a free SendLayer account.

SendLayer best SMTP service provider

Next, you need to install and activate the free WP Mail SMTP plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to WP Mail SMTP settings page in your WordPress admin menu. Once this page, you need to select the SendLayer mailer.

SendLayer connection for WordPress

Next, you will need to enter your SendLayer API key in the field below.

You can get this API key by following the link on the plugin page which will take you to SendLayer account.

Once the key is added, you should send a test email using WP Mail SMTP to ensure everything is working.

For more details, see the full documentation here.

What’s Coming Next in SendLayer?

While I’m sharing the SendLayer news with you today, SendLayer has actually been out since April of 2022. After extensively testing it through out 2021, we did a soft-launch earlier in the year and have since onboarded thousands of website owners already using the platform.

We have a really exciting roadmap ahead of us, and I’m really proud of our team.

We are working on building ,pre cutting-edge email delivery tools to help small business owners and online store owners get their emails delivered into their user’s inbox, so you can continue to maximize your revenue growth.

If you have ideas on how we can make the SendLayer platform more helpful for you, then please send us your suggestions.

As always, I want to thank you for your continued support of WPBeginner, and we look forward to continue serving you for years to come.

Yours Truly,

Syed Balkhi
Founder of WPBeginner

The post Introducing SendLayer – Reliable WordPress Email Deliverability Made Easy first appeared on WPBeginner.

6 Best WooCommerce Email Customizer Plugins (Free + Paid)

Are you looking for an easy way to customize your WooCommerce store emails?

A WooCommerce email customizer allows you to easily adjust and personalize the emails your website send to your customers. This includes receipt emails, subscription renewal emails, and more.

In this article, we’ll show you the best WooCommerce email customizer plugins to help you improve your website emails.

Best WooCommerce email customizer plugin

Why Use a WooCommerce Email Customizer Plugin?

WooCommerce is the #1 most popular eCommerce platform for WordPress, and it comes with built-in settings to edit the emails that you send to your customers. However, these customization options are very limited and basic.

For instance, you can only change the font and background colors, edit the email content, and add a logo. These minimal customization options make your emails look generic and unattractive.

Here’s what default WooCommerce emails will look like:

WooCommerce Allows You to Preview the Email Template Containing Dummy Text

A WooCommerce email customizer gives you more options and flexibility to customize your email notifications.

You can upsell products, offer coupons, or even direct users to relevant posts on your WordPress blog. A plugin can also help you to customize the email notifications that are sent when a customer creates a new account, resets a password, and more.

Some tools even let you create automation workflows for your online store. For instance, you can automatically send pre-written emails when a customer buys a new product, subscribes to your newsletter, books an appointment, or abandons a cart.

That said, let’s look at some of the best WooCommerce email customizer plugins in the market.

1. Autonami

Autonami

Autonami is the best WooCommerce email customizer plugin that’s very easy to use.

It comes with a drag-and-drop email builder with lots of customization options. You can add different elements by dragging them from the menu on your left and dropping it onto the template to customize your WooCommerce emails.

Plus, you get to further customize each element, like changing its color, font, alignment, and more. This gives you complete control over the appearance of your WooCommerce emails.

Add a heading block to email template

Autonami also offers a pre-built WooCommerce email library. You can create an email sequence for your eCommerce store with a single click.

Autonami Email Library for WooCommerce

Besides that, it also offers a visual email automation builder, where you get to customize your workflows. This makes it effortless to set up automated emails, as you can choose which emails to show based on the user’s action and when to show them.

Autonami Marketing Automation Email Analytics for WooCommerce

Autonami is a sister product to WooFunnels, which is a powerful sale funnel builder for WooCommerce. You can set up a complete sales funnel and use pre-built templates for custom checkout pages, upsells, discount offers, and more.

Funnel templates in Woofunnels

Pricing: To use Autonami, you’ll need to purchase the Funnel Builder + Autonami plan, which will cost you $249 per year. That said, there is also a free version of Autonami with limited features that you can get started with.

2. Email Customizer for WooCommerce

Email customizer for WooCommerce

Email Customizer for WooCommerce by ThemeHigh is a WordPress plugin that offers a beginner-friendly email builder.

You can drag and drop different elements into your transactional emails. For instance, you can add text, images, social icons, buttons, GIFs, billing information, shipping details, and more.

When customizing the emails, the builder shows a live preview of your changes. This way, you can see what your emails will look like on the customer’s screen.

The plugin also offers 11 pre-built custom email templates, so you can quickly select any email type and customize it according to your needs.

It also offers WPML compatibility, allowing you to create emails in multiple languages. You can also integrate it with other plugins like WooCommerce Order Status Manager and YITH WooCommerce Gift Cards.

On the downside, you don’t get any automation features like Autonami offers. The plugin doesn’t offer a workflow builder or an option to set up automated email series.

Pricing: Email Customizer for WooCommerce pricing starts from $39 per year. There is also a free version of Email Customizer for WooCommerce available.

3. YayMail

YayMail

YayMail is another popular WooCommerce email customizer plugin. You can easily design and edit your emails in its drag-and-drop builder. Its interface is easy to use and is similar to Elementor or the WordPress block editor.

The plugin comes with different widgets and dynamic blocks that you can use to add elements to the WooCommerce transactional email template. The visual builder also gives a real-time preview of your changes.

Besides that, the premium version of YayMail offers features like shipment tracking, custom order status, checkout field editor, and more. You also get powerful add-ons and WooCommerce extension support with YayMail Pro.

Pricing: YayMail is a premium email customizer plugin for WooCommerce, with prices starting from $59 per year for a single WordPress site.

4. Flycart Email Customizer Plus for WooCommerce

Flycart email customizer plus

Flycart Email Customizer Plus for WooCommerce is a premium WooCommerce plugin that you can use to create custom transactional emails.

Its drag-and-drop builder allows you to change the layout and customize your emails the way you want. You can add a logo, edit email content, add social icons, and more.

There’s no need to manually edit HTML, CSS, or PHP code to change the look and feel of your emails. The plugin offers basic elements and WooCommerce elements that you can add to the template.

The plugin comes with pre-built templates, so you don’t have to start from scratch. There is also an option to send test emails and make sure they are delivered to your customers.

Pricing: Flycart Email Customizer Plus for WooCommerce prices start from $49 per year for a single site. You also get a 14-day money-back guarantee with each plan.

5. Decorator

Decorator

Decorator is a WooCommerce plugin that lets you customize your emails using the WordPress theme customizer.

The plugin offers different options to edit the look and style of your emails. For instance, you can edit the email content, heading, color, email header and footer, add a logo, enter social media links to your Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn pages, and more.

The Decorator plugin also lets you add shortcodes and placeholders to show additional information in the emails, like customer name, order details, company name, order date, and more.

While the theme customizer offers a real-time preview of your changes, it doesn’t provide the flexibility of a drag-and-drop builder like you’d get in Autonami and other plugins on our list. There are also no pre-built WooCommerce email templates you can use to get started quickly.

Pricing: Decorator is a free plugin that you can use on your WooCommerce store.

6. Kadence WooCommerce Email Designer

Kadence WooCommerce Email Designer

Kadence WooCommerce Email Designer is a free plugin that also uses the WordPress customizer to create custom emails for your online store.

The plugin shows a live preview of your WooCommerce emails in the theme customizer and offers different options for customization. For example, you can easily customize headings, subtitles, and body text using the plugin.

