Mailchimp: A missed opportunity?

Mailchimp isn't really turning emails into revenue

• More revenue is not something I use MailChimp for. More revenue is a result of 100 other crucial factors like a better copy, better positioning, finding the customer market fit, defining overall strategy, etc.

• Rather than claiming Mailchimp to be #1, I'd like to know what makes it no. 1.

• More opens, clicks, and sales by an email automation tool? You can't expect Mailchimp to be your part-time copywriter, designer, or CRO expert.

All 4 sections together might be overwhelming for the user.

I like the approach here. So, let’s get to my favorite part.

Situation 1:

• I know exactly which category I want to explore, click the link, find all the benefits listed clearly, and sign up.

Situation 2:

• I am not sure about the category I want to explore, I get into a decision paralysis and skip to the next section.

Situation 3:

• I am not sure about the category I want to explore, I still click on one and find the landing page too overwhelming for me, close the tab, and never get back.

Most people don’t know what they want. And, this section makes it even more difficult for them to decide.

The individual categories have also made basic copywriting mistakes.

They followed a benefit-features approach but couldn’t get the benefits right. 

Features - Email automation

Benefit - Convert

Features - Generative AI

Benefit - Create faster

Features - Segmentation

Benefit - Refine

Features - Analytics and reporting

Benefit - Optimize

These are not the reasons why people pay for Mailchimp. 

It might be safe to say Mailchimp has a positioning issue. I have been a product and growth marketing manager for early to mid-stage startups. I have also worked with individuals with creative newsletters as a conversion copywriter. And, I find people discussing MailChimp vs Converkit around me all the time.

The above-mentioned features and benefits might look fancy on the homepage but they aren't the real reasons why people pay for MailChimp.

A personalized product tour only for paid users

It's a great section for paid users but another one of those 'nice to look at, let's scroll over' for users only interested in the free tier.

This is the perfect section to show after the features-benefit section above. But, only for a paid user. This makes me wonder why they have it on the homepage. Most users are going to try the free tier as the next step.

Pricing should not be on the homepage even if the analytics say otherwise.

It’s very simple if you try to understand user psychology. There are mainly 3 different types of users exploring your website.

• Users who have no idea about the problem your product solves and haven’t even heard about your brand.

• Users who have no idea about the problem your product solves but have heard about your brand.

• Users who know what you solve, know your brand but want to learn more.

For the first & second categories, pricing might kill their curiosity to check your platform. 

Third-category - users will jump to the pricing page from the top nav bar, they don’t really need it on the homepage.

If we create a rough sketch of the user journey so far, here’s what different situations might look like. 

Situation 1: User clicks on any one of the 4 categories in the features-benefit section and directly goes to the pricing page.

Situation 2: User doesn’t click on any of the categories but clicks on the personalized onboarding. 

Situation 3: User doesn’t click on any of the categories, or the video, and stops at the pricing tab.

There's a high chance that the user in situation 3 might not like what they see or might find the pricing section overwhelming, leaving the homepage and delaying their decision.

I can see a huge potential for A/B testing on this page.

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