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Serve it up right!
Subject Line: TWM's Release - #10: Serve it up right!
CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Editor's Remarks by Terry Kent
2. Corrections for last month
3. How to Start Your Own Ezine - Part II
a) Finding the Right List Server.
b) What the Experts Use - Special Guests:
David Handlos, Roger Whittaker, and Greg Leveto
4. What's New at The Write Market
5. Get Your Ad in TWM's Release!
6. Administrative Information
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EDITOR'S REMARKS
Welcome all new subscribers!
I know that Renee ranted last month about "service", but due
to our recent problems with our web site host, now it's my turn
to rant. This editorial will not only show you the importance of
customer service, it will also show just how little I cook and how
much I eat out.
In my area there are several fast food restaurants, all part of the
same chain. There's the one with a sign at the drive-thru window
that states, "fastest drive thru in town." They are, in fact, the
slowest drive-thru in town. There's a second one where I sat at
the drive-thru window waiting for service (nothing happened at
the speaker so I drove up to the window - uninvited) and watched
as a young woman mopped the floor and ignored me. She even
stopped at one point to stare back at me for a moment. I ended
up driving away, apparently the drive-thru wasn't open that day?!
There's another restaurant in the same chain where the
employees all look like they're about to commit suicide; they
pout, slouch over the register, never look you in the eye, mumble
every word and look absolutely miserable the whole time they
wait on you. The final restaurant in the area (same chain) has
never done an order right. Even something as simple as a kid's
meal with a diet drink got me a "Mr. Pibbs" drink (I don't even
know who Mr. Pibb is).
What this leads me to conclude is that this chain feels service
isn't important. Their food is what keeps me coming back, but I
have changed my habits trying to accommodate them. I now check
everything in my order before pulling away from the drive-thru or
walking away from the counter (regardless of how many people
are behind me). You and I apparently have no idea how hard it is
to get a diet drink correct.
I am on the verge of boycotting this chain. It's just that it's so
convenient, and I happen to love their french fries. It will only take
a few more instances, however, to force my hand.
How does this relate to the internet? Last month, we had a
major league problem with our host. Our web site was down for
the better part of two weeks. We only figured out what was
happening through discussion boards and eventually a news
site mentioned the problem. All we knew was that our site was
down and that meant that our business was down.
After trying to reach them for days we finally got a recorded
message, "we are having a domain name server problem, but
sites will be back up in 3 hours." Several DAYS later, the site
finally reappeared. It flickered in and out of existence for several
more days before it stabilized. This entire time we were trying to
figure out what we should do. Their lack of responsiveness was
driving me over the edge. I wanted out, and I wanted out
IMMEDIATELY.
After Renee calmed me down, we debated for a while on what
to do. Switching wasn't going to be convenient and Renee was
afraid we'd have more down time while we switched over. We
decided to spend our down time looking for another
host. Then when we finally could get a hold of someone at our
host, we would hopefully be able to say, "Adios."
In our search we finally found two hosts, one for our existing site
and one for our new site. The two new sites will cost us less than
the old one.
The thing that we looked for first and foremost, though, was
responsiveness. Both new hosts responded to our emails in a
few hours or a few minutes. They were helpful and respectful. We
rejected several possibilities on this criteria alone. The ones
that didn't respond or were just a little too short with their
answers were dismissed right away.
Our original host's act of responsiveness was to offer anyone
affected 1,000 megs of space. Fine (like I need a GIG of space).
This was not good enough for us. They never really apologized
or tried to contact anyone - even their own site was down for
most of this time period.
In the end, the hosts we found are much smaller companies than
our original host. I think that sometimes, the bigger they are
doesn't necessarily mean the better they are. People tend to go
with what they know, or stay with what they know because they
fear the unknown. Sometimes, it's easier to stay and deal with it
than to leave. That's also why I feel that the service in the fast
food industry could just plain stink and we'll still continue to
frequent their establishments.