However, Kadence WooCommerce Email Designer lets you import pre-built email templates, which isn’t possible in the Decorator plugin. On the downside, you don’t get the flexibility or customization options that other drag-and-drop email builders provide, like Autonami.

Pricing: You can use Kadence WooCommerce Email Designer for free.

Bonus: WP Mail SMTP

WP Mail SMTP

WP Mail SMTP is the best WordPress SMTP plugin in the market. It ensures that your WordPress emails are delivered to your customer’s email inbox and don’t end up in spam.

Many WordPress hosting companies don’t support the default method WordPress uses for sending emails from your site. As a result, you’ll notice that many emails simply vanish and never reach your customers. WP Mail SMTP solves the issue of WooCommerce not sending emails and improves deliverability.

The best part is that WP Mail SMTP easily integrates with WooFunnels and offers multiple mailers, including Gmail, Outlook, Sendinblue, Amazon SES, and more.

For more details, you can see our detailed guide on how to set up WP Mail SMTP with any host.

Pricing: WP Mail SMTP prices start from $49 per year. There is also WP Mail SMTP free version you can use for your site.

Which is the Best WooCommerce Email Customizer?

If you’re looking for a complete tool that offers WooCommerce email customization and automation, then we highly recommend using Autonami.

The plugin is super easy to use and offers a drag-and-drop email builder along with different email templates. You can create stunning WooCommerce emails in just a few clicks and don’t need coding knowledge.

Autonami also lets you set up automated email workflows for your WooCommerce site. It helps save time, as you can automatically send an email series to new customers, recover abandoned carts, send promotional emails to selected audiences, and more.

You can even combine Autonami with an SMTP service like WP Mail SMTP. Doing so will ensure that your emails are delivered to your customers and won’t get lost or end up in the spam folder.

We hope that this article helped you learn about the best WooCommerce email customizer plugins. You may also want to see our guide on the best free business name generators and how to move WordPress from HTTP to HTTPS.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 6 Best WooCommerce Email Customizer Plugins (Free + Paid) first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Send Mail From Camunda to the SMTP Server

Camunda exposes a mail interface to connect with SMTP using Camunda-bpm-mail-core library as a dependency in POM.xml file. Here Camunda acts as a mail client.

Prerequisites

  • Eclipse (any version) with Maven capabilities
  • Java 8+
  • SMTP Mail Server
  • Camunda

Installing Eclipse-IDE on Windows

  1. Click on the link: https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/download.php?file=/oomph/epp/2020-09/R/eclipse-inst-jre-win64.exe
  2. Download the eclipse-inst-jre-win64.exe file and run the eclipse installer.Run the installer
  3. Select Eclipse IDE for Eclipse committers and install.Set Eclipse IDE

Creating a Maven Project in Eclipse IDE

  • Open the Eclipse IDE
  • Go to File  > New > Project:

Go to File and select new project

How to Send a Test Email From WordPress (The Easy Way)

Do you want to test whether your WordPress website is successfully sending email?

WordPress sends emails to you and your site users for many different reasons, from passwords reset emails to purchase receipts. That’s why it’s so important to test whether your website is sending email reliably.

In this article, we’ll show you how to send a test email from WordPress to make sure there are no problems with your email configuration.

How to Send a Test Email From WordPress

Why Test That Your WordPress Email Is Working Reliably?

All too often we hear that users have trouble with WordPress not sending emails. That’s a problem because you rely on email to keep your website running smoothly.

For example, your site sends emails to welcome new users, reset lost passwords, send order forms, and notify you when a new user registers or someone fills in your contact form.

There are a few things that you can do to improve your WordPress email reliability. For example, we recommend you send your email through a reliable SMTP service provider and set up logs of the emails sent by your website so you can monitor their success.

When you first set up your WordPress website or SMTP service, it’s smart to confirm that your website’s email is working correctly by sending a test email.

With that being said, let’s look at how to send a test email from WordPress.

How to Send a Test Email From WordPress

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the WP Mail SMTP plugin. For more details, see our step by step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After that, you will need to configure the plugin to work with your SMTP mailing service. The WP Mail SMTP wizard will take you through the process step by step, or you can follow our guides on how to set up WP Mail SMTP with Sendinblue, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Amazon SES, or your web host.

Configure WP Mail SMTP to Work With Your SMTP Mailing Service

Once you have finished setting up WP Mail SMTP, you can send a test email to make sure it is configured correctly.

To do that, you need to head over to WP Mail SMTP » Tools in your admin menu, where you’ll see the ‘Email Test’ page. By default, the test email will be sent to your site’s admin email address, but you can change this by typing a different email address into the ‘Send To’ field.

Navigate to WP Mail SMTP » Tools

We recommend you keep the ‘HTML’ setting in the ‘On’ position, but if you want to send a plain text email, then you can switch it off.

Once you’re happy with the settings, simply click the ‘Send Email’ button, and a test email will be sent to the address you entered.

Viewing the Email Test Results

After WP Mail SMTP attempts to send the test email, it will give you immediate feedback on whether the test was successful or not.

If your WordPress email was set up correctly, then the test email was sent without any problems. You will see a ‘Success!’ notification displayed on the screen.

WP Mail SMTP Success! Notification

Now you’ll want to check and see if the test email actually did arrive at the email address it was sent to.

You should find an email like the one below in your inbox. If you do, congratulations! Email is working properly on your WordPress site.

WP Mail SMTP Success! Email

However, if there are problems with your email configuration, then the test email will not be able to be sent at all.

You’ll be shown a message that describes the error or problem, along with some steps you can take to resolve it.

WP Mail SMTP Failure Notification

After following the steps to fix the issues, you should send another test email to confirm that your WordPress email is now working.

If the Domain Settings Need to Be Changed

Even if the test email was successful, you may have received a notification listing some issues. That’s because the test checks that your ‘from’ address’s domain is configured correctly in your DNS records.

This can improve the deliverability of your email, so that it doesn’t get blocked or sent to the spam folder.

The notification will list and explain any issues, and provide links to step by step guides that will help you configure your DNS records correctly.

WP Mail SMTP Domain Check Notification

Once you’ve finished fixing the issues, you should send another test email to make sure that everything is working properly now.

If You Need Professional Help

Many beginners find that configuring their WordPress email is tricky. Luckily, if you can’t get WordPress email working on your own, then you can ask an expert to set it up for you.

The good news is that a WP Mail SMTP Elite license includes White Glove Setup. This means that someone from their expert team will configure your email settings for you.

We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to send a test email from WordPress. You may also want to learn how to get a free email domain, or check out our list of must have plugins to grow your site.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Send a Test Email From WordPress (The Easy Way) first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Resend New User Welcome Emails in WordPress

Do you want to resend welcome emails to your WordPress users?

A welcome email helps build trust with new users and ensures that people remember your website and business.

However, your welcome emails can sometimes end up in the spam folder, or users don’t receive the messages. That’s why it’s important to resend welcome emails.

In this article, we will show you how to resend new user welcome emails in WordPress.

How to Resend Welcome Emails to New Users in WordPress

Why Resend Welcome Emails to New Users in WordPress?

Creating welcome emails is a great way to customize the emails that new users receive when they register on your website. This helps build your brand and makes your site memorable for customers, members, and subscribers.

However, the welcome emails that you send might not make it to your users’ inboxes. Plus, email providers like Gmail can also flag your emails as spam.

One of the reasons for this issue is that WordPress hosting services don’t configure the mail function properly. As a result, your welcome emails fail to reach your users or land in the spam folder.

To overcome this issue, you can use an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) service. It allows you to use an SMTP server to send WordPress emails and ensure that they reach your users.

