Email Marketing

Created by Joseph Ross, Modified on Mon, 16 Feb at 10:28 PM by Joseph Ross

The Email Marketing module gives your website a complete contact management and email marketing system. Use it to collect newsletter signups, manage mailing lists, organize contacts with tags, and eventually send email campaigns -- all from your WebNesting dashboard.

What the Email Marketing Module Is

Think of the Email Marketing module as your own built-in newsletter and contact management tool. Once you turn it on, you get everything you need to collect email addresses, organize your contacts into lists, and stay in touch with your audience -- without needing a separate service like Mailchimp or Constant Contact.

Every contact you collect gets stored in your site's database with their name, email, subscription status, and any custom information you want to track. You can organize contacts into lists (like "Newsletter" or "VIP Customers"), tag them for quick filtering (like "Attended Workshop" or "New Lead"), and manage their subscription preferences.

The Email Marketing module is designed to work alongside your website. Visitors can sign up through forms on your pages, and their information flows directly into your contact database. If you also have the Forms module enabled, form submissions can automatically create or update contacts -- no manual data entry needed.

The Email Marketing module costs $25/month base, plus $5/month per 1,000 contacts (first 500 contacts are free) and $1/month per 1,000 emails sent (first 1,000 emails are free).

How to Enable the Email Marketing Module

Before you can start collecting contacts, you need to turn on the module.

Log in to your WebNesting dashboard.
Click Modules in the left sidebar.
Find Marketing Contact in the list of available modules.
Click the Enable button next to it.
The module will activate right away.

Once enabled, you will see a new Marketing section appear in your dashboard sidebar. This section contains everything related to your contacts, lists, tags, and marketing settings.

Tip: When you enable the module, several related features are activated automatically, including mailing lists, tags, custom fields, and email templates. You do not need to enable these separately.

Your Marketing Dashboard

After enabling the module, your dashboard sidebar will show a Marketing section with the following items:

Contact -- Your main contact list. View, search, filter, and manage all your contacts.
Marketing List -- Mailing lists for organizing contacts into groups.
Marketing Tag -- Tags for labeling and categorizing contacts.
Marketing Custom Field -- Custom fields for tracking additional contact information.
Marketing Campaign -- Create and send email campaigns to your contacts and lists.
Marketing Automation -- Set up automated email workflows triggered by contact actions.
Marketing Email Template -- Create reusable email templates for campaigns and automations.
Import -- Import contacts from a CSV file.
Settings -- Configure your marketing defaults.

Managing Contacts

Contacts are the heart of the Email Marketing module. Every person who signs up through your website, submits a form, or is imported from a spreadsheet becomes a contact in your database.

Viewing Your Contacts

Click Contact under the Marketing section in your sidebar.
You will see a list of all your contacts with their name, email, status, and source.
Use the search bar to find a specific contact by name or email.

Filtering Contacts by Status

At the top of your contact list, you will see filter tabs to quickly narrow down your view:

All -- Every contact in your database.
Subscribed -- Contacts who are actively receiving your communications.
Unsubscribed -- Contacts who have opted out.
Bounced -- Contacts whose email addresses are not deliverable.
Pending -- Contacts who have signed up but have not yet confirmed their email (when double opt-in is enabled).

Creating a Contact Manually

You can add contacts one at a time directly from your dashboard.

Click Contact in the Marketing section.
Click the Create button at the top of the page.
Fill in the contact details:
- Email (required) -- The contact's email address.
- First Name -- The contact's first name.
- Last Name -- The contact's last name.
- Phone -- A phone number.
- Status -- Choose from Subscribed, Unsubscribed, Bounced, Complained, or Pending.
- Source -- Where this contact came from (for your reference).
- Lead Score -- A numeric score for ranking contacts (optional).
Save the contact.

Editing a Contact

Click on any contact in your list to open their details.
Update any of the fields -- name, phone, status, or lead score.
Save your changes.

