Archive for April, 2014

7 Email Etiquette Rules eManagerSite Recommends

April 30th, 2014

Etiquette doesn’t just apply to your table manners; it applies to email marketing too. These unwritten rules of the email world are worth reviewing. You don’t want to offend your customers by making an email faux pas, right? We didn’t think so.

Here are seven email etiquette rules that your small business should follow.

1. Always get permission

Just because someone handed you a business card doesn’t mean he or she wants to get emails from your business. You need permission from each and every customer you email. 

2. Make it easy to unsubscribe

Your customers should be able to easily unsubscribe to your emails. The CAN-SPAM laws require this option on every email you send. Don’t worry though, if you’re sending content that has value, your unsubscribe rate will remain low.

3. Make sure the content is error-free

Nothing stains your reputation faster than an email full of misspellings and grammatical errors. Your customers have high standards, so don’t let them down. Use spell check and proofread your email more than once. Remember, spell check won’t catch every error, so read carefully to make sure you haven’t mixed up words like “compliment” and “complement.”

4. Check and double check your links

You don’t want to send an email with broken links. Not only does that defeat the purpose of your email and potentially cost you sales, it also drops your credibility as a company. “The entire point of an email campaign is to generate business,”  “People want to be able to act instantly to your message. It is your job to provide them with a quick and easy way to do that.”

5. Send short and concise emails

Short, snappy emails help time crunched readers. Even if you’re sending out your company newsletter, you can offer “teaser” information with a link to the full newsletter.

6. Your subject line should relate to the content

Don’t be deceptive with your subject lines. If your email is about an upcoming sale, say so in your subject line. You can get creative with your subject line, but don’t try to trick your customers into opening the email. Customers don’t respond well to it, and it’s against the CAN-SPAM law.

7. Keep it classy

You want to convey a professional image. To do that, don`t write in ALL CAPS, it looks like you’re shouting at your customers. Don’t go overboard with things like symbols and exclamation marks, either. It’s just not necessary.At its core, etiquette is all about being polite. The same rule applies when you’re emailing. Be courteous and respectful of your customers and their time. Make sure your company is putting its most polite foot forward, and you’ll see success. Want more email marketing etiquette tips? Sign up for the free evaluation from our email experts at WebInteractive. We want to assist you in building your business and profits.

Design and Web Development

Web Interactive, a division of The Computer Company Inc. (TCC), specializes in Website Design Connecticut, strategy, SEO, SEM, web design, e-commerce, and proven online marketing strategies
for 100’s of businesses just like yours for over 15 years.

Developing and managing your company’s entire web presence is our business.

Contact Us

Hartford Area
15 Commerce Drive, Cromwell, CT 06416

Directions to our corporate office

 Other Locations

New Jersey Office
1 W. Ridgewood Avenue

Paramus, NJ 07652
201.447.1770

For General Inquires

Call: 800.418.2358

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This post contributed by guest author, Lisa Furgison

Five Things to Know About Alibaba, ‘The Hottest Thing in Tech’. Selling on the Internet with eManagerSite

April 18th, 2014

Alibaba, the Chinese internet behemoth that’s relatively unknown in the U.S., is preparing to file the prospectus for a U.S.-based initial public offering next week, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Recent estimates value Alibaba between $153 billion and $200 billion and indicate that the IPO could raise up to $15 billion.

John Sculley, the former CEO of Apple, told CNBC this week that the Chinese e-commerce giant is the “hottest thing in high tech right now.”

With the IPO – the largest in tech history – just around the corner, here are five things you need to know about Alibaba.

The “hottest thing in high tech right now.”

What exactly does Alibaba do?

Think of it as a mix of Amazon.com, eBay and Paypal. Customers use Alibaba to shop online, sell unwanted goods and make online payments. Alibaba has two retail sites: Taobao, which features thousands of non-brand name products sold by smaller merchants; and Tmall, which offers brand-name products. The two sites are hugely popular, and collectively account for more than half of all parcel deliveries in China. According to The Wall Street Journal, their combined transaction volume in 2012 topped one trillion yuan ($163 billion), more than Amazon and eBay’s revenue combined.