An SMTP service also allows you to log any emails that don’t get delivered so that you can easily resend them.

That said, let’s look at how you can log welcome emails that didn’t reach new users in WordPress.

How to Set Up Email Logs in WordPress

WP Mail SMTP is the best SMTP service for WordPress. It’s super easy to use and connects with popular email services like SendLayer, SMTP.com, Brevo (Previously Sendinblue), Gmail, Office 365, and more.

With WP Mail SMTP, you can track email deliverability in WordPress. The plugin keeps a record of every email sent from your website and lets you resend emails that haven’t been delivered.

Note: You will need the WP Mail SMTP Pro version to use the Email Log feature and resend welcome emails to new users. There is also a free version of WP Mail SMTP that you can use to get started.

First, you will need to install and activate the WP Mail SMTP plugin on your website. For more details, please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you can head over to WP Mail SMTP » Settings from your WordPress dashboard and then enter the license key.

You can find the key in your WP Mail SMTP account area.

WP Mail SMTP license key

After entering the license key, go ahead and click the ‘Verify Key’ button.

Next, you can scroll down to the Mailer section and choose how you would like to send your WordPress emails.

Select SMTP mailer

All you have to do is select your preferred mailer. The PHP mail will be selected by default, but we don’t recommend using this method as it’s unreliable.

For more information, you can follow our detailed guide on how to use a free SMTP server to send WordPress emails.

After that, you need to go to the Email Log tab in the WP Mail SMTP settings and check the box for the ‘Enable Log’ option.

This way, you will be able to track email deliverability in WordPress.

Turn on email logs

When you enable the option, you will see additional email tracking settings under the Email Log tab.

Go ahead and check the boxes for Log Email Content, Save Attachments, Open Email Tracking, and Click Link Tracking so that you will get more data about email deliverability.

Additional email log settings

Next, you can select the time period for keeping the email logs.

Simply choose an option from the dropdown menu for ‘Log Retention Period’ and then click the ‘Save Settings’ button.

Select log retention period

How to Resend New User Welcome Emails

After setting up email logs, you can now see which welcome emails didn’t reach your users and which ones need to be resent.

To start, simply navigate to WP Mail SMTP » Email Log from your WordPress admin area.

View email log opens and clicks

The plugin will show all your emails in this section. You can see the email subject, who it’s been sent to, the source, and whether users opened and clicked the email.

If you see a red dot for any email, it means it wasn’t delivered. On the other hand, a green dot shows the email has reached the user’s inbox.

To resend a welcome email that didn’t get delivered, go ahead and click the ‘View Log’ option.

View email logs for resend

Now, you will see logs for the individual email.

After that, navigate to the ‘Actions’ tab and click the ‘Resend’ button.

Click resend button

A popup window will now appear.

Simply enter the recipient’s email address and click the ‘Yes’ button to resend the email.

Click yes to resend email

Next, if you see multiple emails that failed to deliver, you can use the bulk resend feature from the email log screen.

Go ahead and check the box next to the emails you want to resend. After that, select the ‘Resend’ option from the Bulk Actions dropdown menu.

Resend multiple emails

When a popup window appears, you can click the ‘Yes’ button to resend multiple emails.

That’s it! WP Mail SMTP will resend welcome emails and any other email that fails to reach your new users.

Click yes to resend multiple emails

We hope this article helped you learn how to resend new user welcome emails in WordPress. You may also want to check out our guide on how to choose the best website builder and our expert picks for the best WooCommerce plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Resend New User Welcome Emails in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

How to Setup WordPress Email Tracking (Opens, Clicks, and More)

Do you want to set up WordPress email tracking on your site?

WordPress email tracking will help you see whether your users receive, open, and click your emails.

In this article, we’ll show you how you can easily set up WordPress email tracking to gain new insights.

How to setup WordPress email tracking (opens, clicks, and more)

Note: This article is specifically for emails sent from your WordPress site such as order receipts, password reset emails, contact form follow-ups, and more. These are not marketing emails that you send with your email marketing service because those already have open and click tracking built-in.

Why Set Up Email Tracking in WordPress?

By tracking your WordPress site emails, you’ll be able to see who opens and clicks your emails. Plus, get detailed reports about email deliverability.

This helps to make sure that all of your website emails are reaching your users. You can even resend emails that didn’t get delivered to improve the overall user experience.

There are all kinds of reasons to track your WordPress emails:

  • See which links in your emails are clicked
  • Make sure important membership site and online course emails are sent
  • Check if emails being sent by a certain plugin are delivered
  • Ensure online store order and confirmation emails get to your users

Whether you’re running a WordPress blog or small business website, WordPress will send all kinds of automatic email notifications to your users.

This can be new user registration information, password reset emails, comments, WordPress updates, and much more.

You need to make sure all of the emails sent from your website go to your user’s email inbox and not to the spam folder.

The best way to do this is by using an SMTP service provider to improve email deliverability. For more details, see our guide on how to fix WordPress not sending email issue.

With that said, let’s take a look at how to set up WordPress email tracking, step by step.

Setting up Email Tracking in WordPress

For this tutorial, we’ll be using the WP Mail SMTP plugin. It’s the best WordPress SMTP plugin in the market used by over 2 million websites.

It lets you easily send all of your WordPress emails using an SMTP server and improve email deliverability for your WordPress website.

How WP Mail SMTP works

Step 1. Install and Setup WP Mail SMTP

First thing you need to do is install and activate the WP Mail SMTP plugin. For more details, see our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to go to WP Mail SMTP » Settings to configure your plugin settings.

Then, you need to enter your license key and click the ‘Verify Key’ button.

Enter WP Mail SMTP license key

You can find this information under your account on the WP Mail SMTP website.

Once you’ve done that, you need to scroll down the page to the ‘Mailer’ section. Here you will choose how you want to send your WordPress emails.

The WP Mail SMTP plugin works with any SMTP service. There are easy setup options for the most popular providers, including Gmail, Outlook, SendInBlue, SendGrid, Amazon SES, and more.

Select SMTP mailer

Simply click on the mailer you want to use, and there will be detailed instructions on how you can set it up properly.

The default option is using the PHP mailer. However, we don’t recommend this method since it’s not reliable.

Most WordPress hosting servers aren’t configured to send emails. So, your WordPress emails may never even reach your users or end up in their spam folder.

For more details on setting up your SMTP server, see our guide on how to use a free SMTP server to send WordPress emails.

Step 2. Enable WordPress Email Tracking

Now that you’ve set up the plugin, it’s time to turn on the email logging and email tracking features.

Once activated, the plugin will automatically add a tracking pixel to every email that you send from WordPress.

To do this go to WP Mail SMTP » Settings and then click the ‘Email Log’ menu option.

After that, you’ll want to make sure that the ‘Enable Log’ box is checked for email records.

If it isn’t, then check the box now. This will keep a record of basic details about your emails and store them in your WordPress database.

Enable email log tracking

You’ll also need this enabled if you want to resend emails in WordPress.

Next, you’ll see a few more checkboxes that let you turn on additional email tracking options. We recommend checking every box so you have more email tracking data available.

First, you can choose to save a copy of the email body. This lets you search the content of emails and also resend the entire email if it doesn’t send.

Simply check the ‘Log Email Content’ box to enable this.

Check log email content box

Next, you can save a copy of the attachments that are sent from your site. This can be helpful if an email doesn’t send and you need to resend the attachment.

To enable this, you need to check the ‘Save Attachments’ box.