The small guy, though, needs to excel at service just to have a
chance to survive. We never heard of our new hosts before, they
simply impressed us with their attitude. It takes more than a good
product to succeed on the web these days - it only takes being
burned once to become savvy to bad service. You have to WOW
them with your knowledge, attitude, and responsiveness if you ever
want to have a hope of competing with the big guys.
pheeewwww,
Terry Kent
tkent@thewritemarket.com
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CORRECTIONS
1. Don Eubanks of http://www.symmesmusic.com/
(An awesome
site for sheet music and karaoke tapes.) writes,
"Interesting article on your shopping experiences. I was wondering
if before you wrote this article did you contact KBkids to give them
an opportunity to respond to your concerns? As a business owner
I want to know if customers have not had a good experience.
Maybe there is nothing I can do about some things, but if I am
contacted at least I have a chance to try and explain why things are
done a certain way. If you did express your concerns to them I think
you should have also reported their response."
No, I did not contact them. But Don is right - I should have tried to
contact them and maybe they would have made amends. I guess
I was pretty hard on KBKids without giving them a chance to
explain. (However, I should mention that we did give our web host
many chances to explain, in Terry's example above. We tried
contacting them and they were totally unresponsive.)
2. Christina Gibbs of http://webxina.kerchunk.com/
(An eclectic bunch of stuff including rubber stamps!)
and Duncan Johnson of http://djd.freeservers.com
(Free Flight Simulator downloadable add-ons, info, and
more!)
both pointed out that "Tribulations" means almost the same
thing as "Trials".
For some unknown reason, I thought that "Tribulations" was the
opposite of "Trials". (I was somehow associating "tribulation" with
"trumpeting".)
So... I had to rename the article that used this phrase. It's now
called, "Should You Start Your Own Ezine?"
I've also rewritten the article slightly - you may read it here:
http://www.thewritemarket.com/ezine.shtml
(You may want to bookmark this page - that's where we'll
be keeping the "How to Start Your Own Ezine" tutorial.)
Renee Kennedy
Correction Specialist
rkennedy@thewritemarket.com
__________________
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_____________________________________
FINDING THE RIGHT MAILING LIST PROGRAM
by Renee Kennedy
If you are new to this tutorial, please read last month's
installment at:
http://www.thewritemarket.com/ezine.shtml
In this installment, we will cover the technical issues
associated with maintaining a mailing list and several
programs that you can use to keep track of your mailing
list and send out your publication.
Technical Issues:
1. Subscribe - how will people subscribe to your mailing list?
Usually, you will have an email address that people can use to
subscribe to your mailing list. They simply send an email to an
address (subscribe@thewritmarket.com) and they will
automatically be placed on your mailing list. All of the
programs or List Servers that we cover below offer an
"automatic subscribe function".
2. Unsubscribe or Remove - how will people get off your list,
if they want to? This may be handled manually or automatically.
In most cases you will have either a form or an email address
that people may use to be removed from your mailing list.
3. Error Mails or Undeliverables - how will you handle all those
undeliverable emails? When you start publishing, many of your
subscribers may change their address and not inform you.
When you send out your ezine, you will quickly find out about
undeliverable email. Some of the programs below will handle
removing undeliverables from your mailing list automatically.
4. Archives - how will you archive your ezine? Why should you
archive your ezine? Archives are helpful because you can refer
people to them. Many people may want to read your archives
before subscribing to your newsletter. Some people may want to
read them for the information they contain. You may want to refer
back to them for what you wrote in previous issues. Some of the
programs below will automatically archive each issue of your ezine.
5. Mailloops - what if your newsletter gets caught in a never ending
mailloop? This means that you send out your newsletter and the
address you send it to has an autorespond message, so it sends
you back a message and then your address sends them back a
message, etc. etc. Some programs will handle this problem,
others won't.
6. Security Features - are you fearful that your mail list will be
discovered by spammers? If so, then you will desire security
features on your mailing list program.
7. Double Opt In - this means that people must send an email
to an address, they receive an email, and they must reply to that
email in order to be included on your list. (They have sent out
two emails or fill out one form and reply to one email in order
to be included on the list.) Because your subscriber is acting
twice - it's called - "double" opt-in.
Five programs you can use to send out your email list:
1. A regular, old email program. Suggestions: Eudora or
Pegasus (both shareware). These email programs may be
configured to auto subscribe and auto unsubscribe people to your
mailing list. It is a very simple way to maintain your mailing list.
You will be in full control of your list, but you will also be required to
do a little bit more manual work than a list server would offer. Be
sure to read Greg Leveto's explanation below.
