Constant Contact Review: Why It’s a Waste of Money for Most Businesses

As a professional web developer, SEO strategist, and digital marketer, I get asked about Constant Contact all the time. Business owners see the ads, the email templates, and the promise of “all-in-one marketing” and wonder if it’s worth the investment.

My short answer? No. Constant Contact is a waste of money for most businesses.

Here’s why.

Limited Features You Don’t Need to Pay For

Constant Contact packages its service as if it’s providing premium tools, but in reality, you’re paying for stripped-down features that you can do better—and often for free—when you own your website and marketing stack:

• Email Marketing → Free and low-cost platforms like MailerLite or even self-hosted WordPress plugins give you more control and scalability.

• Contact Lists & Forms → A properly built website with a CRM integration (HubSpot free tier, for example) will do a better job and keep your data in your hands.

• Landing Pages → Instead of being locked into Constant Contact’s limited page builder, your own website can host unlimited, fully SEO-optimized landing pages tailored for campaigns.

• Social Media Posting → Tools like Buffer or Publer provide more flexibility at a lower cost without forcing you into a boxed platform.

So you’re essentially paying Constant Contact for less power and more restrictions. And they don’t even focus on your direct tap into Google where most people with commercial intent go to find service providers or products. 

The SEO Problem

From an SEO perspective, Constant Contact is a dead end. Their pages lack the customization and technical foundation needed to actually rank on Google. And unlike a real website you own, you’re not building authority or E-E-A-T to your domain—you’re building dependency on theirs.

If your goal is higher rankings and long-term organic traffic, Constant Contact will hold you back.

ROI Doesn’t Add Up

Marketing tools need to be judged by ROI. Constant Contact may feel inexpensive at $30–$80 per month, but compare that to owning your own site and plugging in free or cost-effective integrations that cost you way less and give you so much more:

• With your own website, you’re building long-term authority.

• With Constant Contact, you’re renting space and paying for features you can’t fully control and can get from free services.

The truth: for what you pay, Constant Contact gives you less.

Why Businesses Fall for It

Constant Contact markets heavily to small business owners who don’t know their options. The pitch sounds attractive—“we’ll handle everything for you”—but that convenience is really just a box of limitations.

It’s the same trap as Wix or Squarespace: easy to start, impossible to scale, no real ownership or ability to perform professional level optimizations.

Constant Contact vs. Owning Your Website

Bottom line: Constant Contact locks you into a closed system and drains your budget. A website you own, paired with the right integrations, will always deliver more power, flexibility, and ROI.

The Better Path

The smart, cost-effective approach isn’t another boxed platform. It’s:

• A professionally built website you own (WordPress or custom, with root-level access).

• A free or low-cost email marketing tool integrated directly with your site.

• A CRM to track leads and customer relationships.

• A scheduling/posting tool like Buffer or Publer to manage social outreach.

This setup costs less, gives you total ownership, and actually scales with your business.

Final Verdict: Skip Constant Contact

As a web developer, SEO, and digital marketer, I can confidently say: Constant Contact is not worth it.

Instead of paying for watered-down tools inside a closed system, invest in a website you own and connect it with the right integrations. That way, every click, every lead, and every dollar of ad spend builds your domain, your brand, and your long-term success.

👉 Want to see how to build a smarter system that actually generates leads and sales? Contact us today—we’ll show you the solution Constant Contact can’t deliver.