Check save email attachments box

After that, you can track when an email is opened and which links get clicked by checking the ‘Open Email Tracking’ and ‘Click Link Tracking’ boxes.

Enable email opens and click tracking

Then, you can set the time period for how long you’ll save your email logs. If you’re concerned about disk space, then you can change the setting here.

Simply select the time period from the ‘Log Retention Period’ drop down.

Choose log retention period

Make sure to click the ‘Save Settings’ button before you leave the page.

Step 3. Check Email Tracking Analytics Data in WordPress

Once you’ve set up the plugin and sent out WordPress emails, you can view your email tracking and analytics data.

To do this head over to WP Mail SMTP » Email Log in your WordPress admin panel.

View email log opens and clicks

This screen will show you basic email data like opens and clicks, so you get a quick overview of your audience engagement.

Next, you can open up individual email logs to see in depth email information.

Simply hover over an email and click the ‘View Log’ link, and the email details will open in a new screen.

View individual email log

This shows you when the email was sent, the subject, if it was opened, and more.

Resend New User Emails in WordPress

Another great feature of WP Mail SMTP is the ability to resend emails.

To do this, go to back to WP Mail SMTP » Email Log to bring up your email logs.

This page shows you every email you’ve sent and whether or not it was delivered. The red dot means not sent and the green dot means delivered.

To resend an email, simply click the ‘View Log’ link on the email that didn’t send.

View email logs for resend

This brings you to the email log screen for that individual email.

Then, click the ‘Resend’ button in the ‘Actions’ tab.

Click resend button

This brings up a popup that will confirm the email address.

Simply click the ‘Yes’ button to resend the email.

Click yes to resend email

If there are multiple failed emails, then you can use the bulk resend feature from the email log screen.

Simply check the box next to the emails that didn’t send, then select ‘Resend’ from the drop down list, and click the ‘Apply’ button.

Resend multiple emails

This brings up a similar popup as above.

Simply click the ‘Yes’ button to resend the email to multiple users.

Click yes to resend multiple emails

View WordPress Email Engagement Statistics

You can also view your full email tracking and reporting data by going to WP Mail SMTP » Email Reports.

This brings you to a screen with detailed statistics about your open rates and email deliverability.

View WordPress email reports

Under the main graph you’ll find a breakdown of how your individual emails are performing.

You’ll see open rates, click through rates, deliverability breakdown, and more.

View WordPress email stats

We hope this article helped you learn how to set up WordPress email tracking. You may also want to see our guide on how to create an email newsletter and our picks of the best business phone services for small business.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Setup WordPress Email Tracking (Opens, Clicks, and More) appeared first on WPBeginner.

How to Fix WooCommerce Not Sending Order Emails (The Easy Way)

Are you frustrated by your WooCommerce store not sending order emails?

When running an eCommerce store, you need to know that your customers will receive their receipts and any order update emails quickly and reliably.

In this article, we’ll show you the easy way to fix WooCommerce not sending order emails.

How to fix WooCommerce not sending order emails

What Causes WooCommerce Emails to Not Send?

If you are running an online store, then you rely on email to keep your business running smoothly.

You use email to welcome new customers and build your relationship with them. Emails are sent to confirm orders and follow up on abandoned shopping carts. And email is needed to let customers reset their passwords.

But all too often, we hear that eCommerce sellers have trouble with WooCommerce not sending emails.

Sometimes this happens because of issues in your WooCommerce settings. We’ll show you how to check those settings first.

Other times it’s a deeper issue with the way WordPress sends email. By default, WordPress sends emails through PHP mail. Unfortunately, not all WordPress hosting servers are correctly configured to use PHP mail.

Even when your emails are sent successfully, they may be incorrectly identified as spam. This means they could be automatically deleted without ever being seen.

The best way to make sure your emails are reliably delivered is to send them through an SMTP service.

We’ll show you how to set up an SMTP server later in this guide, but first, let’s make sure there isn’t a problem with your WooCommerce settings.

Check WooCommerce Email and Order Settings

The first thing to check is your WooCommerce settings for emails and orders. If one of your settings is wrong, then your order emails won’t be sent.

Check WooCommerce Email Settings

We’ll start by checking that your emails haven’t been accidentally deactivated. To do that, navigate to WooCommerce » Settings on the WordPress dashboard and then click on the Emails tab.

List of WooCommerce Emails

Here you’ll see a list of all the notification emails that WooCommerce will send. Some are sent to you and some to your customers. You’ll need to check the settings for each email.

Let’s start at the top and check the ‘New order’ email by clicking on the ‘Manage’ button on the right.

You’ll need to check two settings. First, make sure the email is enabled. Sometimes it is disabled accidentally, and the email won’t be sent if the box isn’t checked.

Make Sure the Email is Enabled

Second, you need to make sure that the recipient’s email address is correct. You’ll only find this setting for emails that will be sent to you. When an email is sent to the customer, the correct email address will be used automatically.

You can do the same for each type of email in the list. If everything looks good, then we need to check the status of each order where WooCommerce did not send an order email.

Check WooCommerce Payment Status

You’ll need to navigate to WooCommerce » Orders to check the status of recent orders. If you don’t yet have any orders, then you’ll want to create a test order and then come back.

Navigate to WooCommerce » Orders

If the order status is ‘Pending payment’ as in this example, then that explains why an email was not sent. By default, WooCommerce doesn’t send an order email for pending sales.

Pending orders are waiting for further action. Maybe the customer added something to their cart and then abandoned it. Or maybe the customer needs to complete a manual payment, such as a bank transfer.

But if the status is ‘Processing’, then there’s a problem. An email should have been sent to both you and the customer. If it didn’t arrive in the inbox, then most likely it was treated as spam.

That’s a common problem with WooCommerce and WordPress emails. The best way to solve that problem is to send your email using an SMTP server.

Fix WordPress Email Reliability with an SMTP Server Plugin

SMTP is the standard protocol for sending emails over the internet, but it isn’t what WordPress uses by default. Unfortunately, that often results in emails from WordPress being treated as spam.

Sending email through an SMTP server is more reliable because it uses proper authentication. Your customer’s email software will be confident that your emails are genuine, and they’re less likely to be moved to the junk folder.

WP Mail SMTP is the best SMTP plugin for WordPress and WooCommerce. It’s the easiest way to make sure your order emails are actually delivered to your customer’s inbox.

To fix WooCommerce not sending order emails, you’ll need to install and activate the WP Mail SMTP plugin. You can check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin for more details.

Note: The free version of WP Mail SMTP is all that’s required for this tutorial. But the Elite plan includes White Glove Setup where an expert will set up the plugin for you.

On activation, the WP Mail SMTP setup wizard will start automatically. You’ll need to click on the Let’s Get Started button.

The WP Mail SMTP Setup Wizard Will Start Automatically

Next, you need to choose the SMTP service you wish to use. We recommend SMTP.com and Sendinblue because they are able to securely send large numbers of emails and without triggering spam filters.

Plus, Sendinblue lets you send up to 300 emails each day for free.

Choose Your SMTP Mailer Service

Once you’ve selected a service, you need to click on the ‘Save and Continue’ button. After that, you’ll be asked to configure your mailer settings.

Here you’ll be asked to copy some information from the mailer service you selected, and then paste it into the form. The exact steps you need to take will depend on the mailer service you have chosen.

Configure Your Mailer Settings

Note: If you’d prefer to bypass the wizard and set up WP Mail SMTP manually, then you’ll find manual step by step instructions in our ultimate guide on how to set up WP Mail SMTP with any SMTP service.

