If you run an online business, you already know that email is an essential portion of how you do business and communicate with customers - a veritable lifeline to your client base. There are several email strategies, besides the overused spam and direct mail, which will help you reach potential new clients, inspire them to want to reach you, and to build stronger relationships with your existing clients.

Email Signature

A very simple and obvious way to raise your company's awareness is to install an automatic email signature at the bottom of all outgoing correspondence. This is something that most companies are probably already doing, but it is important enough to be mentioned. If you do not already use an email signature, it is time to start, and if your company is using an email signature—bravo—but this is also a good time to re-evaluate the autograph and company information that appears in the signature. Is it clear? Easy to read? Does it contain a link? These are a few things to consider when designing your email signature, and evaluating the effectiveness of an existing signature.

Email Newsletter

Publishing an email newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with your prospective customers, raise brand awareness, share information and build relationships. It may sound like a lot of work, but you may only choose to release a newsletter monthly or quarterly, so it need not be intensely time consuming, and it is an excellent, non-invasive way to reach out to customers.

An email newsletter on the surface is simply a way of sharing news and information with customers and potential clients who have usually voluntarily asked to receive this letter. Email newsletters are usually sent to existing customers who have signed up for the service, so it is a way of keeping in touch with and reaching out to customers who are already interested in your business and services. An effective tactic here is to personalize each email/newsletter by using distribution technology that uses the client's first name. Use of a client's first name will further solidify your relationship by extending personal attention and courtesy that the customer may not get from another website business.

Special Offers

Sending coupons to your existing customers and letting them know of special offers via email is a useful marketing strategy. This will make customers feel that you are looking out for their interests, that you appreciate their business, and want to reward their loyalty. This will make those customers feel that they have been recognized, and that their business matters to you, further increasing their loyalty to you.

This need not be a costly strategy for your business. You can offer a small percentage-off coupon, which in the long run won't affect your bottom line, but will benefit customer alliance. In addition to this, the percentage of customers who actually redeem these coupons and special offers tends to be small - they may not need to re-order products at this time- but the effect of increased loyalty will be achieved whether the customer redeems the coupon or not. These compatible marketing strategies are a strategic choice, and an effective way to build relationships with your customers, and to increase your business.

Copyright (c) 2008 Christian Fea