Deleting a Contact

Find the contact you want to remove in your contact list.
Click the Delete option.
Confirm the deletion.

Deleted contacts are moved to the trash and can be restored if needed.

Mailing Lists

Lists help you organize your contacts into groups so you can target the right people with the right messages. For example, you might have a "Newsletter" list for general updates, a "Product Announcements" list for customers, and a "Workshop Attendees" list for people who have been to your events.

Creating a List

Click Marketing List in the Marketing section of your sidebar.
Click the Create button.
Fill in the list details:
- Title (required) -- A name for the list, like "Monthly Newsletter" or "VIP Customers."
- Description -- An internal description to help you remember what this list is for.
- Type -- Choose "Manual" for a standard list, or "Segment" for a dynamic list that automatically includes contacts matching certain criteria.
Save the list.

How Contacts Get Added to Lists

There are several ways contacts end up on a list:

Signup form -- When you add a newsletter signup component to your website, you can specify which list new subscribers should be added to.
Form submission -- If you have the Forms module enabled, you can configure forms to add submitters to a specific list.
CSV import -- When importing contacts from a file, you can assign all imported contacts to a list.
Manual -- You can add contacts to lists individually from their contact detail page.

Viewing List Members

Click on a list to open it.
The list shows how many contacts are subscribed (the Contact Count field).
To see which contacts are on a specific list, filter your contacts by that list.

Tip: Each list tracks its own subscriber count automatically. When contacts are added or removed, the count updates right away.

Custom Fields

Every contact has standard fields like name, email, and phone. Custom fields let you track additional information that is specific to your business.

For example, a real estate agent might add a "Property Interest" field. A fitness studio might add a "Membership Level" field. A nonprofit might add a "Donation Tier" field.

Creating a Custom Field

Click Marketing Custom Field in the Marketing section.
Click the Create button.
Fill in the field details:
- Field Key (required) -- An internal identifier for the field (no spaces, use underscores). For example: membership_level.
- Label (required) -- The display name for the field. For example: "Membership Level."
- Type -- The kind of data this field stores:
  - Text -- Any text (names, descriptions, notes).
  - Number -- Numeric values (scores, quantities).
  - Date -- A date.
  - Boolean -- Yes or no (checkboxes, true/false flags).
  - Select -- A dropdown with predefined options.
- Required -- Whether this field must be filled in for every contact.
- Sort Order -- Controls where this field appears relative to other custom fields.
Save the custom field.

How Custom Fields Work

Custom fields appear when you create or edit contacts. The data is stored on each contact record and can be used for filtering and organizing your contact list.

When you set up forms with the Forms module, you can map form fields to custom fields so that the information flows directly into your contact records.

Collecting Signups on Your Website

The Email Marketing module includes a Marketing Signup component that you can add to any page using the Website Builder. This gives your visitors a simple, clean way to subscribe to your newsletter or mailing list.

Adding a Signup Form to a Page

Open the page where you want the signup form in the Website Builder.
Open the component panel.
Look for Marketing Signup under the Module Driven Items group.
Drag the component onto your page.
Save your page.

The signup form includes an email field and a subscribe button. Visitors enter their email, click subscribe, and they are added to your contact database.

Customizing the Signup Form

You can customize the signup form through the component settings in the builder:

List -- Choose which mailing list new subscribers are added to. If no list is selected, contacts are still created but will not be on any specific list.
Show Name Fields -- Toggle this on to add first name and last name fields alongside the email field. Useful if you want to personalize your communications.
Button Text -- Change the button label from the default "Subscribe" to something else, like "Join Our Newsletter" or "Sign Me Up."
Success Message -- Customize the message visitors see after subscribing. The default is "Thank you for subscribing!" You can change this to anything you like.
Placeholder Text -- Change the placeholder text inside the email field. The default is "Enter your email."

Tip: Keep the signup form simple. In most cases, just asking for an email address gets more signups than asking for a name and email. You can always collect more information later.