2. A free List Server that comes with your host. Many hosts are
now offering a free List Server. This offers you the ability to have
auto subscribe. It doesn't handle auto unsubscribe or any of the
other technical issues mentioned above. It requires manual work
to maintain, however, you have full control over all aspects.
Read my explanation of this type of List Server below.
3. A free Mailing List Provider. You don't need your own host.
The following sites will host it for you. The following services are
free - however, they will usually include their own ads at the bottom
of every issue of your ezine. Usually, all of the technical issues
above are addressed with these providers.
http://bravenet.com
http://egroups.com/
http://www.OneList.com (David Handlos explains this one below.)
http://www.listbot.com (Roger Whittaker explains this one.)
http://www.coollist.com
http://www.topica.com
4. A paid for Mailing List Provider. These websites will charge
you for maintaining your list. All of the technical issues are
addressed by these providers.
http://www.revnet.com
http://www.oaknetpub.com $35/month (last time I checked) they
also will run your ad campaign for you - and deduct what you make
in ads from your fee.
5. Mailing List Software or Scripts - both free and for sale. I have
to admit that I really don't know a lot about this option. However, I
have to let you know that it's there. (If anyone has used a script
like this and would like to do a write-up on it, I will include it in the
next issue of TWM's Release.)
You can find this type of program at places that offer CGI scripts.
http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/
(Check out Mailing List Management)
http://icthus.net/CGI-City/index.shtml
Subscribe Me Pro can be found at:
http://www.cgiscriptcenter.com/
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WHAT THE EXPERTS USE
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OneList
by David Handlos
When I decided to find a web-based service to host my newsletter,
I researched several places, and finally signed up with Onelist
, since it fulfilled three very important
criteria for me:
1) Onelist doesn't limit your # of subscribers.
2) It has decent anti-spam features.
3) It's free!
After signup, the moderator(you), has complete control over the
list. The moderator controls who can send messages to the list,
and can ban users trying to spam the list. It can be a great help
in stopping autoresponder addresses and spammers.
Even the moderator would have a problem spamming the readers.
A moderator can only add 100 email addresses at a time, and
each one is sent a message notifying them that they have been
added.
All of the list's messages can set to be archived on the Web.
The archives can be set as public, so that anyone can see
past messages. There's also a private setting, so only
registered members of the list can browse through the
back issues.
Subscribing or unsubscribing to a newsletter on Onelist
is pretty simple. People can send a blank email to:
to subscribe,
or to unsubscribe from a
list.
Onelist's features work quite well, but some of their features can
also work against it:
1) Since moderators can only add 100 addresses at a time, anyone
who wants to move a large existing list to Onelist would have to contact
the Onelist staff for help, or spend hours adding members 100 at a time.
2) Since it is a free service, it attaches a small ad to the bottom of
any message that is sent. Companies concerned with maintaining
a professional image may have a problem with having another
business posting an advertisement on their messages.
Onelist's free newsletter service is simple to set up, simple to use,
with a surprising number of features. If you're interested in starting a
publication for free, and don't mind a small ad at the bottom of each
issue, Onelist may be the service for you.
David Handlos
CrossLinkz.com: Free Stuff Directory
http://www.crosslinkz.com
Need to find something for free? Subscribe to the
Top Picks Newsletter for our biweekly helping of freebies.
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Listbot
by Roger Whittaker
is a popular web based mailing list program.
So what, you say? Staying in touch with clients is an important
marketing tool, and rather than setting up software (whether on your
computer or server), or spending hours maintaining and updating
the software, Listbot is ready to go, right now.
Have you ever noticed that it can be challenging, from the web visitors
point of view, to enroll/signup for an email list. Or even worse, to remove
yourself from an email list? When a user signs up at *any* web site that
uses Listbot, they don't have to retype any of their information, it does
this for them automatically.
In fact, a web visitor can visit the Listbot member section, and remove
themselves at any time. They can also send an email to a special email
address to be removed. They can even use a web form, and rather than
subscribe, they can choose unsubscribe. The user is left in control of
their account and information, something they feel comfortable about.
If a user already trusts the Listbot name and/or service, they may be more
apt to sign up for your newsletter. It's unfortunate, but it is sometimes
risky giving out a personal or business email address to a web site. This
may be a step in the right direction by helping add one more element of
credibility for your web site.
