The Problem With Outdated Web Browsers

Have you ever come across a site on the Internet that didn’t quite look right? Perhaps there were random borders and line breaks, gaps, things not lining up, etc. The chances are you may be using an outdated web browser which doesn’t support current web technology.

What is a Web Browser?

A web browser is the software which you use to look at web pages. You are using a web browser right now to look at this page! There are lots of different web browsers, but the two most popular ones are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

All web browsers are free so it is important that you make sure you install the latest version. This will ensure you get the best experience whilst viewing the web. If you are using Internet Explorer 6, upgrade to version 7. Or even better, install Firefox. It’s fast, secure, reliable, and has the ability to add lots of useful plugins.

Unfortunately a lot of companies, especially those in the public sector, still use outdated browsers such as Internet Exporer 6. To be fair to Microsoft, IE6 is 7 years old. However, there are countless bugs and errors in the final release that have never been fixed. Web designers spend a lot of time trying to work around problems that appear when testing pages in IE6. It doesn’t support transparent graphical elements and web standards are implemented very badly.

By upgrading your browser, you will not only benefit from a whole host of new features like RSS feeds, tabbed bookmaking, faster speed and extra security, but almost every modern website will look a lot better too.

How to Avoid Unsolicited (Spam) Email

There are many ways you can avoid unsolicited email messages (spam), but here are some of the most effective ways.

When you create your e-mail address, ensure that it isn’t predictable. Having an email address such as webmaster@yourdomain.com can make it easier for spammers to send you these unsolicited email messages. Another way you could try and avoid spam is by never publicly submitting your email address online. If you post your email on your website, bulletin boards etc, spam bots can easily find your email, and you’ll instantly be added to a spam list.

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Strategies for Email Marketing

While the main value of email marketing is to drive traffic to your web site, there are other important reasons that emails can be used in promoting your business. Here are some strategies to develop that will help your email marketing be even more successful.

Establish Brand Identification

Nothing is more fundamental to marketing than branding. Using emails to strengthen your brand is easy – and essential. This is achieved through appropriate use fonts and graphics. The vast majority of email users have the ability to receive HTML email – graphic email. And HTML email more than doubles the response rate of plain text email. Be consistent in your tone and always choose content that will matter to your customers.

Build Good Customer Relations

Use your emails to establish and reinforce a positive image of your reputation for service and attentiveness. Include ‘testimonials’ from satisfied customers. Make sure your customers know how to reach you – and how to get a prompt and polite response. Customer service is the difference between customer loyalty and losing a customer – much more than modest differences in price. ‘Value’ is rarely defined by cost alone. Remember, SERVICE. Make your good service part of every email you send – from the auto-responders you send when clients fill out an order form, confirming that their order was received and is being processed, to the product updates you send your email list.

A contact number for those customers who feel that they need to reach you immediately goes a long way to establishing and maintaining your professional credibility.

Making your commitment to quality service evident in all your communications can go a long way towards creating positive customer relations. Make sure that your emails are grammatically correct and have no spelling errors! Keep the tone polite and businesslike.

Let the nature of your business define the ‘tone’ and informality of your email.

Use emails to answer customer questions, and overcome objections to buying from you.

Answer – or anticipate – customers questions or concerns in a clear, easy-to understand manner. Give your customers useful information, information that they’ve either already asked for or information that you anticipate will make it easier for them to use your products or services. Include articles that help address common customer concerns that may make them resistant to buying products from you.

While your website might include a section devoted to ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ why not include one or two of these with every email you send out? At the very least, doing so communicates that you are dedicated to addressing your customers’ needs. And that can never be bad for business.

Use Your Email Signature Everywhere

Always include your website URL and email address in your signature. It’s free advertising for your business, and is an effective method of letting people know that you’re online, and ready to receive requests from them.

Send Greeting Cards

(Or, if you’ve managed to include the information – Birthday and Anniversary Cards.) Your regular email client list will welcome a friendly greeting card from you. A greeting card is a nice gesture and a friendly reminder to let them know about seasonal promotions.

Hold a Contest

People love to compete, especially if there’s a modest prize for the winner. So, take advantage of human nature and use email to hold a contest, and to offer prizes to winners. You increase interactivity and, in the process, increase interest in your newsletter or ezine. (Be sure to encourage contest participants to get others to sign up as well-and watch the interest grow. You might even create a contest where a prize goes to the person who signs up the most names!)

Create your own newsletter, online course, or ezine

This suggestion, of course, demands the most creatively, time and effort but it might also be the most effective way to increase the benefits of your email marketing campaign. After all, don’t you want people to perceive you as an expert in your field, or your business as the ‘best’ resource for products and services? Don’t you want to market your online business effectively? Then consider investing in the time and effort to create your own ezine or newsletter.

• You will be building your email list
• You create a forum to place your own ads, and promote your services or affiliate programs
• You will get your website address, your logo, and a link to your programs in each email that you send.

Use email as part of your overall marketing plan. By doing so, you help your customers form a positive image of your business, improve customer relations, and help get the word out about your business.