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Is it time to consider e-marketing?

If you’re like the millions of people that spend a small fortune on printed marketing in yellow pages or newspaper ads but are considering a web site or e-marketing campaign you may be on the path to boost sales or on undesirable learning path, so read on.
Websites are great, you obtain one because they provide a place where customers can go to learn about you, your products and services, however, while your intent is correct the plan is often flawed. First you need traffic, just because your on the web people don’t come running, second, you need to generate sales. That can be expensive and often results in disappointment, great expense and what most of us lack- time.

Email marketing on the other hand can be a great idea, but spam is not. Your website and email service will be shutdown faster than most recipients can complain.

With all these problems, why is e-marketing one of the most powerful and least expensive types of advertising today? Because were talking about targeted e-marketing.

You might forget about your most important asset while trying to pursue new clientele, that asset is your existing customers, and the targeted e-marketing were talking about is to them. You also have customers you don’t even know about, the ones that walk through your store every day. While in many cases the majority may not make a purchase but they represent the best sales opportunity within reach. Consider something just a little more might close a sale, possibly incentives like the coupons you mass mail.

Have you thought about asking for their email address, birthday, anniversary or special interests- with this in mind you could use targeted e-marketing very effectively as well as stay in touch, however problems abound in obtaining and managing an email list not to mention the technical obstacles preventing you from providing content that not only reaches your recipients without rejection or delay, but is appealing and interactive- providing the ability for recipients to make a purchase, request information or view additional content directly from the message.

A successful e-marketing campaign, like the ones available online will generate sales- but do you trust them enough to give away your most important asset- your customer list? Not if you like owning your own company, because they own the list even after you discontinue service. For the sake of not arguing over contractual agreements, even the telephone companies "lost" secure customer information.

If I can send a car lot to my email list, how heavy is the internet? Well, the Internet weighs a fraction of what might be measurable but sending a car lot (images only) was unthinkable until a solution was created by icu software. Let’s start with the list.

For those of you thinking of e-marketing, icusoftware has developed Email Opt-in/Display Kiosks that help build your email list.
Opt-in/Display kiosks placed in the right location like a service counter or entrance capture attention with digital signage that can display the products or services you offer, or even menus at optimum times like Breakfast, Lunch and dinner. It then captures customers by prompting them to join your exclusive email list for reward coupons, discounts, product information or any other type of gratification that can be printed as well as emailed at subsequent intervals for example birthdays, Fridays etc.

Expanding your email list of course is only part of the solution and likely the easiest. But that was yesterday.

icu software's kiosk software is complimented by Picture Emailer, a desktop/web service solution. Picture Emailer provides the ability to web-enable kiosks through a kiosk control panel, allowing you to update kiosks with coupons, fresh content for digital signage and show times set any time of day. But even more powerful, Picture Emailer completes the e-marketing circle by providing you with the ability to create and provide appealing and interactive e-marketing in email and on the web.

Picture Emailer simplifies e-marketing by automating all of the essential steps. For example, converting a printed coupon or advertisement into an e-marketing message is a few simple clicks away, after previewing the page into the your scanner or fax the image is prepared on your personal webspace and then loaded into a new email message ready to deliver to your list. If you can also include your company branding, contact information and anyu additional marketing media in the same email message. Because Picture Emailer creates small email file sizes (email messages that average 10kb) regardless of content, your message will pass through any email server without rejection or delay and your recipients receive full color brilliant images and the ability to interact directly from the email message without the dangers of attachments or scripts.

Now you can take your print marketing you've already paid for- like coupons, brochures or tickets and place them online and into email without effort. You can even create transaction capable email. Snap pictures of products, drag and drop them onto Picture Emailer, add a "Buy Me" option and you close your sales/cash flow cycle to an absolute minimum.

And about the e-marketing circle, If you have icu software’s Op-tin/Display Kiosk, before sending your e-marketing you might want to check your email. A new email list might be waiting in your inbox. Drag and drop it onto your Picture Emailer to decrypt for importing into your email application and your ready for the next round.

And the barrier often not discussed, price. Picture Emailer subscriptions begin at 145.00 per month, far less than a single advertisement. Picture Emailer and Optin/Display Kiosk software runs on any PC without special hardware except for a touch screen. Why is e-marketing one of the most powerful and least inexpensive types of marketing available today? Download a free trial from icu software and find out today!