The promise of a generous ROI (Return on Investment) continues to draw many businesses to email marketing. Forrester reports that by 2014, email marketing expenditures will rise to $2 billion — almost double the projection of $1.2 billion for 2009. How can you increase the odds that your emails will be opened and read in this crowded environment? Consider these tips offered by experts in the field:

KEEP IT RELEVANT
Too many marketers blast identical copy to their entire list of email subscribers. Since you’re probably sending most of your emails to current customers, you should know something about their purchases and needs. Appeal to these interests with separate messages geared to different categories of customers.

MAXIMIZE THE SUBJECT LINE
The subject line is very important, since it can determine whether the email will be deleted. It needs to contain a clear and compelling offer. As for length, remember that anything longer than 55 characters
will get cut off. Research by Return Path showed that click-through rates for subject lines with 49 or fewer
characters were 75 percent higher than for those with 50 or more.

PAY ATTENTION TO PARTS
Emails have three parts:

1. Top 10-20%, which will show through in a “Preview Pane.”
2. Next 30-50%, which is “above the fold” and fits on the first computer screen.
3. Remaining 20-50%, which is often wasted since few people will scroll down.

GET TO THE POINT
Shorter is better for email text; aim for 200-300 words. There should be multiple calls to action including a link to a micro site (rather than your home page where visitors might get lost), and an 800 phone number.

STICK TO PLAIN TEXT
It’s generally better to use plain text rather than HTML email because HTML email takes longer to download, and different systems can change the layout, font type, and size of the message.

DON’T SPAM

1. Provide your full contact information including street address and phone number.
2. Provide a valid and free means of opting out of your distribution lists and declining further emails.
3. Never use a third-party email address or domain name without express permission.

A successful website becomes an extension of your business, grows with you as your business grows, and allows customers to find what they need easily. To maximize effectiveness, keep these general tips in mind when you develop or renovate your site:

Make navigation easy. You don’t want visitors to get lost and leave your site in frustration. Organize the navigation system (menu bars and links) so that a new visitor can intuitively find the information they need from the home page. Also make sure it’s easy for them to fill out forms and find contact information.

Define what you want to accomplish. Success is not measured simply in hits; it’s measured in results from those site visits. Be specific about what you need — more leads, more sales, more efficient customer service — and set goals that are measurable and attainable.

Put meta tags on your pages. Another key to getting better placement in search results is to put meta tags on your pages. Meta tags are invisible text in the HTML code of your web pages that search engines use to index your site. The most important meta tags are the title and description.

Keep it clean and uncluttered. Too many elements will confuse site visitors. If you have a lot of information to convey, divide it between more pages — each with manageable amounts of text that can be read in a few minutes.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process of improving your website’s rankings in search results. The goal is to get your company name to appear near the top of the list when people search for terms related to your business using search engines like Google.

Search engines typically find sites by reading the text of the site to identify words or phrases for which people are searching, and by looking for links to the site. Because of the way search engines work, the best tactics for improving your rankings are to have accurate, succinct text on your site and to have other legitimate businesses, like your local Chamber of Commerce, link to you. Links to your site help search engines find your site and can give it greater visibility in search results. Before adding links to third party sites, be sure to obtain their permission.

Here are additional recommendations:

Provide useful, high-quality content. This is especially important on your homepage. Such content will attract visitors and entice webmasters to link to your site.

Include a clear hierarchy and text links within the site. This makes it more convenient for visitors to move about your site.

Create pages primarily for the benefit of users. Search engines are a secondary concern.

Think about the search words that people might use to find your business. Make sure that your site includes those words within it.

Use text instead of images to display important names, content, or links. Search engines don't generally search content that is within a graphic.

Some companies say they specialize in SEO strategies, but beware of any that claim to guarantee you a top search result ranking. That just isn’t possible today, and could indicate use of improper methods that might make your results worse, or even get your site banned from Google completely. Ask to make sure your Web developer does not engage in either cloaking or keyword stuffing. Cloaking means incorporating two versions of content into your site’s code: one visible to Web users, and another (with potentially inaccurate information) specifically for search engines. Keyword stuffing emphasizes certain words or phrases to such an extent that the text becomes awkward for people reading the site.

Mix one part social network, one part business networking tool, and one part expert advice resource — what do you get? It’s called LinkedIn.com, and it’s an increasingly popular way to connect with friends and business colleagues alike.

Launched in 2003, LinkedIn plays to the “six degrees of separation” theory that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances. In other words, we are all connected to each other by friends of friends (or co-workers of co-workers).