The setup wizard will also ask you to set up a From Email. Make sure you use the same business email address here as you entered when setting up your SMTP mailing service.

We Recommend You Force the Same Email Address

We also recommend that you check the ‘Force From Email’ box. This will make sure you use the same email address across your website. This can also help to make sure your WooCommerce emails don’t go to spam.

You’ll then be asked which email features you wish to enable. You need ‘Improved Email Deliverability’ and ‘Email Error Tracking’ to fix WooCommerce not sending email. They will be selected by default.

Enable WP Mail SMTP Email Features

If you’ve purchase WP Mail SMTP Pro, then you’ll have access to a few additional features. For example, the ‘Detailed Email Logs’ feature will let you check individual emails to make sure they being are sent.

WP Mail SMTP Pro Offers Additional Features

The Pro version will also let you resend a failed email. That can be really helpful when the customer typed in the wrong email address.

Send a Test Email

Congratulations, you’ve now set everything up! Let’s make sure it works by sending a test email.

You’ll need to navigate to WP Mail SMTP » Tools and then click on the ‘Email Test’ tab. The site’s admin email will be entered by default, but you can send the test email to a different address if you like. Next, click ‘Send Email’.

Make Sure Everything Works by Sending a Test Email

If everything has been set up correctly, then you should see a ‘Success!’ message. Make sure you also visit your email inbox to make sure the email actually arrived.

You Should See a Success! Message

We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to fix WooCommerce not sending order emails.

You may also want to learn the right way to create an email newsletter or check out list of must have WooCommerce plugins to grow your store.

If you liked this guide, then please consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Fix WooCommerce Not Sending Order Emails (The Easy Way) appeared first on WPBeginner.

Mailshake Review

If you’re looking for an in-depth Mailshake review to decide if it’s the right tool for your business, this article is for you.

Mailshake is a popular sales management platform for modern sales teams with over 47,000 customers worldwide. It allows you to run impactful outreach campaigns, send timely follow-up emails, and track your conversations with a single dashboard view.

Mailshake is also among the most widely used email outreach tools for PR and link building. It gives marketers and SEOs plenty of features to generate leads and run mass outreach campaigns with persuasive messaging.

But is it the right tool for your business? 

To help you answer this question, we’ll evaluate all the key Mailshake features in this article and see if it is indeed the solution you’re looking for.

Mailshake Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Intuitive platform with an excellent user experience
  • Impressive email deliverability rates in large-scale campaigns
  • Template library with tested email scripts for various marketing objectives
  • Allows you to fully personalize and customize your messaging
  • Robust automation features to run condition-based campaigns
  • Automated follow-ups simplify outreach
  • Integrates with Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive CRMs
  • Supports GSuite and SMTP email accounts for outreach campaigns
  • Detailed email tracking to help you dissect your campaigns
  • Seamlessly integrates phone and social platforms with email outreach
  • Automatically highlights the leads with higher conversion potential
  • Offers courses and training to help users make the most of its features
  • Impressive email A/B testing features
  • 1000+ third-party app integrations via Zapier
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

  • Scheduling campaigns for different timezones is a hassle
  • You have to create Zapier integrations to perform more complex tasks
  • A bit more expensive than the other outreach tools
  • No free trial
  • No product walkthrough or intro video for prospects 

Mailshake Features

Mailshake comes packed with email outreach and lead generation features tailored for SEO for content marketers, PR companies, and sales professionals.

It significantly improves your response and conversion rates by ensuring that your campaigns are different from the usual spammy outreach emails these days.

Let’s take a close look at some of Mailshake’s core features to see how it can help you start more conversations and close more deals.

Run Mass Outreach Campaigns With High Deliverability

Email deliverability is one of the biggest challenges in running successful mass outreach campaigns. 

Most bulk email campaigns either land in the recipients’ spam folder or don’t get delivered at all because of bulk email restrictions.

This is where Mailshake is different from other tools.

It uses an intelligent email scheduling system that sends thousands of emails while ensuring deliverability. Every email is sent after a fixed gap, ensuring that your emails are not marked as spam and delivered right to the recipient’s inbox folder as one-to-one emails.

Depending on your plan, Mailshake allows you to send up to 10,000 emails per outreach campaign. You can spread your campaigns over several days or weeks to ensure that emails are sent in a natural pattern.

Similarly, you can also schedule your email campaigns to send them when your recipients are the most likely to respond.

Personalize Campaigns With Mail Merge

Creating a mail merge in Mailshake helps you save time while ensuring that your participants receive personalized one-on-one emails.

Mail merge is an email campaign type in which you send the message to an extensive email list but personalize it so that every recipient receives it individually.

You can set up a mail merge in Mailshake by adding the recipients manually one by one or by uploading a CSV file of your contact database with the necessary customer details arranged in separate columns.

If your CSV file has incomplete information for some of your recipients, you can manually add it once you upload it to Mailshake.

With the right customer information, you can completely personalize your email campaigns and make them look as if they were designed separately for every customer.

Let’s say you have the following information of your leads arranged in separate columns in a CSV file.

  • First and last names
  • Email address
  • City
  • Country
  • Phone Number
  • Company name
  • Designation

You can use this information to personalize your messages using tags in Mailshake.

You can insert the relevant tags in your email messages from the Insert menu in your email editor. You can also manually add more personalization to each recipient’s email before you push your campaign live.

You can also set conditions to use replacement text if specific information is not available for a customer.

For example, you can use “there” if you don’t have a person’s name in your email database for it to say “Hi there,” or change it to just say “Hello.”

This makes your cold outreach emails much more credible and considerably increases your campaign response rates.

Automate Follow-ups To Increase Response Rate

Whether you’re running an outreach campaign for link building, PR, or lead generation, follow-ups are critical to your success.

But following up in mass email campaigns is hard to manage because of the number of recipients. To make this task simpler, Mailshake helps you configure automated follow-ups based on various conditions.

Instead of manually tracking the users who haven’t responded to your initial email, you can set an automatic follow-up email after a specific duration.

For example, you could configure follow-up emails to be sent three days after the initial email if there’s no response from a lead.

You can also use additional qualifying conditions like excluding the leads from your follow-up sequence who’ve opened your email or clicked on a specific link.

Similarly, you could also use link-tracking for triggering follow-ups.

Again, you have complete control over when a follow-up email is sent.

Mailshake gives you a handful of proven and tested follow-up email scripts for various business goals to improve your response rate. Instead of writing a follow-up email from scratch, you can simply use one of the scripts and modify them before sending (if needed.)

You can also set up tasks within your sales sequences to connect with prospects over the phone and on social media. Once you or someone from your team follow-up on call, you can mark them as completed to continue the automated sequence.

Overall, Mailshake offers some pretty impressive and robust email follow-up capabilities that save your time and help you close more leads faster.

Streamline Communication With Lead Catcher

Lead catcher is a lead management feature in Mailshake that allows you to interact with your leads, assign them to your team members, and perform several other lead management tasks.

It is enabled by default in all your outreach campaigns. Once a recipient responds to your emails, Mailshake marks them as a lead.

This means all your follow-up sequences are immediately stopped for the lead, and you decide how to take the communication forward.

Lead catcher allows you to define the exact criteria to qualify a contact as a lead using multiple conditions.

You decide who on your team will communicate with the lead and the exact conditions contacts need to fulfill to qualify as a lead.

Lead Catcher organizes all your leads in a single dashboard view and gives you controls to decide what happens to each lead quickly.

From the same interface, you can mark leads as “won,” “lost,” or “ignored.” Or assign the lead to another team member for following up.