I hear you, but I'm sure it must cost too much.
Nope. That's the best part, it's free! However, for those higher end
needs, they do have a premium service ($19.95 a month) that includes
Listbot Gold, 5,000 monthly Link Exchange banners, and Submit It services.
So where do I get started? I'll bet you have several outstanding questions
related to your specific needs. The best place I suggest starting is
visiting Listbot's home page http://listbot.com, and then review the
Frequently Asked Questions for the List Owner.
It's all about establishing the right relationship with your web visitor.
Listbot has been a time saver and an effective tool in sending our email
newsletters.
Will it be good for me? Give it a try, it's free!
Roger Whittaker Roger@giftfriends.com of Whittaker Technologies,
LLC. online provider of 100's of popular gifts for every occasion at
GiftFriends.com, http://www.giftfriends.com, and online provider of business
and webmaster resources at http://www.startyourbusinessday.com.
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Pegasus Mail
by Greg Leveto
Pegasus Mail is NOT a listserver, it's simply an email program
with distribution list capabilities.
It's Freeware, available for download on the web at
http://www.pegasus.usa.com/
Features:
a. automatic subscribe (by an email address) -- yes
b. automatic unsubscribe (by an email address) -- yes
c. automatic removal of undeliverables or error mails -- no
d. archives -- no
e. mailloops -- no
f. security features -- everything is contained on my PC -- not on
the web.
g. double opt-in -- this is available if companion program "Mercury"
is installed. I can also use my web host autoresponders, then feed
subscribers to me at the subscribe email address.
Recommended only for small lists. I have about 200-250
subscribers. With auto subscribe/unsubscribe, there is no work.
It takes a few minutes to delist bad addresses each issue -- these
are mostly from email spammers. It's simple. It's free. It's 100%
under my control. I also use it for daily email instead of Eudora --
Pegasus has more basic features. Companion program "Mercury"
can extend the features. Also a list of add-ons available from their
site. Support is handled from other users with good response.
However, there are no real bells and whistles. If you don't know
what you are doing, or want to spend no time on your list, then a
listserver may be easier, and more intuitive .
I don't use a subscribe confirmation, but it could be rigged with
an autoresponder. You could have subscribe info go to an
autoresponder for a return email containing the "real" subscribe
address. This could eliminate most of the email spammer
addresses then they would not have to be manually deleted.
Then the only maintenance would be manual removal of "dead"
addresses.
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A List Server Provided Through Your Host
by Renee Kennedy
The price of this List Server will depend on your web host.
If you shop around, the host should provide this for free.
Features:
a. automatic subscribe (by an email address) -- yes
b. automatic unsubscribe (by an email address) -- no
c. automatic removal of undeliverables or error mails -- no
d. archives -- no
e. mailloops (autorespond messages) -- no
f. security features -- no
Recommended only for small lists. Usually this type of
program will not take more than 1,000 subscribers on the list.
You can make a couple lists, if you go over 1,000 subscribers -
our host allows us to keep as many lists as we like.
This type of list is an excellent way to start out your ezine. It's
free, everything is within your control, email addresses are
stored on your server with your website, you can add and
delete people from the list as you choose. The autosubscribe
function takes away a lot of work.
It would be much better with an auto unsubscribe function -
but - it really only takes about an hour each month to delete
all of the bad email addresses and all of the unsubscribes.
Because it's free, I'm willing to spend that hour.
The other thing I like about it is the simplicity. There is no
double opt in - and actually, I like that better. I get worried that
people will forget that second response. I feel more comfortable
deleting them later on if they really don't like or need our ezine.
_______________________________
WHAT'S NEW AT THE WRITE MARKET
A new website:
http://www.allwritedesign.com/
We've archived every issue of TWM's Release -
http://www.thewritemarket.com/archives.shtml
________________________
GET YOUR AD IN THIS EZINE
Getting your ad into TWM's Release
is NO LONGER FREE!
In order to get your ad in the newsletter -
you must answer the contest questions above
OR
find mistakes in this newsletter and send them to
critique@thewritemarket.com - and we'll give you a
free ad or link.
OR
pay us big money and we'll put your ad in!
($5 per issue for a 10 line ad - contact
rkennedy@thewritemarket.com for more info.)
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Copyright 1999 The Write Market
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