Whether you are running short of staff or just starting out with email marketing, hiring an agency is something every business thinks of at some point in time. However, selecting one is quite complicated, if not cumbersome. There are tens of parameters that you must evaluate, discovery calls, case studies, and it all turns confusing as each of them uses similar terms, displays similar results, and makes similar promises.
While the average open rate for B2B and B2C combined sits at 39.7%, the CTR is a mere 1.0%. After all, unlike any other marketing avenue, emails give you 100% control of the screen real estate, and your email design must be worthy of that 1%.
As someone who hasn’t designed a single Mailchimp email newsletter template or optimized any email automation, these facts and figures aren’t tractable, and hence, we decided to come to our readers’ rescue.
We understand that it could be tiring to slice and dice through the myriad of agencies willing to work for your organization, and hence, we have handpicked the top five Mailchimp email design agencies in the USA that will help you succeed with emails in and beyond 2024.
Let’s get started!
Discovering Top Mailchimp Email Design Agencies
Email marketing remains indispensable for lead generation and driving sales. Marketers have deemed email as their most effective marketing channel for a long time now. Yet standing out through crowded inboxes by the virtue of your email designs is a big challenge in today’s date. This is where the creative genius and technical prowess of top-tier agencies comes into play.
For businesses using Mailchimp (one of the most popular ESP) to power their email campaigns, partnering with an agency well-versed in leveraging its platform is key. Here are five key traits that set the best Mailchimp partners apart:
- A keen eye for visual design aesthetics that align to brand style guides. Leveraging best practices for layouts, image use, and typography that capture attention, set the right tone, and inspire action.
- Technical expertise in creating emails optimized for rendering flawlessly across diverse inboxes. Testing rigorously to ensure excellent deliverability across clients’ subscriber bases.
- Data-driven creativity that blends art and analytics. Using insights from open, click-through and conversion rates to continuously experiment, personalize content, and enhance engagement.
- Proven results across client portfolios over time, not just one-off campaign successes. With examples clearly highlighting the business impact delivered through email programs under their stewardship.
- Reliable customer service and smooth collaboration that removes headaches for already overwhelmed marketing teams. Treating each client’s needs as unique rather than forcing one-size-fits all solutions.
Based on these aspects, we have curated a list of top five agencies to make things simpler for you. Explore suitable matches from our hand-picked shortlist of top agencies vetted using these very criteria.
Criteria for Selection
In this section, we will discuss the criteria that we used to guide our selection process. You should use similar criteria when making your own selections:
Platform Expertise
Look beyond surface familiarity with Mailchimp's common features. Assess if the agency deeply understands how to bring together different capabilities - automations, integrations, analytics etc - to create targeted customer journeys per unique business needs. Can they strategically advise what functionality suits specific goals and audiences?
Design Innovation
Evaluate if the work samples in their portfolio reflect creativity and vision. Do they take campaign goals and consistently translate them into engaging visual stories that feel fresh yet on-brand? Does their talent leverage design elements strategically based on subscriber demographics to convey messaging through aesthetics?
Performance Impact
While case studies make for helpful anecdotes, long term metric improvements validate capability. Look for quantified lift in open/click rates, revenue per customer etc over time. Does the agency relentlessly test and optimize to incrementally boost email effectiveness cycle after cycle? Sustained behavioral influence reflects their true skill.
Technical Competence
Large email lists need balanced expansion and careful hygiene to maintain deliverability. Look beyond basics like sender authentications. See if agencies have mastered advanced, science-like techniques to grow subscriber bases sustainably over years without compromising on inbox placement rates of 95%+. This skill is honed over time across client types and is a good way to assess an agency.
Technology Leadership
Prioritize agencies pushing limits through real innovations like interactive content, personalization using AI etc - verified by industry awards or press coverage. However, novelty for its own sake should ultimately benefit clients, not just shine the light on the agency’s capabilities or else, chances are, it's just fancy wordplay.
Portfolio & Reputation Indicators
Evaluate the agency's email design portfolio for quality, industry alignment, and technical skills. Seek relevant work samples and client testimonials, particularly in your industry. Enduring client relationships also signal their retention ability. You must assess industry reputation beyond direct clients through media coverage, speaking engagements, creative awards, and third-party affirmations. While portfolio and client evidence are most important, industry recognition generally aligns with differentiated expertise.
Agency Profiles and Expertise
Finally, it's showtime for our top five MailChimp design agencies hailing from the US. Without wasting time, let’s get started:
#1 Email Uplers
Email Uplers is an email marketing agency with over 5,000 global brands as clients. With a team of 150+ email experts, they have the capability to code 3,000+ email templates every month across 50+ ESPs. Their service portfolio is comprehensive, covering email template design and production, campaign management, email developer staffing, and more.
Expertise & Services in Mailchimp Email Design
Email Uplers creates customized, conversion-focused email templates optimized for 40+ email clients and major ESPs like Mailchimp. Their expert team designs interactive templates using advanced programming and latest technologies, ensuring perfect render across devices. They also offer modular email templates to accelerate production through editable sections.
Notable Client Projects
Email Uplers has partnered with prominent brands like Disney, 21st Century Fox, Oracle, Cambridge University, and Young & Rubicam. Their work has been recognized through nominations and awards like MarketingProfs Awards and Davey Awards.
Unique Selling Points
What makes Email Uplers unique is their dedicated team model aligned to client time zones, which provides ownership and optimal productivity. Their rigorously vetted resources are trained to take complete responsibility and overcome any email marketing challenges clients face.
