Email Marketing Programs provide incredible opportunity to connect with clients and grow your business. But are you getting the most out of your email marketing program? Are you taking advantage of all its great features, or just doing the bare minimum to get your email campaign out?

Below, I've put together a few tips on how to make sure you're getting the best bang for your buck with:

1. Use Mailing List Signup Boxes to turn site visitors into mailing list subscribers

A good email marketing program will help you attract more mailing list subscribers by offering a free mailing list signup box for your website.

This box consists of a simple block of code, which, when pasted onto your website, allows visitors to sign up for your mailing list. When visitors type their email address, the box connects directly to your mailing list and adds that person.

2. Customize Your Welcome Autoresponder

Many email marketing programs automatically send a welcome message to subscribers when they add themselves to your list. This message is usually written in general terms, like "Hello, welcome to out mailing list."

However, some programs allow you to customize this welcome message by adding your logo and customizing your text. Readers will feel more welcome if, instead of the general message, they read "Hola Marci.

Thanks for signing up for the Spanish Learning Club's weekly newsletter."

3. Send Stunning, Professional Emails with Custom Templates and Images

You have less than one second to grab your reader's attention before they skip to the next message, so choose an email marketing program that allows you to create captivating emails. A great program will build you a custom template, and even match it to your website, so you have a seamless brand image in all your online activities. Many programs allow you to add your own images, and a few email marketing programs even allow you to edit them - resize them, rotate them, add a border, and more.

4. Take Advantage of Your Custom Subscription Centers

The best programs offer you a custom subscription center, where your subscribers can go to indicate their interests and update personal information. The subscription center is a personal webpage that connects to your mailing list and updates subscriber information on the fly. Some programs will even allow you to customize your subscription center with your company colors and logos, as well as custom interest groups that match your company's offerings.

5. Don't Struggle - Count on Customer Service for a Helping Hand

Any email marketing program is designed to be user-friendly and easy-to-use.

But sometimes, when something is new to us, we need a helping hand to make sense of everything. The worst thing you can do is waste tons of time trying to figure things out. A good program will offer fast, friendly and reliable customer service. So if you're having a hard time, send a quick email to your customer service representative. If you're using a great email marketing program, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the quick response you'll get. Some customer care representatives will even walk you through things on the phone, to make sure you're on the right track.

There are many things to keep in mind when choosing an email marketing program, but sometimes it's the extra perks that make the program (and your campaign results) go from good, to great, and even outstanding sometimes. Keep the above tips in mind when choosing an email marketing program, and you'll be sure to get the best bang for your buck.