online business development.

E-mail marketing is a form of direct marketing which uses electronic mail as a means of communicating commercial or fundraising messages to an audience. In its broadest sense, every e-mail sent to a potential or current customer could be considered e-mail marketing. However, the term is usually used to refer to:

• Sending e-mails with the purpose of enhancing the relationship of a merchant with its current or old customers and to encourage customer loyalty and repeat business.
• Sending e-mails with the purpose of acquiring new customers or convincing old customers to buy something immediately.
• Adding advertisements in e-mails sent by other companies to their customers.
• Emails that are being sent on the Internet (Email did and does exist outside the Internet, Network Email, FIDO etc.)

Advantages of Email Marketing:

• Compared to other media investments such as direct mail or printed newsletters, it is less expensive.
• Return on investment has proven to be high when done properly.
• It is instant, as opposed to a mailed advertisement, an e-mail arrives in a few seconds or minutes.
• It lets the advertiser "push" the message to its audience, as opposed to a website that waits for customers to come in.
• It is easy to track. An advertiser can track users via web bugs, bounce messages, un-subscribes, read-receipts, click-throughs, etc. These can be used to measure open rates, positive or negative responses, corrolate sales with marketing.
• Advertisers can reach substantial numbers of e-mail subscribers who have opted in (consented) to receive e-mail communications on subjects of interest to them
• When most people switch on their computer the first thing they do is check their e-mail.
• Specific types of interaction with messages can trigger other messages to be automatically delivered.

Keys to successful email marketing