If you’re collecting names and email addresses to send your enewsletter (also called ezine or if it’s Web-based, a Webzine), you’re probably using Constant Contact or iContact.com (formerly Intellicontact).

I’m switching from the computer-based software I’m currently using (Dynamic Mail Communicator) because although it automatically deletes bouncebacks, etc., it runs in the background of my computer and can take all night to send to the thousands of people in my database. I bought it three years ago because it was a one-time purchase (about $150 at the time) as opposed to a monthly charge…which I avoid whenever I can.

When I compared iContact.com to Constant Contact, here’s what I found.

• Newsletter archives. I started writing articles for an organization that distributes each issue using Constant Contact. I couldn’t believe they had no way to post archives of their newsletters. What’s the point of having all that great content if people only get one shot to read it?
• Autoresponders to new subscribers. When people sign up for your newsletter, you might not have a new one coming out for a month or so. By then, they may have forgotten about you and will Unsubscribe to your email. You can set up autoresponders to send them a message every week, etc., with tips.
• Template freedom. It’s easy to use your own design from FrontPage, DreamWeaver, or HTML code and not be stuck with their limited templates. I create everything in FrontPage and paste it right into the iContact editor…I love it! (Update: a reader informed me that she uses her HTML formats with Constant Contact.)
• RSS Feeds. iContact.com has RSS capability and every time I send an email blast, it goes to all the people who have subscribed to my feed. You can set this up to automatically send or not.
• Lower cost. iContact.com costs less. The technology is created by a young team of techies in Durham, NC (my hometown) who are thinking of everything. The site is clean and everything is intuitive. You can try it for free too.
• UPDATE: Delivery rate. I’ve heard from users of Constant Contact that their delivery rate is not good. Apparently, a lot of spammers use it and ISPs block messages from them. I do not have this problem with iContact. This is something you’ll want to find out in the forums…not from the company because they’ll paint a rosy picture.

I have no doubt that iContact.com is going to take over Constant Contact because this young team is thinking. Marketing will be the key to their success. (And they need more templates to choose from and then if they could make them easier to find…!)

Peggy Duncan, personal productivity expert