Most small business owners are making their email marketing 10x harder than it needs to be – and one simple change can fix 80% of the problems.
Picture this: You know you should be doing email marketing. You’ve heard it’s got the best ROI of any marketing channel. You’ve maybe even signed up for a tool and created a list. But then you get stuck in the weeds of segments and automations and GDPR compliance, and suddenly you’re back to posting random updates on social media because at least that feels manageable.
Sound familiar?
Here’s the truth: most small business owners are making their email marketing 10x harder than it needs to be. They’re choosing tools based on features they’ll never use, creating complicated funnels before they understand their customers, and tracking metrics that don’t actually tell them if their marketing is working.
But it doesn’t have to be this complicated.
The Problem Most Businesses Face
Here’s what I see happening: Someone decides they need to “do email marketing.” They research tools for hours, get overwhelmed by features like “advanced segmentation” and “behavioural triggers,” finally pick one based on a YouTube review, spend a weekend setting it up, create a beautiful newsletter template with their logo everywhere, send it to their list of 12 people, get 2 opens, and conclude that email marketing doesn’t work for them.
Meanwhile, they’re missing the basics that actually matter:
Wrong focus on tools:
They chose a platform based on features they don’t understand instead of what they actually need right now. A solopreneur doesn’t need the same email tool as a company with 50,000 subscribers.
Backwards approach:
They’re trying to automate before they know what messages resonate. They’re designing templates before they understand deliverability. They’re tracking open rates but ignoring whether anyone actually takes action.
Perfectionism paralysis:
They want everything set up “properly” before they send a single email. Meanwhile, their competitors are building relationships and making sales with simple, effective emails.
The Solution: Start With Strategy, Not Tools
The businesses I see succeeding with email marketing do three things differently:
1. They choose tools based on current needs, not future possibilities.
Are you trying to stay in touch with past clients? You need different features than someone building a sales funnel. Start with what you need today, upgrade when you outgrow it.
2. They prioritise deliverability over design.
A simple email that reaches the inbox will always outperform a gorgeous email that ends up in spam. Text-based emails often perform better than graphic-heavy ones anyway.
3. They track metrics that connect to revenue.
Open rates and click rates are nice, but what really matters is: are people taking action? Booking calls? Buying products? Engaging with your business in meaningful ways?
Here’s one change you can make today that will improve 80% of email marketing problems: audit your current emails on mobile. Most people read emails on their phones, but most businesses design them on computers. If your last few emails look terrible on mobile, you’ve found your first fix.
Choose Your Email Tool the Smart Way
Let’s talk tools without the overwhelm. Here’s how to choose based on where you actually are:
Just starting (0-500 subscribers):
Mailerlite or ConvertKit. Both have generous free plans and grow with you. Don’t overcomplicate it.
Growing business (500-2,500 subscribers):
Stick with what you have if it’s working, or upgrade to ConvertKit if you need better automation. Avoid the temptation to switch tools unless you’ve outgrown features.
Established business (2,500+ subscribers):
Now you can consider ActiveCampaign or similar if you need advanced features. But honestly, many successful businesses never need more than the basics.
Budget consideration:
Free plans are fine to start, but budget €20-40/month once you’re growing. Trying to save €15/month often costs you more in functionality and time.
Design Emails That Actually Work
Here’s what many people get wrong: they think email marketing means recreating their website in an email. Wrong approach.
Keep it simple:
Text-based emails often outperform designed ones. Your subscribers want to hear from you, not receive a mini-magazine.
Mobile-first thinking:
Design for phones, check on computers.
Don’t use an image for your entire email!
Even if this works it will be too slow to load. Most email clients don’t display images by default anyway.
Clear call-to-action:
Every email should have one clear next step. Not three. Not five. One.
Personal touch:
Write like you’re talking to one person, not broadcasting to hundreds. Use “you,” not “our valued subscribers.”
Track What Actually Matters
Stop obsessing over open rates. Here’s what to track instead:
Click-to-open rate:
This tells you if your content resonates with people who actually read it.
Website traffic from email:
Are your emails driving people where you want them to go?
Conversion rate:
Of the people who click, how many take your desired action?
Revenue attribution:
Which emails actually lead to sales or bookings?
List growth rate:
Are you gaining more subscribers than you’re losing?
Getting Started This Week
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, here’s your simple starter plan:
- Pick a tool based on your current subscriber count (see recommendations above)
- Set up one welcome email that introduces you and sets expectations
- Plan one monthly email with useful tips or behind-the-scenes content
- Track one metric that connects to your business goals
That’s it. No complex funnels, no fancy designs, no automation sequences. Just consistent, helpful communication.
Want to dive deeper into making email marketing work for your business? I’m covering all of this (plus answering your specific questions) in this week’s Nurture IT call.
Thursday July 3rd at 10:30am IST: Email Marketing Reality Check
We’ll cover tool selection that fits your budget and goals, list building strategies that actually work for small businesses, email design that ensures your messages display properly, and metrics that matter versus vanity numbers.
The focused learning happens in the first 30 minutes, so even if you can’t stay for the full session, you’ll get the key insights. Members stick around for supported coworking time where they can audit their current setup and get guidance on specific challenges.
For Members: Check your Members Area or Members Calendar for your Zoom link. You’ll get the recording and our Complete Email Marketing Strategy Guide with templates and worksheets.
Not a member yet? Check out our current offer and get immediate access to this call plus our growing library of practical business resources.
Our free Email Marketing Quick Start Checklist will be available, with the essentials you need to get started on the road to successful, stress free, email marketing campaigns.
