Benchmark Email Reviews

Pros
This platform is very user-friendly. It doesn't take much effort to get up to speed on how to use it, and there are many email templates to choose from so you don't always have to create something from scratch! I think it's good value for the money, and the support team has been very helpful in my experience.

Cons
There ares some features where I feel limited. I am not too experienced with softwares like this, so I don't know what's available....but I really wish there was a pop-up feature, where users could click on a button and it would connect to their email to forward a newsletter for example. I also have experienced some deliverability issues and have not been 100% satisfied with the response. I think with this and being a new user, it takes time to learn and develop the best strategy.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Creating and using lists is very easy, especially with the new upgrades! Adding contacts to lists works well with various options. I tend to upload excel files to make new lists, very easy within Benchmark. I do like that it's easy to merge lists -- and that the software only accepts one contact (if that contact is already on the merge to list). Somewhat easy to use when creating emails -- selecting blocks and design [but the source code isn't as easy to decipher and use (my commands do not seem to "take").] Using attachments and links and media is pretty easy as well. The reports (opens, click thrus etc) are very good! [However with the new interface, it's not as easy to back-track to the original Email Report (I find myself having to choose again from the report list).]

Cons
I don't really like that I can't "re-send" emails on my own schedule (not have to wait 1 week after last send). Also, emails from Benchmark DO get caught up in Junk Spam Trash Promotions folders of recipients and we do need to remind them (often) to check for their email. Also, when "copying" an email to use and re-name as a new email, I do not like that the software selects the "old" contact list to also mail to -- I've mistakenly sent emails to old contact lists and that was not a good thing in my situation.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
Unlike other email programs, benchmark allows me to send as many emails as I need without having to pay extra. I think benchmark is one of the only platforms that allows me to pay on the basis of the number of records and add the number of emails that I send.

Cons
Sometimes there is massive delays in receiving test emails.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
The best part of this software is the ability to plan the reach in advance so our contacts are kept 'in the know' even when the editor is otherwise occupied with meetings, conferences, etc. We have three separate weekly and bi weekly going out to three different audiences, covering 2,500 individual contacts, and we can pre-populate weeks in advance and backfill where necessary at the last min, or just let the information go as scheduled.

Cons
The learning curve was steep, but short. We had a couple of false starts to begin with, but learned from our errors. Line spacing can be an issue. Even when the preview shows single spaced sometimes the publication comes out 1.5 or double spaced - not a big problem for our use, but we get some calls from our constituents about "weird formatting".

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Benchmark is easy to use. Easy to set up. Good for very simple customer outreach, i.e a storefront that collects emails and wants to alert customers to sales.

Cons
Very limited feature set. Not standard at this point.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 6/10

Pros
Ease of use. Nice design, Makes it easy to track performance

Cons
I have sent the first email yesterday. Out of 409 people, only 75 have viewed the mail so far. No one registered online yet. One concern is that emails go to promotion or to junk. Another, is that marketing for your software is misleading. Is started with the free plan thinking that I can upload up to 2400 contacts and email them. The free plan did not work properly, I was allowed to email 250 persons a month, and I wasnt allowed to upload the contact list because your check found out that I have more than 5% invalid emails ( I believe this is a policy to force upgrading to pro, which we were going to do after testing the performance of benchmark).

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
When creating an email, it is ever so easy. There are many templates to choose from and if you don't want a template you don't have to use one! I can create an email within minutes as the click and drop feature allows me to have my email layouts exactly the way I want it.

Cons
Some of the templates I am unable to add things to. For example, there was a template with a blank space for aesthetic reasons. I would have much rather place an image in the area, however I couldn't. There isn't many negatives I can comment on this software as it is brilliantly done.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
The software is easy to use and offers a variety of layouts.

Cons
Over the past 12 months or so, Benchmark has removed several internal functions. No communication about the changes was shared and we did not find out until we had to contact customer service. Each time we were told that Benchmark now recommends third-party add-ins.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
Easy to use and very practical, code, 3th parts options, partnert programs

Cons
Sometimes emails go to spam and reports dont show exactly what happened

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
Very easy to use.As you don't require a trained staff to work on benchmark.

Cons
More templates to be included. As for travels there are very few. You must include new templates in every 2/3 months. So that we dont use the same templates again and again. Also templates options for Indian Festivals.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Is easy to use, and have a good team of client support.