You get the complete history of your communication with a lead in a thread format that allows you to quickly move back and forth if you need any information.

You can also use the same interface to send new emails to a lead and mark them as “won” in your database.

Once you’re done managing a lead, Lead Catcher immediately moves you to the next lead with all the information we’ve just discussed.

For busy sales managers and marketers running large-scale link-building campaigns, Lead Catcher is a time-saver that provides them all the information they need when interacting with leads.

Get More Out Of Mailshake With Integrations

Mailshake is already a powerful tool that offers you all the necessary lead management and follow-up features. But it becomes even more useful when you integrate it with the various CRMs or marketing and data management applications.

Mailshake directly integrates with CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive. This means you can run your complete outreach campaigns and update your lead status by integrating with your favorite CRMs.

Apart from these apps, Mailshake supports 1000+ integrations via Zapier, including Google Sheets, Slack, Outlook, Facebook, Drift, LinkedIn, Calendly, and many other applications.

New integrations are also available from time to time, making it easier for users to move data between different applications to streamline the lead generation process.

Mailshake Pricing and Package Options

Mailshake offers two paid subscription plans for different types of users. Each plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

However, there’s no free plan or free trial with Mailshake. You need to pay upfront to start using it.

Here’s what Mailshake’s plans cost:

The Email Outreach plan costs $59 per month per user with monthly billing. The Sales Engagement plan costs $99 per month per user with monthly billing.

But if you switch to annual billing, you can get the Email Outreach plan for $44/month per user and the Sales Engagement plan for $75/month per user, saving you a significant amount of money over twelve months.

Still, it’s an expensive option when compared with some of the other mainstream outreach products.

Let’s explore each of these plans in more detail and see what value they offer for your money.

Email Outreach

The Email Outreach plan is designed for SEO companies and agencies that primarily use Mailshake for link building and PR campaigns. 

It provides you all the necessary email outreach features like email personalization, follow-up automation, Lead Catcher, and custom email address integration. You also get up to 5000 emails per campaign and 5000 monthly list cleaning credits.

There are no phone calling or social selling features in this plan.

Sales Engagement

The Sales Engagement plan is designed for the more traditional sales teams that rely on both email and phone calls to connect and follow up with leads.

It offers everything in the Email Outreach plan and several calling features such as the DialShake US calling number and unlimited calls within the US and Canada.

You also get up to 10,000 email prospects per campaign with 10,000 list cleaning credits. The plan also includes social selling and custom tasks in your Mailshake account.

Mailshake Reputation

A detailed analysis of some of the most popular SaaS review sites, discussion forums, and social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter shows that Mailshake has a strong reputation among sales professionals, experienced SEO managers, and PR strategists.

Most users are impressed by its intuitive interface and robust features that simplify creating and managing outreach campaigns.

However, some users have pointed out that Mailshake’s custom support lacks urgency and takes unnecessarily long to resolve issues.

Some customers also pointed out problems in third-party integrations.

But these mainly were isolated cases. The general perception about the product is quite favorable, with people strongly recommending it for all kinds of outreach campaigns.

Who Should Invest In Mailshake?

As you’ve seen in this detailed review, there’s a lot to like about Mailshake. Its robust lead management, automation, and communication features make it an ideal product for sales professionals, SEO managers, and PR experts.

We strongly recommend it for companies looking to scale their lead generation campaigns and automating their workflows for faster and more efficient lead management.

However, for beginner SEOs or companies with budget limitations, Mailshake might not be the most suitable option for now.

How to Connect Microsoft Outlook to WordPress (Step by Step)

Are you looking for a way to connect Microsoft Outlook to WordPress and send emails from your WordPress site?

Connecting Microsoft Outlook with WordPress helps improve email deliverability by making sure that your emails reach your subscribers’ inboxes, even if you are sending a lot of them.

In this article, we will show you how to connect Microsoft Outlook to WordPress, step by step.

Connect Microsoft Outlook to WordPress

Why Use Microsoft Outlook to Send WordPress Emails?

Microsoft Outlook is a great option for business owners who regularly use Office 365.

You can use your existing Microsoft Outlook account to send emails to your subscribers from your WordPress website.

The best thing about using Outlook is that it allows you to send a lot of emails at once. You can send up to 10,000 emails per day, which is a much higher limit than other mailing services.

If you have a busy online store, this will help you send receipts, tracking info, and abandoned cart emails to all your customers.

Another benefit that Microsoft Outlook provides is that you don’t have to use the default WordPress PHP mail() function to send emails.

There are many issues with the default mailing method. Plus, many WordPress hosting services don’t have PHP mail properly configured, which leads to email deliverability problems.

Your emails can end up in the spam folder because email service providers like Gmail can’t detect the email sender.

However, you can easily overcome this issue using an SMTP service provider to send emails in WordPress through your Outlook account.

What Is SMTP?

SMTP, or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, is an industry-standard technology for sending emails.

It uses proper authentication, ensuring that your emails reach your users’ inboxes and don’t end up in the spam folder.

To send your emails, you can connect popular services like SendLayer, SMTP.com, Brevo (Previously Sendinblue), Office 365 / Outlook, Gmail, Amazon SES, and more.

That being said, let’s see how you can connect your Microsoft Outlook account to WordPress.

Video Tutorial

If you prefer written instructions, just keep reading.

How to Connect Outlook to Your WordPress Site

The easiest way to add Microsoft Outlook to WordPress is by using the WP Mail SMTP plugin. It lets you securely use the Microsoft API to authenticate your site’s emails.

WP Mail SMTP

We will use the WP Mail SMTP Pro version for this tutorial because it includes an Office 365 / Outlook.com integration.

There is also a free version of WP Mail SMTP with multiple integrations, but it doesn’t let you connect your Outlook account with WordPress.

Set Up WP Mail SMTP

First, you will need to install and activate the WP Mail SMTP plugin on your WordPress website. You can refer to our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Note: It’s important to remember that the Outlook mailer will only work if you have an SSL certificate on your website. You can check out our guide on how to set up SSL on a WordPress site.

Upon activation, you can connect your Outlook account by going to WP Mail SMTP » Settings from your WordPress admin area.

On the settings page, you will see the ‘From Email’ and ‘From Name’ settings. You can skip these settings because your Outlook account’s settings will override them.

From Email and Name in WP Mail SMTP settings

Below that, you will see different options next to the Mailer settings.

Go ahead and select ‘Outlook’ as your Mailer option.

Select the Outlook Mailer Option

Next, WP Mail SMTP will show a new section with settings for your Outlook account.

It will look like this.

Outlook Settings in WP Mail SMTP

To find the Application ID, Application Password, and Redirect URI, you must create a web application within a Microsoft Azure account. Don’t worry; we will walk you through how to do this step by step.

We recommend keeping the WP Mail SMTP Outlook settings open in a separate tab or window, as you will need to return to this page to enter the information.

You can use your existing Microsoft email account (Live, Outlook, Hotmail, Office 365, etc.) to log in to Microsoft Azure. Keep in mind that if you do so, then all your WordPress emails will be sent from that email address.

If you don’t have a Microsoft Outlook account or prefer to send messages from a different email address, you can go to the Microsoft Azure website and create your account. Just make sure that the account you create includes the permissions to send emails.

The account is free to create, and you don’t need any paid services to set up the mailer. However, Microsoft will ask you to enter your credit card information to reduce spam signups.

After that, you can log in to the Microsoft Azure Portal using the email address you want to use.

