EMAIL SETUP — ONE-TIME PROJECT
Set up email marketing the right way — once.
Platform setup or migration, list import and cleanup, deliverability config (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), welcome sequence, branded template, and a 1-page maintenance runbook. Hand it to us once, run it yourself for years.
Investment: $300 – $500 · scoped per project
Why most setups skip the deliverability stuff
You can DIY a Mailchimp account in 20 minutes — and it'll quietly underperform forever.
Mailchimp's wizard gets you sending in 20 minutes. What it doesn't do: configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC properly so Gmail and Outlook actually trust your sends. Verify your sending domain. Warm up your IP if you're moving from another provider. Set up engagement-based segmentation. Build a real welcome sequence. Tune the template for mobile.
Most DIY setups land 60–80% of sends in inboxes. A properly configured setup lands 95%+. That's a 15–35% improvement on every send, forever, just from doing the boring infrastructure work right.
Authentication missing
No SPF record, no DKIM signature, no DMARC policy. Gmail and Outlook treat your sends as suspicious by default. They don't reject — they just quietly route to Promotions or Spam. You see "delivered" in your dashboard and think it's working.
Cold-list import
You import a 5-year-old contact list of customers, prospects, and one-off inquirers. The first send has 30% bounce rate, 8% spam complaints, and instantly trashes your sender reputation. Recovering takes months.
No welcome sequence
New subscribers join your list and... wait until your next monthly newsletter. By then they've forgotten who you are. A 3–5 email welcome sequence that fires immediately captures the attention you have when interest is highest.
What you get
A correctly-configured email program — handed back to you to run.
One-time project. We do the setup work that would take you 20+ hours to figure out, hand back the keys with a 1-page maintenance runbook, and you run monthly sends yourself going forward. Or you upgrade to our Email Marketing recurring service ($300/mo) and we run them for you.
Platform setup includes proper deliverability config (the part most DIY setups skip), a branded template tested across Gmail/Outlook/Apple Mail/mobile, list import with cleanup (bounce removal, deduplication, suppression list), engagement-based segmentation rules, a 3–5 email welcome sequence, and a starter automation library you can build on.
What's included
Everything you''d miss doing it yourself.
A complete, deliverability-optimized email marketing setup delivered as a one-time project. After delivery the platform is yours — you can run it solo, hand it to a marketing person, or upgrade to our managed Email Marketing service.
- Platform setup or migration (Mailchimp / Brevo / ConvertKit / Klaviyo)
- SPF record configuration in your DNS
- DKIM signature setup
- DMARC policy publication and monitoring
- Sending domain verification
- Custom-branded email template (mobile-responsive, tested)
- List import with cleanup (bounce removal, deduplication)
- Suppression list import (so unsubscribers stay unsubscribed)
- Engagement-based segmentation rules
- 3–5 email welcome sequence (written + scheduled)
- Signup form for your website (embedded or popup)
- Post-purchase / post-service trigger setup
- GDPR + CAN-SPAM compliance verification
- Analytics dashboard configured
- 1-page maintenance runbook delivered
- 30 days post-launch support
How it works
Setup to live in 7–10 days.
Most projects complete in a week.
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1
Platform selection + intake · Day 1
Quick call to pick the right platform for your situation. Brand intake form (logo, colors, voice samples). Existing list export if migrating.
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2
Platform + DNS setup · Days 2–3
Account created. SPF/DKIM/DMARC records added to your DNS. Domain verification. Sender reputation warm-up if migrating from another platform.
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3
Template + welcome sequence · Days 4–6
Branded email template built and tested across email clients. Welcome sequence written (3–5 emails) and scheduled.
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4
List migration + segmentation · Day 7
Existing list imported, cleaned (remove invalid, duplicates, prior unsubscribes), and segmented by your real categories (new vs returning, by service interest, by location).
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5
Test send + handoff · Day 8–10
Test send to seed list to confirm inbox placement. 20-minute walkthrough call to show you how to compose, send, and read analytics. Maintenance runbook PDF delivered.
Investment
$300 to $500, fixed price.
New platform setup with no migration: $300. Migration from existing platform with list under 5,000: $400. Migration with larger list, automation rebuild, or custom integration needs: $500.
$300 – $500
50% on signature, 50% on handoff. Includes 30 days of post-setup support. Platform fees billed directly to you.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Which platform should I pick?
For most Suncoast small businesses: Mailchimp (most common, easy UX, $20/mo for under 5K subscribers) or Brevo (cheaper at $9/mo, slightly more technical UX). For e-commerce: Klaviyo (built for Shopify but works elsewhere). For creators / coaches: ConvertKit. We'll recommend based on your specific situation during the discovery call.
What if I'm moving from one platform to another?
Migration projects include sender reputation warm-up — gradually ramping send volume on the new platform over 2–3 weeks so ISPs don't flag the sudden change. Without warm-up, a list move from one provider to another can tank deliverability for months. We've done this enough times to know the right pace.
What is SPF/DKIM/DMARC and why does it matter?
Three DNS records that prove your emails actually came from you (and not a spammer pretending to be you). Without them properly configured, Gmail and Outlook treat your sends as suspicious — they get routed to Promotions, Spam, or quietly silenced. With them configured: trusted sender, inbox placement, full open rate. This is the single biggest deliverability factor most DIY setups miss.
I don't have an existing list — should I buy one?
No. Never. Bought lists trash sender reputation within one or two sends, get you flagged as a spammer at the ISP level, and damage your domain's ability to send any email (including your regular business email) for months. Build organically: signup forms on your site, post-purchase opt-ins, lead magnets, in-person at events.
What goes in the welcome sequence?
Standard 3–5 email pattern: (1) Immediate welcome + what to expect, (2) Your story / why your business exists, (3) Most popular service or product spotlight, (4) Customer testimonials or case study, (5) Special first-purchase offer or discovery-call invite. Tuned to your specific business and brand voice. Each email lands automatically based on time elapsed since signup.
Can I write the newsletters myself after handoff?
Yes — that's the typical setup. The runbook walks you through composing a send (use the template, write content, A/B test subject line, schedule). For most clients, a monthly send takes 1–2 hours of work. If you'd rather not deal with it, the recurring Email Marketing service ($300/mo) handles ongoing sends for you.
What about post-purchase or post-service automations?
Setup includes ONE post-purchase or post-service automation as part of the base project (typically a thank-you + review-request sequence). Additional automations (cart abandonment for e-commerce, win-back at 6 months dormant, birthday/anniversary, etc.) are scoped at $100 per automation if added during the initial project.
Will deliverability stay good over time?
Mostly yes — but it requires ongoing hygiene: regular cleaning of disengaged subscribers, watching bounce rates, monitoring DMARC reports. The runbook walks you through monthly maintenance (~30 min/month). If you'd rather not, the recurring Email Marketing service includes ongoing deliverability monitoring.
What if I want to switch platforms later?
Email lists are portable — you can export from any major platform and import into any other. Just plan for sender reputation warm-up on the new one (2–3 weeks of gradual ramp). We can handle a re-migration as a separate project if needed.
Do you handle compliance for my industry (healthcare, finance, etc.)?
Standard email is GDPR + CAN-SPAM compliant by default with our setup. For industry-specific requirements (HIPAA for healthcare, FINRA for finance) we'll work with your compliance person to implement the necessary additional safeguards (BAA with the platform vendor, additional opt-in language, content review workflow). Add roughly $200 to the project for industry compliance work.