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SWeCS NEWSLETTER - 3 November 2003

In this issue...

- Some Rules For Doing Business Via Email
- How Dedicated Are Those Spammers!
- Promoting Your Newsletter
- Resources For Small Business

SOME RULES FOR DOING BUSINESS VIA EMAIL

One of the ways the Internet allows you to save money and time is through electronic communication (mainly email), which is cheap and convenient. But it can also be bad for business if you're not careful.

We all know that email is a valuable tool for business. Some of it's benefits include it's low cost (especially in comparison to normal letters and faxes), it's convenience (for example, being able to correspond after normal office hours), and it allows the recipient to read and deal with it when they are available (thereby avoiding "phone tag").

However, if email is used incorrectly it can be a source of confusion and negative feelings amongst your recipients.

Here are a few tips to think about when you are using email:

1. Using email doesn't mean you don't have to talk to your customers. It doesn't matter what industry you're in, if you think that you never have to talk to customers again, you're on the wrong track already
   
   
2. Remember that email correspondence lacks all of the normal visual and auditory clues that are present in face to face communication. This makes it very easy for people to misinterpret what you're trying to say.
   
   
3. Related to that, don't rely on smiley faces :-) or other symbols to try and communicate a mood. In fact, any kind of symbol (eg. the exclamation mark!!!) can be misinterpreted. Other kinds of things that can be misunderstood are attempts at humour, and sarcasm.
   
   
4. It is very easy to be blunt or even rude to someone via email because you don't have to look at them in the eyes while you do it. This relative safety, combined with how easy it is to quickly fire off an email, make it easier to say something you will later regret. If you need to say something a little unpleasant to someone (let's hope that's not very often), you should try some of these suggestions:
   
   - draft an email, but then wait 24 hours before re-reading it and sending it. You'll often change your mind about what to say after you've calmed down a bit
   
   - do it by telephone instead
   
   - do it face to face instead
   
   - try to use facts and figures, rather than emotional arguments
   
   
5. Always enter a subject line in your email message. This allows the receiver to prioritise your message, and is even more important in this current age of spam and viruses where the recipient needs to know what to delete and what to open. Instead of vague headings such as "Meeting", try "Meeting to discuss xxx".
   
   
6. One last point, remember that technically your emails are not private. While we don't know of anyone personally who has had their emails intercepted or land in the wrong hands, it is possible.

HOW DEDICATED ARE THOSE SPAMMERS!

We recently had an experience that showed us just how dedicated some spammers can be.

For certain reasons we established a completely secret email address, and did not give it out to anyone whatsoever. The email address was simply used for forms that were completed on our web site. That is, when someone filled in a form on our site, the details were sent to this particular email address. The address was not even written publicly on our web site, although it was inside the form coding.

Within 3 weeks of setting up this secret email address, we started to get spam on it!

The most likely way this could have happened was that our web site coding was scanned using what we call an "email harvester", a piece of software that scans web sites and gathers email addresses. These email addresses are then either used immediately or put together and sold to others.

We can understand getting spam on public email addresses, but to start receiving spam on a completely secret address within 3 weeks highlighted to us just how much of a problem spam has become.

Although there are many plans by government, ISP's etc at the moment to tackle spam, in the short term it's likely to remain a problem. If you're interested in setting up a spam blocker on your email address, you might like to try Spam Arrest.

PROMOTING YOUR NEWSLETTER

Do you have an email newsletter? Trying to increase your subscriber numbers?

If so, you may want to know about http://ezine-universe.com/ which is a directory for ezines (email newsletters). It's free to submit your newsletter to be included in the directory.

Also, we are happy to consider listing your newsletter in SWeCS News (see below). Email us and let us know about your email newsletter and we'll consider swapping newsletter links with you.

RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Ecommerce Library

Browse through the SWeCS Ecommerce Library, full of FREE information about getting more out of the Internet. Sections include Web Site Development, Web Site Promotion & Internet Marketing, Online Commerce, Computer & Technical Issues, and Miscellaneous.

Newsletter Archives

The SWeCS Newsletter archives provides a wealth of FREE information on small business and the Internet. Browse through the main topics or search for your particular query.

SWeCS Affiliate Program

Start up another income stream, by earning $60 for each referral who signs up for our search engine ranking package. Also earn $50 for each referral who signs up for our web site package.

Affiliate Directory

Browse through a list of reviewed Affiliate programs. Let us do the work of testing it out for you!

Do you know of a resource that should be added here? Email us and let us know. There is only one condition - it must be free.

OTHER EMAIL NEWSLETTERS

Here's some other email newsletters you might like:

www.southwestlife.com.au

www.dunsboroughbayvillageresort.com/news/newsindex.htm