Businesses continue to see the Internet as means to grab more consumers with less marketing dollars. As the Internet evolves into an even more powerful tool for businesses to drive revenue, increase profits and reduce expenses, more marketing budgets are shifting to online initiatives.

Isolated, static information based web sites are changing over to highly functional platforms serving powerful web applications to end users that emphasize online collaboration, sharing, interaction and learning. In order to effectively compete and meet the growing demands of today's more sophisticated customer, web site features and functionality that enhance the user experience are essential.

Businesses are implementing new and advanced marketing strategies to reach a target audience that’s already being bombarded with online ads.

Email marketing remains on top
According to the Direct Marketing Association, email marketing delivers an astonishing $51.45 ROI per dollar spent. The US Postal Service just announced another postage rate hike to take effect in May of this year that will once again cause many small businesses to cut back on direct mail for marketing purposes while the cost of email remains at just a penny per email. Email marketing has become the number one response-generating marketing method, and for good reason

• 73% of US consumers say they prefer to be reached via email
• 82% of email messages that will be read are opened within the first 48 hours
• Email marketing is 100% trackable, delivering tangible and measurable results fast

With the right email marketing software, businesses can track every aspect of their email campaign, from how many email messages were sent, how many were delivered, opened and clicked. And since about 90 percent of all recipients that will open emails within the first 48 hours, results are instant.

Customer interaction can directly equate to increased revenue
By interacting with customers, businesses are not only grabbing their attention but are creating a memory of who they are and what they are about in their minds. Common ways businesses are interacting with customers online include:

• Blogs
• Website polls
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• E-mail surveys
• Contests

Interacting with customers, can allow businesses to gain the valuable feedback needed to make changes to their web site and email campaigns that get results while eliminating the guess work. Giving customers the ability to provide feedback on products and services helps generate more sales by giving other website visitors the confidence to do business with you.

Web site maintenance is key
Some businesses are under the false impression that once they have their web site up and running it will take care of itself. Frequent updates are a key requirement to keep customers coming back. But remember to go easy on fancy graphics, Flash and multimedia. Fancy graphics may win design awards but not necessarily customers’ business. Keep web site design user friendly and focused on your products.

Source:  eBusiness News

Personal Paper? It sounds old-fasioned but, with so much information coming to people online these days, a mailed paper newsletter or simply a postcard, to customers can seem more personal than mass emails and help your business stand out.

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