Create an Application ID

Once you have opened the Azure Portal, go ahead and click the ‘All services’ option from the sidebar on your left.

Click All Services option in Azure Portal

On the next screen, you will see different services offered by Microsoft Azure.

You can scroll down to the ‘Identity’ section and click on the ‘App registrations’ option.

Select App Registrations

After that, you will need to click the ‘+ New Registration’ button.

This will create your application.

Create a new registration

Now, you need to enter a name for your application. This is for your own use, so you can change the name whenever you want.

For example, you can name it something like ‘WP Mail SMTP: yourdomain.com.’

As for the ‘Supported account types’ section below, it is a best practice to select the ‘Accounts in any organizational directory (Any Azure AD directory – Multitenant) and personal Microsoft accounts (for example, Skype, Xbox)’ option.

However, if you don’t see this option in your account types, then you can also select the ‘Accounts in any organizational directory (Any Azure AD directory – Multitenant)’ option.

Enter a name and select supported account types

After that, scroll down to the Redirect URI settings.

You can leave the dropdown settings to ‘Web’ for the first field in the form.

Keep Redirect Settings to Web

For the second field, you will need to enter the redirect URI address given in the WP Mail SMTP Outlook settings.

To find the Redirect URI, simply return to the WP Mail SMTP settings tab or window from your browser. Then copy the web address that is given in the ‘Redirect URI’ field.

Copy the Redirect URI

You must paste the URL into the Microsoft Azure app registration form.

Next, just click the ‘Register’ button.

Redirect URI Settings

Microsoft Azure will now take you to another screen where you will see the Application (client) ID.

Simply click the ‘copy’ icon to copy your application ID.

Copy the Application ID

After that, you can enter the application ID into the WP Mail SMTP settings.

To do that, you need to head over to your WP Mail SMTP settings window and paste the value into the ‘Application ID’ field.

Paste the copied Application ID in WP Mail SMTP settings

Create an Application Password

Once you have entered the application ID, the next thing you need to do is create an application password.

You can start by clicking the ‘Certificates & secrets’ option in the sidebar on your left.

Click the Certificates and Secrets option

On the next screen, you can skip the Certificates section and scroll down to the Client Secrets section.

Then, just click the ‘+ New client secret’ option to add a client secret.

Select the New client secret option

You will now see a new overlay window slide in from the right. In this window, you can enter a description and select a time period for the app password to expire.

Microsoft Azure lets you select a preset expiry time (3 months, 6 months (recommended), 12 months, 18 months, and so on), or you can set a custom timeframe.

We recommend selecting one of the preset settings when you are first starting out. You can always change the password expiry time to custom settings in the future.

Enter a description and set password expiry time

When you are happy with the settings, just click the ‘Add’ button.

Then, Microsoft Azure will generate an application password. You can click the ‘Copy to clipboard’ trigger to copy the password under the Value column.

Copy the application password under the Value column

Next, you will need to enter this password in your WP Mail SMTP settings.

To do that, return to the WP Mail SMTP settings and then paste the password into the ‘Application Password’ field.

Paste the value in the Application Password field

Set Up API Permissions

After setting up the Application ID and Application Password in WP Mail SMTP, the next step is to add API permissions.

To get started, you can click on the ‘API permissions’ option from the menu on your left.

Click the Api Permissions option

Next, go ahead and click the ‘Add a permission’ button.

You will find it in the top-left corner.

Select the Add a permission option

When you click the button, a new window will slide in from the right to request API permissions.

You will have to select the ‘Microsoft Graph’ option to set up API permissions.

Select the Microsoft Graph option

On the next screen, Microsoft Azure will ask what type of permissions your application requires.

You can select the ‘Delegated permissions’ option.

Select delegate permissions

Next, you will see multiple options to select permissions.

However, an easier way to find the right settings is by entering the term ‘send’ in the search bar under the ‘Select permissions’ heading.

After that, you will have to select the ‘Mail’ tab from the options that appear and then click the checkbox for ‘Mail.Send.Shared’.

Search send in the search bar and go to the Mail tab

When you are ready, simply click the ‘Add permissions’ button at the bottom.

You will have to repeat the API permission steps by clicking on the ‘+ Add a permission’ button and selecting ‘Microsoft Graph’. However, this time, you need to select the ‘Application permissions’ option.

Select application permissions

Now, you can enter the same search term, ‘send’, in the ‘Select permissions’ search bar.

When you see the Mail tab, click on it and then select the checkbox for ‘Mail.Send’.

Search for send and select mail send option

Next, go ahead and click the ‘Add permissions’ button.

After setting up the API permissions, you will have to go back to the WP Mail SMTP settings and click on the ‘Save Settings’ button to finish the Outlook mailer configuration.

Save settings in WP Mail SMTP

When you save the settings, you will have to scroll down to the Authorization section in the WP Mail SMTP settings.

Then, click the ‘Allow plugin to send emails using your Microsoft account’ button.

Allow the plugin to send emails using your Microsoft account

As soon as you click on the button, you will be redirected to the Microsoft permissions form.

All you have to do is click the ‘Yes’ button at the bottom. This will allow WP Mail SMTP to connect to your Microsoft account.

Give permission to connect to your Microsoft account

After that, you will be redirected back to the WP Mail SMTP settings page.

A notice will appear at the top showing that you are ready to send emails through Outlook.

Notice for successfully adding Microsoft API

You can now send a test email to check if everything works properly.

To send a test email, simply go to WP Mail SMTP » Settings and then click on the ‘Email Test’ tab at the top.

When you are happy with the settings, just click the ‘Send Email’ button at the bottom.

Go to the Email Test tab

After sending the email, you must go to your inbox.

Here, you can check whether you received the test email.

Test email from WP Mail SMTP

We hope this article helped you learn how to connect Microsoft Outlook to WordPress. You may also want to check out our comparison of the best email marketing services for small businesses and our complete guide on how to add web push notifications in WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post How to Connect Microsoft Outlook to WordPress (Step by Step) first appeared on WPBeginner.

6 Best WooCommerce CRM to Grow Your Store in 2021 (Compared)

Are you looking for the best WooCommerce CRM for your online store?

A WooCommerce CRM can help you manage your customers, improve business decisions, and create a better experience for your customers overall.

In this article, we’ll share the best WooCommerce CRM in the market today.

Best WooCommerce CRM compared

Why Use a WooCommerce CRM?

Using a WooCommerce Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool will help you manage your customer data, send personalized marketing messages, and make better overall decisions about your business.

Most eCommerce stores need a way to manage new contacts and customers. In the early days of your online business, you might only use a spreadsheet to analyze customer information, order status, and order data.

But, as your online store grows, it’s easy for orders to slip through the cracks and customers to get mismanaged.

A WooCommerce CRM software helps to solve the problem of managing customer relationships as your eCommerce business scales.

You’ll be able to easily manage, store, and analyze your customer and purchasing data. This data can be used by your sales, marketing, and support teams for marketing automation and personalization.

Overall, WooCommerce CRM systems can help your online store increase sales, build customer relationships, and deliver a better experience across the board.

They can also improve your customer retention since your customers will be happier and stay with you longer.

That being said, let’s take a look at the best WooCommerce CRM solutions that you can use along with your WordPress website.

1. Drip

Drip WooCommerce CRM

Drip is a powerful eCommerce CRM platform that has a great WooCommerce CRM integration. The goal of this CRM is to help you increase your WooCommerce sales with marketing automation.

