5 Reasons you should consider an e-mail marketing database

We all have hectic business schedules and spending time at the computer is one of the last things a business owner wants to do. So, I say, why not take a few extra moments and make the technology work for you. Clean up your listings of clients, those sticky notes, those business cards, and place all of that information in once central database that you can use to contact your customers (or potential customers) in a moment’s notice.

Let’s go one step further. What if we use that database to send out periodic e-mails to keep in touch with our clients? Now we are talking about an e-mail marketing database. With an e-mail marketing database, you get several advantages.

1. You can manage your customers and contacts in one single on-line location

Let’s face it. Having a database with a listing of all of your customers is just a dream to most people. You hear about something new you can offer, wouldn’t it be great to send that out to everyone you know in a matter of minutes? Keeping your existing client’s informed about your business is the key to renewed sales. When you have information to provide, there is really no reason you cannot just send it out to new contact and past customers.

2. Track who is opening your e-mail and clicking on your links.

If you send out a message from your e-mail client, do you know if everyone has even opened it? Not really. With an e-mail marketing service, when you send out a message, you are able to get tracking information. Some services even send you a mail message with the statistics about your mailing within a few days.

3. You can schedule e-mails in advance.

This is one of the items that I like. If I have a few extra hours on the weekend, I can perform a kind of “set it and forget it” type writing and my e-mail will go out in the future. In fact, there have been times where I have queued up a few to go out at different times.

4. Use Technology to help expand your list.

Most services have the ability to place widgets on your social marketing pages or your main website to ask people to sign-up. Some services have even got more modernized with the ability to sign people up to your list via text messaging or QR code scanning.

5. An e-mail marketing database provides a purpose to your Internet Marketing efforts.

What is the purpose of all of this anyways? Why do we have a Facebook Page, a Twitter Account, Pinterest Boards, Google+, LinkedIn, and your website, whatever? Why do we do all of this and spend all of our time and money on these items? TO GET MORE SALES! Are you getting more sales? By having a nice database with the ability to convert your social networking fans and friends to contacts in your database, or even convert visitors from your website to your database, you now have a captive audience. This should be your goal to Internet Marketing. Building your on-line community, but you need to have a way to manage that community. And this is where an on-line email marketing database comes into play.

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Customizing Google Calendar

It is well known that you can incorporate your Google Calendar into your website; however, I came across an interesting article that explains how you can customize the CSS so that the calendar will match your website layout.

To create a custom CSS file for your Google Calendar, you will have to create 2 new files and use them instead of the default embedding code.

You’ll need to create 2 new PHP files, the first: custom_calendar.php is the actual calendar file, and custom_calendar.css, a CSS file to style the calendar. The first file is the main one that makes this possible; the second file allows you to change any of the CSS properties. With a little CSS magic, you should be able to customize it further to fit your site perfectly!

The full article can be found here: http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2012/04/integrating-google-calendar-with-your-website/

Do You Know Where Your Web Site Ranks?

On February 20, 2013, Shawn Donley from DNS Technology Consultants, Inc. presented at the Main Street Chamber of Mahoning Valley, Lunch and Learn, at Don Victor’s in Austintown.  At that meeting, Shawn revealed the DNSTC - YourWebReviewed.com, 3-5-3 Plan to help any web site owner capture the power of the Internet.

Cyber attacks blamed on China–FINALLY!

At DNSTC, we are constantly being bombarded with hack attempts from foreign countries.  Every day we get at least 5 failed attempts that has made us turn up security so tight on our servers that sometimes we get calls from clients who have been locked out due to something simple as forgetting a password.    This has been reported to the local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as, the Federal Trade Commission, to no avail.  Several hours each week is spent monitoring this, tweaking the server, and putting up road blocks.  Something has to give and we are glad to see reports on the Internet as this:

The New York Times says hackers based in China "persistently" infiltrated its computer network over a period of four months in late 2012 and early 2013.

Repeated cyber attacks on foreign governments, companies and organizations have been traced to China over the past few years and the Chinese government has often been accused of backing them, either directly or by allowing them to go ahead. Analysts say the attacks often appear to be an attempt to gather information and protect China's image.

Beijing routinely denies state-backed hacking and says it is more a victim of hacking than the culprit. Many other countries are also believed to use cyber espionage.

Other attempts go on every day.  The article lists some the following:

• Lockheed Martine
• Coca-Cola
• Google
• NASA
• Pentagon

In our opinion, the law community needs some good IT people.  If you have read some of our posts in the past, you know how DNSTC feels about this topic.  How much money is being wasted just because there is nothing that can be done to stop this.

Read the full article for yourself here.

DNSTC is going mobile!

We are currently working on a NEW service to offer mobile websites for our clients.  The mobile website service will have a backend similar to the WSMS system that will allow you to login and modify your “Mobile Ready” website.

More information will be coming soon!

30 Ways to Promote Your Web Site Off-Line

There are many different creative ways to promote your website off-line. Most of which should be done anyways; however, we have compiled a list of different things you should consider to help get the word out about your web site. Before you begin implementing any of these ideas, you should first make sure that you are proud of your web site and that it has information on it for people to contact your or find our more information about your products and/or services.

Should You Have A Search Option?

I get this question sometimes from website owners.  Should our website have a search option?  Well, my answer is this, If your website has enough content to provide a search, then you should have one.  If you site only has a few pages of content, then having a search option is overkill.  That is just common sense.