Form Integration

If you have the Forms module enabled alongside Email Marketing, your form submissions can automatically create or update contacts. This means anyone who fills out a contact form, registration form, or any other form on your site can be added to your marketing database without any extra work.

How It Works

When both modules are enabled, form submissions are automatically checked for contact information:

If the form has a field mapped to a marketing field (like email, first name, or phone), that information is extracted.
If a contact with that email already exists, their record is updated with any new information.
If the contact is new, a new contact record is created.
If the form is configured with a marketing list, the contact is added to that list.

Mapping Form Fields to Contact Fields

When building a form, each form field can be assigned a marketing field key that tells the system which contact field it corresponds to:

email -- Maps to the contact's email address.
first_name -- Maps to the contact's first name.
last_name -- Maps to the contact's last name.
phone -- Maps to the contact's phone number.
Any other key maps to a custom field on the contact record.

If no fields are explicitly mapped, the system will still attempt to detect an email field automatically by looking for fields with the "email" field type.

Tip: You do not need to configure anything special for basic form-to-contact integration. If a form has an email field, the system will automatically create contacts from submissions when both modules are enabled.

Importing Contacts

If you have an existing email list or customer database, you can import contacts from a CSV (spreadsheet) file.

How to Import

Click Import under the Marketing section in your sidebar.
Upload your CSV file (maximum 10 MB).
Map your CSV columns to contact fields:
- The system will show you the columns in your file and let you match each one to a contact field (email, first name, last name, phone, status, or any custom field).
Choose how to handle duplicates:
- Skip -- If a contact with the same email already exists, do not change anything.
- Update -- If a contact exists, merge the new information with the existing record (keeps existing data for fields not in the import).
- Overwrite -- Replace the existing contact's data entirely with the imported data.
Optionally, select a mailing list to add all imported contacts to.
Click Import to start the process.

After the import completes, you will see a summary showing how many contacts were created, updated, skipped, and if there were any errors (like invalid email addresses).

Preparing Your CSV File

For the smoothest import experience:

Make sure your file has a header row with column names (like "Email," "First Name," "Last Name").
The email column is required -- rows without a valid email address will be skipped.
Save your file in CSV format (most spreadsheet applications can export to CSV).

Tip: Start with a small test import of 5-10 contacts to make sure your field mapping is correct before importing your full list.

Double Opt-In

Double opt-in is an extra confirmation step that ensures contacts genuinely want to receive your emails. When enabled, new contacts who sign up through your website will receive a confirmation email with a link they must click before they are fully subscribed.

How Double Opt-In Works

A visitor signs up through your website (via the signup form or a regular form).
Their status is set to Pending instead of Subscribed.
They receive an email with a confirmation link.
When they click the link, their status changes to Subscribed.
If they do not click the link, they remain in Pending status and will not receive your marketing emails.

Enabling Double Opt-In

Click Settings under the Marketing section.
Find the Double Opt-In setting.
Set it to enabled.
Save your settings.

Why Use Double Opt-In?

Double opt-in helps you in several ways:

Better deliverability -- Since every subscriber has confirmed their email, you are less likely to send to invalid addresses that cause bounces.
Legal compliance -- Many countries require explicit consent for marketing emails. Double opt-in provides clear proof of consent.
Higher engagement -- Confirmed subscribers are genuinely interested in your content, which leads to better open and click rates.
Spam protection -- Prevents people from signing up others without their consent.

Tip: Double opt-in is recommended for most websites. While it adds an extra step for subscribers, the contacts you get are higher quality and more engaged.

Unsubscribe Handling

Every contact has the right to unsubscribe from your communications. The Email Marketing module handles this automatically.

How Unsubscribing Works

When a contact unsubscribes:

Their status changes from "Subscribed" to "Unsubscribed."
They are removed from all mailing lists.
The date and time of their unsubscription is recorded.
If they provided a reason, that is saved too.

