Despite postal increases, paper price increases, regulations tightening for security and machineability reasons, direct mail is still the most effective way to reach a defined large scale audience, build sales and brand awareness, and move units. It is direct, it’s accountable, it’s relatively predictable and efficient, and it can be tested and refined to maximize results.

For those just entering the arena of marketing, and for some seasoned professionals who are stuck in a rut or have been cornered by their corporate circumstances, sometimes it’s best to return to basics to boost response, for the keys to success are often there in plain sight.

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“People used what they called a telephone because they hated being close together and they were scared of being alone.” Chuck Palahniuk could be right and wrong! In the world of e-commerce, the telephone could be the single most important tool next to your car keys. An online merchant will not exist and survive in the cutthroat world of online business without key customer service tools. First and foremost, the phone! It’s true that people do not want to literally knock on the company’s door to ask for technical support when they’re having trouble. But they also do not want to be left hanging in the air not knowing who to contact when they need help. If you can provide this means of contact and more, your online business has crossed the line from zero profit to a treasure trove.

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One would think at first glance, that being a massage therapist is a great way to do wonderful things for people and make a good living. Massages are priced at anywhere from $70 and hour to $100 for an hour. And besides a massage table for a few hundred dollars, sheets and oils there is not much more that needs to be purchased. Does that not translate into a substantial amount of money in your pocket?

Well, the reality is often very different than what massage therapists imagine when they consider this profession, and if you are thinking of making massage therapy a career, there are some things you need to know.

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I could write an entire book about Amazon.com and how to use it to make money. There are so many options, most are free and you should utilize all of them. Many authors complain about the percentage Amazon charges when they list their books for sale and make sales. They complain about the shipping charges and packaging specifications. I do not understand this. If it were not for Amazon.com I would not have as many sales and customers as I do. I am grateful that Amazon is there for me to utilize and make money with. There is nothing else like it, look at Barnes & Noble for example. They are not just a chain of book stores but have an online presence just like Amazon. They do not have the audience, power or free tools for authors that Amazon does and therefore are not as successful. In my opinion you are missing out if you don’t utilize all Amazon has to offer you as an author.

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Websites have become very sophisticated and the demand for quality content is systematically increasing. Consumers have become very demanding in terms of the knowledge-based content an online business has available on their site.

One of the ways you can add new content to your site in a way that is potentially hands free is through the use of a third party Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feed.

In most cases you will need permission to do what I am about to suggest, but you will also find some resources that see this idea as a marketing boon for their online business and offer it without the need to ask.

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After working with numerous businesses and executives, I have noticed that sometimes individuals who are in industry of performance improvement will literally use the same words that I have been using whether verbally or in writing. Now, I could panic and be concerned about these competitors be they business coaches, life coaches, executive coaches or business consultants, but I know that they are only imitators and not innovators.

To be that Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits is risky. You will see others copying your actions. However, these individuals lack the substance necessary to be the real McCoy. For if they were innovators, they would not have to copy your words.

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If you are, as I suspect, a “solopreneur,” meaning you handle everything from opening your business in the morning to signing checks and taking out the trash, I have a wakeup call for you. You could be doing a whole lot better. By being the only person in your business, you’re likely missing the bigger picture (it’s hard to plan strategy when you’re putting price tags on inventory).

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So you have your business up and running. You have your product, your market and hopefully your marketing strategy. All is well until you hear the dreaded words “What’s your website address?”

Panic sets in when you realize you don’t actually have one. Well that’s actually a little unfair, a lot of people do, but I constantly come into contact with people who have simply avoided one of the best (for best read most used and cheapest to implement) media outlets of today because they don’t know how to begin utilizing it.

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