Review: Vertical Response Email Marketing System

VerticalResponse Email Marketing System is one of the many affordable “Do It Yourself” hosted software services for creating and managing professional email campaigns.  In addition to using VerticalResponse for our own email marketing, we have setup many clients on this program. And they actually use it, because it is so easy.

The Good:

  • Lots of professional-looking, ready-to-go Email templates to choose from.
  • Affordable!  Our favorite aspect of VerticalResponse is their flexible payment options.  Monthly plans start at only $10 per month. But what we really like is the Pay-As-You Go option, which starts at only $.015 (yes, that’s a penny and a half) per email.  So you can send 200 emails for just $3!  Since most of our customers are small and seasonal, they do not send emails out year-round.  So no need to pay for months you don’t use with the Pay-As-You Go option.
  • We also like the option to start with a template, but them customize it further with a bit of HTML.  It’s a nice middle-ground.
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Why You Should Use Email Marketing Software

If you have ever thought about starting an email marketing campaign to convert potential customers and to keep in touch with existing customers, you need to understand why it is so important to use Email Marketing software to run your campaign (as opposed to using your Outlook, Gmail, or Hotmail email accounts).

Top 10 Reasons for Using Email Marketing Software

1. Email Marketing Software keeps you CAN-SPAM compliant
Stay out of trouble and avoid stiff fines by systematically following the rules.

2. Protects the Privacy of Your Subscribers
Email systems make sure that the email is addressed to only a single recipient and does not include the names or email addresses of all the other subscribers on your email list.

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What is this “CAN-SPAM Act of 2003″ All About Anyway?

The CAN-SPAM Act is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial electronic messages, gives recipients the right to unsubscribe from an email list, and spells out tough penalties for violators.

Some highlights of the CAN-SPAM Act include:

  • Using accurate “From,” “To,” and routing information
  • Prohibits deceptive subject lines
  • Using an opt-out / unsubscribe method
  • Removing unsubscribers from the list within 10 days
  • Including sender’s physical address

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How To Build Your Own Website

The most common question we hear from customers is,

“I want to build a web site, but how do I get started?”

Following is a step-by-step guide to getting online with a web site…

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Web Hosting & Domain Registration Review: Yahoo Small Business

Summary
Do you Yahoo? More and more people are jumping on the Yahoo! bandwagon. And with their wide selection of product offerings – and proven track record – Yahoo is quickly becoming one of the most popular choices for web services.

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Web Hosting Review: ICDSoft

Summary

We have used the services of ICDSoft since 2001. In addition to the several web sites we host with ICDSoft, many of our clients use the service as well. ICDSoft services include web hosting, web mail, and domain name registration. If you want to set up a simple web site that does not require start-up fees or a big monthly price tag, ICD Soft is the way to go. You get a solid, reliable product without spending a lot of money.

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Suggested Reading

Below is a selection of some of our favorite books for learning how to build your own website. Recommended books range from web usability to creating beautiful web design to the mechanics of website development.

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Web Design and Development Software


Adobe Systems offers a wide range of software products focusing on creative design in any media. This article will cover the minimal software products required to build your own website – Dreamweaver and Fireworks.

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Easy Website Builder Tools

If you want to build your own website, but don’t want the hassle of learning a bunch of technical stuff, there are several easy-to-use Website Building Tools available at a very reasonable cost. Your website must be pretty simple to use one of these tools. But if it meets the criteria below, then it’s a good way to go for quick, effective, and affordable website design.

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Compare Web Hosting Services

Following is a quick comparison between 4 of our top recommended web hosts. For more information, visit the respective web host website.

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