Many of you may already have, or are considering getting, a Web Site to promote your product or service on the Internet World Wide Web. Of course, the look and feel of your Web Site is very important; when people visit, you want to project the proper image, so they click on to the areas of your site that will get them the information they want. There is no doubt that a good Web Site can make or break your investment. Unfortunately, Web Site creation is sometimes where the effort ends.

But now it is time to follow up. Is there more information you want to convey? Can you prepare regular announcements or provide useful information to your current and potential customers? If the answer is yes, then E-Mail is for you. You can make e-mail work for you with just two things: Useful information, and a list of people to send to.

1) Useful Information
Regardless of what you have to offer, chances are there is information you can provide to your potential customers that would be of interest: A schedule of upcoming appearances, Tips on finding the best electronic parts, The arrival of a new line of product, or even Tips on how to use e-mail to your advantage! What ever it is, WRITE IT DOWN. You can use this information to enlighten your audience and keep their interest.

2) E-Mail Addresses
You are also going to need a list of people's e-mail addresses, ie. an electronic mailing list. Ideally, these addresses should come from your own records, collected over time from phone calls, e-mail inquiries, business cards, casual acquaintances, etc. When you encounter a potential customer, you should always ask for their e-mail address and for permission to include them in your mailings (see the note on SPAM later in this note). You can also offer a "Newsletter Sign-up" page on your Web Site. If you want, you can also keep an archive of previous e-mailings on your Web Site. That way, new visitors can see what they have been missing, and ask to be included in the mailing.

As you can see it's really easy to get rolling, and the payback can be great! Most business owners can put together useful information fairly quickly. And collecting e-mail addresses is equally easy, it just means putting it in your routine.

So don't waste any time; start collecting e-mail addresses now!

** A note about SPAM

SPAM is the sending of unsolicited e-mail, usually in mass, and is frowned upon by most Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Just like in conventional Bulk Mailings, you may be tempted to purchase e-mail lists - and they CAN be purchased easily and very inexpensively. However sending mail to addresses that have no reason to expect mail from you is both annoying for the recipient and could be harmful to your own business. ISPs have been known to turn off service to people and businesses who use SPAM as a marketing method. We recommend that our associates not engage in e-mail campaigns based on SPAM.