Even though it’s incredibly feature-rich, it’s still easy to use. Drip has intelligent marketing campaign tools and advanced email segmentation features. There are even automated workflows pre-built for WooCommerce store owners.

You’ll get contact management features, eCommerce user tracking, actionable reports, and support for one-on-one conversations with your customers.

There are various customer support options available via live chat, webinars, beginner-friendly documentation, and in-depth online courses.

Finally, you can grow your store with bundled social media workflows to help you generate leads from Facebook and Instagram.

Pricing: For those just getting started, there’s a 14-day free trial. Once the trial is up, the paid Drip plans start at $19 per month for up to 500 subscribers, $39 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers, and up.

2. HubSpot for WooCommerce

HubSpot WooCommerce CRM

HubSpot for WooCommerce lets you easily connect the powerful Hubspot CRM to your WooCommerce store.

With the WooCommerce plugin, you can automatically sync your users, products, and orders with Hubspot in real-time.

Some useful CRM features include customer tracking, contact segmenting, shopping cart abandonment emails, email templates, and in-depth store analytics data.

There are also built-in ad management tools for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google that you can use to grow your WooCommerce store.

You’ll also find 7 different eCommerce reports that will give you detailed data about your customer profiles, market trends, traffic, onsite behavior, and more.

Pricing: You can access the HubSpot CRM and the HubSpot WooCommerce plugin for free.

If you need access to more features, you can upgrade to individual service plans, or upgrade the Growth Suite bundle that starts at $50 per month.

3. Constant Contact

Constant Contact WooCommerce CRM

Constant Contact is a popular email marketing and CRM provider. It lets you store your contacts, manage your customer data, and track your customer activity, all from a single dashboard.

Once you connect Constant Contact to WooCommerce, your contacts will be automatically synced.

There are a ton of unique features built specifically to improve your WooCommerce store and make more sales.

For example, you can drag and drop your products from your catalog directly into your emails, segment your contacts and send targeted offers, send trackable coupons and promo codes, and more.

You can create various automated email campaigns like welcome sequences, follow up emails, and abandoned cart emails.

There are even social media marketing and advertising tools you can use to reach new customers.

There are a ton of integrations available with third-party apps. This means you can simply integrate Constant Contact with tools you’re already using, like WPForms.

Pricing: Constant Contact pricing is based on the number of contacts, starting at $20 per month. If you want to add team members to your account, then you’ll need the Plus plan that starts at $45 per month.

WPBeginner readers can take advantage of our free 60 day trial and 20% off your plan using our Constant Contact coupon code.

4. Sendinblue

Sendinblue WooCommerce CRM

Sendinblue is one of the best email marketing software in the industry. Beyond the advanced email tools, there’s a free WooCommerce CRM plugin that will automatically sync your WooCommerce store with Sendinblue.

With Sendinblue, you’ll be able to synchronize all of your WooCommerce customer data instantly and manage all of your contacts with a single tool.

You can segment your customers based on purchasing behaviors, use the collection of email templates to send email newsletters, and more.

This tool allows you to create custom automated email sequences that can trigger automatically. For example, you can send an automated email when a customer adds an item to their cart but doesn’t complete the purchase.

One stand out feature is the ability to send marketing and transactional text messages (SMS) straight from your WooCommerce dashboard.

The WooCommerce plugin also integrates with other marketing features that SendInBlue offers like, custom sign up forms, Facebook ads, retargeting features, and more.

You can also use Sendinblue as a SMTP service to send your transactional emails like order receipts, password reset emails, and more with high email deliverability rate. You just need to use the WP Mail SMTP plugin to connect Sendinblue to WordPress.

Pricing: Sendinblue has a free account for sending up to 300 emails per day.

If you need to send unlimited daily emails, then the Lite plan starts at $25 per month, while the Premium plan adds advanced marketing automation features starting at $65 per month.

5. Agile CRM

Agile CRM for WooCommerce

Agile CRM is an all-in-one WooCommerce CRM that’s built for small to medium sized businesses.

This WooCommerce CRM has tools to manage customers, create intelligent workflows, improve store engagement, track your visitor’s store activity, and more.

The tool gives you a 360-degree view of your customers. It includes everything your sales, marketing, and helpdesk departments need in a single dashboard.

You’ll also find unique marketing features that let you generate and capture leads, send out emails, create landing pages, and more.

If you’re on one of the paid plans, then you’ll also get access to social media monitoring and tools that let you create automated marketing workflows.

Pricing: There’s a free version for up to 10 users, so if your company has 10 team members or less, you can use the free plan forever.

The paid Agile CRM plans start at $9.99 per user per month when billed annually or $8.99 per user when billed for 2 years.

6. Pipedrive

PipeDrive WooCommerce CRM

Pipedrive is a sales CRM designed to help you manage your leads and deals and track communication with your customers. This CRM will help to streamline your sales and marketing process.

You can use a tool like Zapier or Automate.io to integrate Pipedrive with your WooCommerce store.

Once you set up the WooCommerce integration, all of your lead and order data will automatically be sent to Pipedrive.

Since Pipedrive is designed for sales teams, you’ll find all kinds of advanced functionality like sales reporting, forecasting, customizable pipelines, detailed activity log, and email integrations.

The built-in reporting tools will help you improve your conversion rates and see how your store performs across the board.

There’s also a growing library of integrations and addons, so you can connect your CRM to any other marketing tools you’re already using.

Pricing: Pipedrive starts at $12.50 per month when billed annually. The Advanced plan starts at $24.90 per month for users who need advanced marketing automation features.

We looked at many other WooCommerce CRM tools like Metrilo, Salesforce, WP ERP, Zero BS CRM, Ninjodo, Woosync, Magento and others. But, we decided not to list them here to make your decision as easy as possible.

Bonus: Conversion Tools for WordPress

The WooCommerce customer relationship manager tools above will help you streamline your customer relationship, sales, and marketing efforts.

However, there are additional tools you can use to improve conversions, get more leads, add popups to your site, and more.

7. OptinMonster

OptinMonster

OptinMonster is the best email capture tool for WordPress used by over 1.2 million websites. It helps you convert website visitors into subscribers and customers.

With the WooCommerce integration, there are all kinds of features that’ll help you add leads to your WooCommerce CRM of choice.

For example, you can use high-performing templates to collect leads, send personalized messages, run split-tests, and much more.

8. WPForms

WPForms

WPForms is the best contact form plugin for WordPress used by over 4 million WordPress sites. It lets you create drag and drop optin and contact forms simply.

You can use all kinds of custom field options to collect the exact customer information you require.

You can use WPForms to collect leads to send directly to your WooCommerce CRM of choice.

You can use WPForms as a connector to link your leads with CRM providers like Drip, SendinBlue, Constant Contact, Mailchimp, and more.

Or, you can use the Zapier integration to link your forms and optins with Agile CRM and PipeDrive.

9. MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights

MonsterInsights is the best analytics solution for WordPress used by over 3 million sites. It allows you to simply install Google Analytics in WordPress and shows your analytics stats right in your WordPress dashboard.

It also comes with an eCommerce analytics addon, so you can track your customer activity to see what’s working for your new and existing customers.

After you set up WooCommerce user tracking in WordPress, you’ll be able to see your conversation rate, revenue, transactions, average order value, and more.

You can use this data to improve your online store and convert more visitors into customers.

We hoped this article helped you find the best WooCommerce CRM for WordPress. You may also want to see our list of the must have WordPress plugins for business websites and the best business phone services for small business owners.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 6 Best WooCommerce CRM to Grow Your Store in 2021 (Compared) appeared first on WPBeginner.