Alibaba is big

Hangzhou-based Alibaba is China’s largest internet company and operates in the world’s largest internet market. It also has offices in the U.S., U.K., India, Japan and Korea. China has 560 million internet users – twice as many as the U.S. – who spend an average of 20 hours a week online. With 24,000 employees, more people work for Alibaba than Yahoo and Facebook combined. The site had 36.7 million registered users in 2012, and Taobao.com is one of the world’s 20 most-clicked sites, Business Insider reported. On the 11th of November every year, Alibaba conducts a huge online shopping sale which coincides with what is known in China as Single’s Day – a day on which young people lament or celebrate being single. On November 11 2013, Toabao and Tmall made 35 billion yuan ($5.75 billion) in the 24 hour period. Meanwhile, Alibaba’s mobile payments service Alipay is responsible for 70 percent of all of China’s mobile payments in 2013, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Alibaba is profitable

Alibaba Group reported a 66 percent on-year surge in revenue to $3.06 billion in the final quarter of 2013, while net income more than doubled to $1.36 billion. The robust earnings report followed a slowdown in the previous three quarters. U.S. search engine Yahoo’s market value is closely interlinked with Alibaba as it owns a 24 percent stake in the Chinese internet giant worth around $30 billion. Yahoo’s shares rose 9 percent following Alibaba’s quarterly earnings report on Wednesday. Jack Ma, the 49-year old Alibaba founder, is China’s eighth richest man and the 122nd richest man in the world, according to Forbes, with a net worth of $10 billion.

Alibaba has struggled with corruption allegations

In 2011, Chinese police arrested 36 people in connection with operating fraud on Alibaba.com. They were accused of running a criminal gang that used fake personal and business identities to open fraudulent accounts, cheating buyers out of over $6 million, Reuters reported. In 2012, Yan Limin – once the manager of Alibaba’s Juhuasuan group buying venture – was sacked for gross misconduct after accepting two large bribes. He was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2013. Several other Alibaba employees implicated in the case were also sentenced.

This is just the beginning

Alibaba made $3.5 billion worth of acquisitions over the past year. Its shopping spree has been concentrated in Asia thus far, but the conglomerate is starting to target the U.S. market. Last month it bought a minority stake in California-based messaging and free-calling app Tango for $215 million. Alibaba already has its own application, Laiwang, which had over 10 million users as of January.

Selling on the internet is easy. WebInteractive can do all the work for you. Need to know more, please contact us todayfor a free eva

WebInteractive provides you with everything it takes to sell products and services online. We understand your needs. In today’s digital economy, people want to conduct business quickly, easily and  wherever and whenever they feel like it. Therefore, in order to compete in the 21st century, a company must be conducting business 24×7. eCommerce is one of the most important technologies that has emerged from the internet. ecommerce allows people to exchange goods and services immediately and with no barriers of time or distance.

eCommerce allows customers to go online and buy or sell almost anything they want 24/7.

eCommerce & eBusiness examples:

  • Accounts payable and receivable
  • Order status
  • Shipping, Customer service, support and problem tracking
  • Order History
  • Email Marketing
  • Accounts Payable & Receivable
  • Real-time payment processing (checks, credit/debit cards)
  • Reporting
  • Inventory Control
  • Secure Transactions

eCommerce – The Computer Company’s programming skills and focus on security will enable your business to fully capitalize on the vast potential in web-based and real time credit card transactions.

Our eCommerce Services include:

  • Online shopping cart software
  • Designing and developing a custom e-commerce solution
  • Custom eCommerce website design

The comprehensive online marketing and web development solutions from TCC Web Interactive helps your business grow. Let WebInteractive do a free evaluation of your website and start making money with your website!

 

 

Hartford Location

The Computer Company / WebInteractive

15 Commerce Drive

Cromwell, CT 06416

860 635 0500

800 418 2358

mailto:info@computercompany.net

 

 

 

By  Katie Holliday

Windows XP Support Has Ended

April 8th, 2014

As of April 8 2014, your XP computer is no longer receiving automatic updates that help protect your personal information. Even if you have anti-virus software, your computer may not be fully secure.

What this means for you

If you continue to use Windows XP without XP support, your computer may still work but will become vulnerable to security risks and viruses.

Why Windows XP support ended

Windows XP is 12 years old. It’s typical to end service for software as it gets older and technology evolves. Most of us have replaced cell phones and even our cars over the last 12 years – now it’s time to replace your Windows XP computer with a new PC. Or you can check to see if your Windows XP computer can run the new Windows. The Computer Company offers a free evaluation to outline your options and are here to support you as you make your next step.

Help protect your personal files

The Computer Company wants to help your personal files, photos, etc. stay secure. To help ensure they stay secure, you’ll need to either upgrade your Windows XP machine to the new Windows (which may not work) or get a new Windows PC. If you get a new Windows PC we’ll help you migrate your files, photos and music

We’re here to help

If you still need answers, Ccontact the Computer Company about the end of Windows XP support. And if you’re concerned about moving your personal files, photos, music and more when you upgrade, we can help you transfer it.

 Hartford Location

15 Commerce Drive

Cromwell, CT 06416

860.635.0500

800 418 2358

info@computercompany.net