Client Testimonials
Email Uplers is rated highly on Clutch for delivering dedicated resources that simplify email marketing for clients. Their solution-focused teams help optimize program performance through their specialized email services.
#2 InboxArmy
InboxArmy is a full-service email marketing agency catering to over 5,000 brands globally since 2016. They serve companies across industries and sizes - from startups to major brands like Expedia, Spotify and Hilton. Their expansive service portfolio includes email strategy, campaign management, automation, template design/coding, deliverability optimization and more.
Expertise & Services in Mailchimp Email Design
With 40+ certified ESP experts and 120+ email marketers, InboxArmy has extensive Mailchimp capability to design and code responsive templates aligned to brand style guides. They can also help clients maximize Mailchimp’s automation and campaign management features for optimal performance.
Notable Client Projects
InboxArmy has orchestrated highly successful holiday campaigns for eCommerce clients, raising revenue by 770% in one case. For client Vitamedica, they doubled email revenue and expanded reach. Another client BOIE saw 77% sales growth through InboxArmy’s email automation.
Unique Selling Points
InboxArmy’s ESP-agnostic and highly attentive approach focused completely on furthering client success makes them stand out. Unlike others, they offer complete flexibility in platform choice without enforced contacts. Their structured methodology has proven repeatedly effective across 25+ industries.
Client Testimonials
Multiple client testimonials validate InboxArmy’s claims of raising both revenue and reach for email programs. Their customized, performance-driven solutions and supportive approach foster lasting partnerships with global brands as well as SMEs.
#3 Ignite Visibility
Ignite Visibility is an award-winning digital marketing agency with over a decade of expertise in email and other digital marketing services. They offer customized strategies to boost customer engagement across industries for both SMEs and global enterprises like Driven Brands, Experian and Tony Robbins.
Expertise & Services in Mailchimp Email Design
With a fully in-house team, Ignite Visibility provides end-to-end Mailchimp email design including creating templates aligned to brand style guides, building automation workflows and implementing deliverability best practices. Their tailored Mailchimp solutions enhance campaign aesthetics and performance.
Notable Client Projects
Ignite Visibility has led transformative email marketing initiatives for clients spanning healthcare, fashion, and online retail among others. Their efforts have achieved outcomes like doubling SEO revenue for a client and expanding email reach for a major telehealth company.
Unique Selling Points
Ignite Visibility couples meticulous email marketing strategies with a hands-on, performance-focused approach to guide clients through execution. Their responsiveness and transparent communication are hallmarks that foster trust.
Client Testimonials
As endorsed through online reviews, clients appreciate Ignite Visibility’s relentless support in tackling issues and commitment to consistent collaboration for delivering email success. Their customized solutions and industry expertise set them apart.
#4 One 10 Media
One 10 Media is a performance-driven digital agency focused on accelerating DTC ecommerce growth through paid media and email marketing. For over 20 years, they have partnered with brands of all sizes to expand audience reach and sales.
Expertise & Services in Mailchimp Email Design
One 10 Media offers full-service Mailchimp capabilities from conducting email audits to designing templates, setting up automations and workflows and implementing best practices for deliverability. Their customized Mailchimp solutions help strengthen brand-consumer relationships.
Notable Client Projects
For apparel client Tweedmaker, One 10 Media delivered 40% YoY revenue growth for 3 straight years. They increased email revenue by 683% for online retailer Happy Wax and achieved 955% ROI YTD for hunting equipment company HECS.
Unique Selling Points
Unlike large agencies, One 10 Media provides focused services and a hands-on, agile approach. Their priority is client growth rather than pushing their own tools. Combined with stellar service and transparency, this makes them a valuable partner.
Client Testimonials
One 10 Media is reputed for their responsive communication, growth mindset and ability to swiftly adapt to dynamic needs. Their long-term partnerships with ecommerce brands validate capabilities to boost KPIs from email open rates to conversion and retention.
#5 SmartMail
SmartMail is an experienced email marketing agency catering to over 150 ecommerce brands. For 8+ years, they have offered comprehensive services covering campaign management, automation setup, list growth strategies and more - generating $187 million revenue for clients.
Expertise & Services in Mailchimp Email Design
With in-house Mailchimp experts, SmartMail provides email templates, scheduling, testing and ongoing optimizations aligned to brand aesthetics and performance goals. Their data-backed approach boosts open and click rates.
Notable Client Projects
SmartMail has orchestrated highly successful campaigns for leading brands like Skype, Lowes, French Connection, choxi and Sunski. One major outcome was raising email revenue by 22% for a global retailer through their automated workflows.
Unique Selling Points
SmartMail stands out for its transparent pricing, charging only for actual services consumed unlike vague monthly retainers. Their framework and tailored partnerships empower clients to DIY or continue availing expert guidance.
Client Testimonials
Multiple client reviews validate SmartMail’s ability to execute complex email strategies with speed and quality execution. Their attentive communication and performance-focused process explain lasting ties with reputed retail names.
Conclusion and Recommendations
And there you have it - our handpicked list of the top 5 Mailchimp email design agencies in the USA for 2024. While it is the most comprehensive five contender list- choosing the ideal agency for your organization requires you to perform an apple to apple comparison of parameters that affect your success the most.
For instance, costs may outweigh many USPs that an email design agency might be highlighting and at times, you won’t be able to trust and transact unless there’s a similar client in their portfolio. See what works for you the best and make informed decisions to find your ideal Mailchimp design agency. We hope this guide helps simplify the agency selection process and steers you towards email growth with the help of the right partners.
