Picking the perfect e-mail address

So you have your own online business, or you work with customers on a regular basis.  It’s important that if you communicate via e-mail, that the address after the @ sign means something.  You don’t want your clients or customers accidentally deleting your e-mails because they think they’re spam if they come from a Hotmail or Yahoo! account, for example.  If you are the owner of a business, you need to have credibility, and your e-mail address is an important part of that.  So if I owned XYZ Company, then my e-mail address would be myname@xyzcompany.  Donna Price is a business success coach.  She offers these important reasons that your e-mail address match your Web site:

1.  Having a professional looking e-mail address clarifies exactly who you are and what your business is.  People don’t have to guess when going to their inbox to read your message.

2. It advertises your Web site.  Most people realize that if your e-mail address ends in xyzcompany, then they can log on to www.xyzcompany.com and find your Web site.  It’s like getting free advertising for your business!  If a friend forwards an e-mail from you, you could get business to your Web site from someone you don’t even know.  How’s that for free advertising?  By the way, you should always have a link to your site in the signature of your e-mail, also.

3. A professional e-mail address makes you seem legitimate.  Would you trust someone advertising their goods in an email from myname@xyzcompany.com or myname@hotmail.com more?  Which one seems more credible to you? 

Just as a reminder, what we said earlier about putting your site in the signature of your e-mails, you’ll also want to include all your contact information.  It also helps make you look more credible to the receiver.  You’ll also want to act professional.  Avoid emoticons like , , 8) and others.  Try to avoid abbreviations.  Always run a spell check.  Another great tip is to wait to fill out the To: portion of your e-mail until it’s completely proofed and ready to go.  This way you won’t accidentally send it when you meant to add an attachment, or are running a spell check.

And another important reminder!  The U.S. Postal Service changed their mailing rates on Monday.  First class stamps are now 44 cents each.  So if you still have 42 cent stamps lying around, make sure to add 2 cents or it will get returned.  Forever stamps can still be used at no extra charge!

Visit us online for more helpful tips to get your Web site up and running!

How postal hike can affect marketing

We thought it was important to discuss the new hikes that the United States Postal Service announced last week.  Aside from the price of stamps going from 42 cents to 44 cents beginning on May 11, postcards will jump from 27 to 28 cents per piece and large envelopes will now be 88 cents each.  The good news for those that use direct mail campaigns who want to try to save money is that the Forever Stamps, which cost 42 cents now, can be purchased in bulk through May 11 and used once the changes go into effect.  So if you’re planning a big spring or summer mailing campaign, you might want to think about purchasing extra stamps now.  To save even more money, visit Forever-Stamps.com to keep an eye on Ebay auctions for stamps even below current postal rates. 

The reason the USPS is raising rates again is because they were at a $2.8 billion deficit and a mail volume decrease of 9 billion.  They’re losing money daily because of the things that can now be done online, such as e-mail instead of handwritten letters, paying bills, and even advertising.  A lot of companies now have digital copies of their magazines and newsletters, as well. 

In addition to raising rates, the USPS has taken some other initiatives to try to save money by making carrier routes more effective, freezing salaries, and reducing staff.

So what can those who use direct mail campaigns do to save money?  Several things:

1. Purchase Forever Stamps now at the lower price before May 11

2. Consider implementing an online newsletter sent via e-mail to your client base.  Contact us at http://www.completeresourceschicago.com for a quote on how we can help!

3. Get your Web site up and running!  Visit us for help.

4. Look into sending out mailings via bulk mail.  If you send more than 200 pieces to one zip code, you are most likely eligible for a discount.  Visit your local post office for more information.

For more information about the rate increase, you can read about it here.

And, again, visit us onlinefor all of your online marketing needs.