Monthly Archives: February 2011

Amazon’s SES Mailing Service Is Changing E-Mail Marketing

Published February 25, 2011 | By Joan Sotkin

Something is happening a bit below the radar that’s going to alter the choices people are going to make about how they are going to deliver e-mails to their marketing lists.

Amazon has a new service called Simple E-Mail Service (SES) that improves deliverability. This means that if you use the service, one of the advantages of fee-based mailing services, such as Constant Contact, is minimized.

The SES service checks content before mailing to eliminate spam. This means that e-mail sent through the Amazon’s servers is more apt to get delivered than if you were sending it out from your own e-mail or WordPress account.

Instead of using Constant Contact or a similar service, you could have software such as AutoResponse Plus,
which is installed on your domain. The newest version of AutoResponse Plus that is going to be released in a few weeks, easily integrates with SES.

The latest version of PHPList,  now in beta, also easily integrates.

If you use a shopping cart, you may still need an autoresponder system that integrates with your payment gateway.

For information about Amazon’s SES, go to http://aws.amazon.com/sws. It’s a bit technical.

Note: the link to Autoresponse Plus is an affiliate link. I use this system and will be integrating with SES.

Posted in EMail Marketing, Internet Marketing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

9 Essential Elements of an Effective Website

Published February 18, 2011 | By Joan Sotkin

When planning out your site, make sure you include all of the following:

1. Unobtrusive, professional-looking design
The design of a site should not overwhelm the copy. The design makes the impression, but the copy sells.
There are now thousands of free or inexpensive templates that can be used for your site, especially if it is built on a WordPress platform.

2. Logical navigation
Make it easy for people to find what they are looking for. Use a navigation bar in the header area and/or sidebar with tradional link titles such as Catalog | Services | Portfolio | Testimonials | About Us | Contact Us. Have links on the bottom of the page as well. If you link from one page to another, make sure it’s clear  how to get back to the previous page or section. Continue reading →

Posted in Internet Marketing, Websites | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Finding Content to Share on Facebook Pages

Published February 14, 2011 | By Joan Sotkin

One of my clients recently confessed that she would like to share more on her company’s Facebook page, but has no idea what to post. Her mind goes blank every time she tries to write something.

For Facebook pages, you can offer information that educates your audience, and you can do this by posting links to online content that you think will interest them.

A good source of links is www.smartbrief.com. You can sign up to receive daily e-mails that list stories from various publications in specific industry segments. For example, I subscribe to SmartBrief for Entrepreneurs, SmartBrief for Small Business, and SmartBrief for Social Media.

Continue reading →

Posted in Internet Marketing, Social Media | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Online Success for the Technologically Challenged

Published February 14, 2011 | By Joan Sotkin

As a small or micro business owner or professional practitioner you do not need to know all of the intricacies of building and maintaining a website or the ins and outs of Internet marketing. What you need is enough knowledge to have intellegent discussions with people who do know what to do.

You need to know about:

  • How to choose the best online business model for your business
  • What you can and cannot expect from various online tools
  • How to find a dependable, reasonably priced website developer who you can trust
  • Which Internet marketing methods are right for you given your available time or money
  • How to take advantage of the growning trend of mobile computing
  • Time-saving tips for using social media to promote your business
  • Effectively establishing an online reputation
  • What you can do yourself, even if you have little technical knowledge
  • And much more

My goal with this blog is to give you the guidance you need, always with the assumption that you aren’t comfortable enough with the technology to take care of the grunt work yourself.

Also, I want to answer your questions. I’ll even answer specific questions about your website, as long as I can share the Q&A with others.

If you have questions, send them to blog @ sotkin.com.

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Posted in Internet Marketing, Social Media, Websites | 1 Comment
"Joan, I really appreciated how you walked me through the process of creating a website. Even though mine is in Norwegian, you were able to give me great advice about the copy -- and I love the design." - Hege Nordahl, www.hegehordahl.com
"Joan has helped me with my Web presence since 1997 when she built my first site. She did a great job with my new WordPress site and has helped me build a following on my blog and Facebook. She does a incredible job!" Anthony Atwell - www.SantaFe1.com

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