The site now has more than 40 million members worldwide. If you’re not one of them, consider the valuable resources offered by LinkedIn. It allows you to find past and present colleagues quickly, stay informed about news in your industry, discover inside connections when you’re looking for a job, and get your questions answered by experts. To make the most of your LinkedIn membership, use these strategies:

GET A DIVERSE SET OF CONTACTS When most of your connections are with people at the same company or in the same community, you may all know the same people. As much as possible, branch out into other geographic territories or other businesses and industries. And remember to think “quality” and not just “quantity.” Having a large number of connections is great, but what you really want is people that you’d be happy to recommend and who would recommend you.

USE THE EXPERT FORUMS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE LinkedIn forums allow members to provide expert advice for each other. If you can offer solid answers in response to questions posed in the forums, and ask good questions of others, more people will be interested in connecting with you.

KEEP YOUR PROFILE CURRENT An updated profile enhances the usefulness of your LinkedIn account. When you have big news such as a promotion, you can send your “first-degree” network a blast email notifying them of your change.

1 Stop Cash is a deferred presentment provider, making what amounts to short-term loans. For example, a customer might come for $100 and write 1 Stop Cash a check for $117.50, which would not be cashed until payday a week or so later. Doug Cross, Director of Operations for 1 Stop Cash, notes, “The alternative for people is often bouncing a check, which could easily cost them $50-$60 in non-sufficient funds fees.”

The company has a total of 16 stores in Alabama, including eight locations in the Charter Business service areas of Montgomery, Pelham, Prattville, Selma, and Tuskegee. It already had Charter Business® Internet at several of its stores and then decided to switch to Charter Business® Phone at all eight locations.

Cross says that 1 Stop Cash made the change primarily as a way to save a significant amount of money. “When our Charter Business sales representative, Pamela Higgins, first came to see me, I was apprehensive about switching providers because I’d had a bad experience with that in the past. Then she showed me that 1 Stop Cash could save a total of $30,000 over a three-year period if we switched to Charter Business at all eight stores. I couldn’t believe it. Once I picked myself up off the floor, I told her we’d use Charter Business services at our new Montgomery store. If everything worked out OK, we’d make the switch at the other locations,” explains Cross.

“ We’re now paying about a third of what we were paying before for phone and internet service.”

– DOUG CROSS, 1 STOP CASH

He continues, “We’re now paying about a third of what we were paying before for phone and internet service. The installation of everything went smoothly, and we’re enjoying faster internet speeds.”

While saving money drew Cross to Charter Business, he’s also very pleased with the customer service. Says Cross, “Anytime I’ve had a question or problem, Pamela takes care of it right away. I wish I’d switched to Charter Business a long time ago.”

“ I’ve had Charter services at home for many years, so there was no doubt I wanted them for the business, too.”

– DAVID VAUGHAN, COMPUTERS MADE EASY, CMEFW.COM, 817.386.2530

Computers Made Easy located in Fort Worth, Texas, offers a convenient mix under one roof — computer training for people of all ages and abilities, as well as a full-service computer repair department, a U.S. Post Office, and an internet café. Their goal is to demystify technology in a relaxed, comfortable setting.

“When Computers Made Easy opened in 2006, our focus was on teaching seniors to use computers,” notes owner David Vaughan. He continues, “We later expanded our business to include training for people with physical disabilities. Our classes are small so students get personalized instruction, and we offer a slower approach to help the retention of new skills.”

Computers Made Easy has been with Charter Business since day one, and has the Charter Business Bundle® with Charter Business® Internet, Charter Business® Phone, and Charter Business® TV. Says Vaughan, “I’ve had Charter services at home for many years, so there was no doubt I wanted them for the business, too.” Internet service plays a key role at Computers Made Easy. Vaughan explains, “We can’t conduct our computer training or complete postal transactions without being online. Internet reliability is critical to us. If it’s down, I might as well close my doors. With Charter Business High- Speed Internet, the uptime is nearly 100% and we get an immediate response if we need anything. In fact, I’ve recommended Charter Business® Internet to neighboring businesses that have experienced problems with other internet providers.”

Vaughan is also pleased with the phone and TV service from Charter Business, remarking, “Our phone service is seamless — a non-issue — and the clarity is great. Plus we get picture-perfect TV reception in our waiting room, which I think helps to enhance the image of Computers Made Easy.” He continues, “Our business is all about making things easy. And Charter Business does that for us.”

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Switch today and power your business for less. 877-470-3278 | charterbusiness.com/phone