The Unsubscribe Page

Your website automatically includes an unsubscribe page at a special URL. When contacts click an unsubscribe link in an email, they are taken to this page where they can confirm their unsubscription and optionally provide feedback about why they are leaving.

The unsubscribe page shows:

Their email address.
An optional text field for feedback.
A button to confirm unsubscription.
A success message after unsubscribing.

Tip: You cannot re-subscribe someone who has unsubscribed. They must sign up again themselves. This is a legal requirement in most countries.

Marketing Settings

The Settings page lets you configure defaults for your email marketing. These settings affect how emails are sent and what information appears in them.

Configuring Your Settings

Click Settings under the Marketing section.
Update any of the following:

Sender Information:

From Name -- The name that appears in the "From" field of your emails. Use your business name or a person's name that recipients will recognize.
From Email -- The email address your marketing emails are sent from.
Reply To -- The email address that receives replies to your marketing emails. This can be different from the From email.
Sending Domain -- The domain used for sending emails (for advanced users who have set up a custom sending domain).

Sending Limits:

Daily Limit -- The maximum number of emails your site can send per day. This helps prevent accidental mass emails and keeps your sending reputation healthy.

Confirmation:

Double Opt-In -- Enable or disable the double opt-in confirmation requirement for new subscribers.

Legal Compliance:

Company Name -- Your business name, included in the footer of marketing emails as required by anti-spam laws.
Company Address -- Your physical mailing address, also required in marketing email footers by laws like CAN-SPAM.
Unsubscribe Page -- The page on your site where the unsubscribe link should point.

Save your settings.

Tip: Anti-spam laws (like CAN-SPAM in the United States) require that marketing emails include your company name, physical address, and an unsubscribe link. Make sure to fill in the Company Name and Company Address fields.

Privacy and Compliance

The Email Marketing module includes features to help you comply with privacy laws like GDPR and CAN-SPAM.

Consent Tracking

When a contact signs up through your website, the system automatically records:

When they gave consent -- The exact date and time they subscribed.
Their IP address -- The IP address from which they signed up.

This information provides a record of consent that you can reference if needed.

CAN-SPAM Compliance

The CAN-SPAM Act requires that marketing emails include:

Your company name and physical mailing address.
A working unsubscribe link.
Accurate "From" and "Subject" information.

The Email Marketing module handles the unsubscribe link automatically. Make sure to fill in your company name and address in the Marketing Settings.

GDPR Compliance

If you serve customers in the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires explicit consent before sending marketing emails. Using double opt-in helps demonstrate that contacts have clearly and actively consented to receive your communications.

Tip: While WebNesting provides tools to help with compliance, you are responsible for ensuring your email marketing practices meet the legal requirements in your jurisdiction. Consult a legal professional if you are unsure about your obligations.

Tips for Building Your Email List

Here are some practical tips to help you grow your contact list and keep subscribers engaged.

Make Signing Up Easy

Place your newsletter signup form where visitors will see it -- on your homepage, in the footer, or on a dedicated signup page. The fewer fields you ask for, the more signups you will get.

Offer Value

Give people a reason to subscribe. Mention what they will get: exclusive updates, tips, discounts, event invitations, or early access to new products.

Use Multiple Entry Points

Do not rely on just one signup form. Add the Marketing Signup component to several pages. If you have the Forms module, use contact forms and registration forms as another way to collect subscribers.

Keep Your Lists Clean

Periodically review your contact list. Remove contacts with invalid email addresses (bounced status) and respect unsubscribe requests promptly. A clean list leads to better deliverability and engagement.

Respect Your Subscribers

Only email people who have asked to hear from you. Send content that is relevant and valuable. Make it easy to unsubscribe. Building trust with your subscribers is more important than having a large list.

Tip: Quality matters more than quantity. A list of 200 engaged subscribers who open every email is worth more than 5,000 contacts who never read what you send.

Last updated: February 15, 2026