Cons
The editor should be easy adjust to the client design, and i would like to know how to use all the tools but the informations or videos are in english and it will be good to have it in my own language.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Good for normal email campaign and good that BM has inbuilt list of unsubscribe and invalid contats

Cons
Not at all suitable for heavy automation no form for opt out like mail chimp offer

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 3/10

Pros
Ease of use ... pro-active helpdesk This has been reason that we have been using the platform for so many years

Cons
There has been a serious deterioration in the quality of the platform. Delivery rates have dropped upto by about 90-95% of what it used to be. Frivolous checks have been introduced that even your helpdesk is helpless to explain. Currently the platform as good as useless for us and already we have started working parallel to other platforms where are getting similar results that we used to get using Benchmark. All our emails through your platform is directed only to our clients or prospective clients who have signed with us to receive communication from us.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 0/10

Pros
I loved the ability to design newsletters and email them directly to my subscribers. They have many different templates for you to choose from. The ease of use made my actual "writing time" for a newsletter minimal.

Cons
I used Benchmark when I first started in online business. It was very easy to use and the price was in my comfort zone. I then tried to set up a couple of "funnels" and could not do so (this was a couple of years ago - so time may have changed). I contacted Customer Support and was informed that the system I was trying to put in place was not available through Benchmark, that they were only for emailing directly. Unfortunately, I had to close my account and move on to a competitor that did allow me to build out my funnels for online marketing.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
It has a drag and drop email design which makes it really easy to use. It is also possible to send out automated emails and personalized emails to help drive revenue. Their customer relations is also really impressive

Cons
Everything works perfectly in my opinion. There is virtually nothing to dislike

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
The emails look very professional and the software is easy to use.

Cons
I was not getting enough feedback compared to another marketing tool I have used, so I decided to stop using Benchmark.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 5/10

Pros
This software is practical to use in a daily v

Cons
The e-mail sender is always changing so the receiver can not record the e-mail address in is non spam list.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
benchmark provides a great WYSIWYG editor - much better than most and all of the preset templates are fully responsive. Navigation is simple, the layout is clean, and the reporting functionality is great. seamless automation mapping makes setting up automated campaigns a breeze. GREAT customer service is also a bonus.

Cons
Like most email marketing suites, it can get pricey as subscribership grows a there are lower cost alternatives available but they lack the functionality that benchmark offers. image storage is limited to 10mb without upgrading to unlimited for an additional five a month. Deliverability is ok but could be further improved but is getting better.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Benchmark software allows me to easily create catchy emails to keep in contact with my clients . I can easily create emails and track it’s openings and click rates.

Cons
The software is very good occasionally since I do a lot of my work on the iPad I may have the occasional issue where I need to get on the laptop to do something. But that issue is usually because I’m on an iPad not a PC .

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
That is free to PTA's! I like the fairly ease of use - -but wish there was a little more flexibility in the design features. And the blocks can sometimes make it tricky and tedious to edit.

Cons
The login -it never saves my password. And - sometimes it asks for the email address to login and other times it asks for username. This is confusing. I have had a lot of trouble with this. I also don't like that your account is closed down if you have too many bounces - - on the first time sending something out. It shouldn't do this unless it is a multiple case scenario. Schools search for alumni - this is the case. They give an email address to Harris Publishing that does our directory and we assume it is "good" but then it comes back. And - major corporations do not like Benchmark emails -and bounce them.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 9/10

Pros
Looks very professional and designs are gorgeous, giving a high-end and legitimate look for our company. I was also surprised and how easy and intuitive everything is. No need to sit through a training when you can figure everything out on your own, quickly. I especially like the free version.

Cons
The upgrade for a payment plan doesn't seem worth it for what we use it for. We just need the basics, not all the other bells and whistles.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 8/10

Pros
Benchmark was a very easy-to-use tool for our team's email campaigns. You need very little design experience to create beautiful campaigns. All of the features are very intuitive.

Cons
Benchmark doesn't offer the same features as some of the other big players; the automation is limited and tracking/analytics don't stack up. For the price and basic features though, it's a win.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
I like that once the template is built it is very easy to customize or change components of it from one publication to another as far as text or images, links etc.

Cons
I wish when you had an image with text that the text would automatically wrap around the picture instead of having to build in another text box. Otherwise the text is off to the side and there is a large empty column on the right or left. If it had the capacity to text wrap it would be so much easier.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 5/10

Pros
Benchmark was a great launching pad for my organization's email campaigns. Eventually we switched to Mailchimp because it allowed us more options for special offers and was easier to integrate with other systems. However, Benchmark got the job done initially and was easy to then export our contacts when moving to a new system.

Cons
Benchmark does not offer as much as mailchimp for tracking, growth, and integration. It is a more basic email campaign management software, but does the basics very well.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
Easy to Use Clean layout Ease of customizing templates Training other team members on how to use is easy

Cons
Customer service is not that great - Most are not American so language is hard to understand Too many glitches when working in templates Have to send several TEST emails to make sure the functions are correct The same email delivered to different members of my team show up differently or have different links A lot of bugs in the back that need to be addressed No Spell check function anymore The image editor is not that great uploading lists can be a pain sometimes you have to do them multiple times in order for them to get uploaded

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 4/10