An Example of Business Automation - eCards with pizazz

The last time I spoke and went into a bit of detail on business automation. Today I would like to give you some details of how I actually used it personally so you get to see first-hand what I wanted, how I went about doing it and finally executing it.

Last month was Christmas. Of course, having a lot of customers, friends, family and associates I wanted to send Christmas greetings and/or Holiday wishes. So I thought about this and came up with the following criteria.

1. I wanted to send greetings to approximately 130 people. These people are in my email list.
2. The greetings had to be personalized wherever possible.
3. The greetings had to have my corporate logo with a link to my web site.
4. The greetings had to divided into separate groups for customization purposes.
5. Once setup, the "system" would have to track viewer statistics.
6. I should be able to "select" anyone from my list to send a "special" card.
7. Once setup, the "system" should automate the entire process so I can take a "Hands-off" approach.
8. The system should be capable of displaying a specific font and generate the card on the fly to my visitor. And should also be capable of playing a suitable Christmas carol in the background.
9. Finally, the system should be capable of allowing me to reuse for other occasions.

Armed with these requirements I went about searching the Internet for a suitable application (of course, why reinvent the wheel?). Guess what? I didn't find any. Yes, there are a lot of e-card places out there but tell me which one will match my criteria above?

So, I decided to write a little "system" for myself. The "system" took me 3 hours of development and 1 hour of tweaking. When it was done and tested, I launched it. It took me 5 minutes to send the 130+ cards out. Here's what it did:

1. Allowed me to select groups of contacts based on criteria I provided.
2. Allowed me to select a card and appropriate music to be sent.
3. Customized each email to the recipients name or alternate greetings (ex: John and family, instead of John Doe).
4. Inserted the name of the contact in appropriate places making the email even more personal.
5. Sent the email out with the appropriate link to "view" the greeting.
6. Created an electronic log of who the greeting was sent out to, when (date and time) and details of the greeting.
7. Tracked when a person opened the greeting to view the e-card (and how many times).
8. Created a "on-the-fly" greeting that was customized to greet my visitor the way I set it to be.
9. Brought my contact to my web site (www.netmedian.com) contact page with a personalized message to them.

Not bad for four hours of work. I was happy to say that from all the emails that my contacts received (some did not because of Hotmail accounts - lesson learned), 100% clicked on the link, visited my web site and sent me thank you's, reciprocal greetings or just general comments.

Needless to say I was happy because it saved me hours in going out, getting cards, personalizing it, mailing it etc. etc.. With this "system" I not only saved hours but will continue to save them every time I use it.

Can this system be extended? You bet. My plans are to extend it to start creating gentle reminders to me on special "anniversary" dates of my clients, friends, family. This way, I will let the system do the work from my "working" list. The ultimate idea would be to create a system that would automatically allow me to stay in constant contact with my contacts. Something every business should be doing anyways. talk about a win-win situation.

Would you like to take advantage of my handy "system"? Send me an email and I can see how we can set you up.

Elvin Picardo
Delivering Net Results to Small Business
Author of numerous articles on Web Development and Internet Marketing
10723 159th St, Surrey, BC V4N 3J1 Canada
http://www.netmedian.com
Contact me

---

Survival Tips For Small Businesses

You may be in Mail Order, Direct Mail, or you... Read More

Operating Your Small Business ? Everything Really Is a Project

Do you operate your business as a series of projects,... Read More

Freelance Tips: How to Cope with Spring Fever When Theres Work to Be Done

We all know how glorious those first warm days of... Read More

How To Accept Credit Cards

If you plan to do business online, then your website... Read More

How to Promote Yourself to Small Business Riches

You've heard it before; we're living in an information age.... Read More

How to Prepare for Your Start-Up Venture!

When you awoke this morning, you found yourself buzzing with... Read More

How the Humble Ice Cube Made Business History

Gather round while I tell you the story of Kennebec... Read More

Making Your Purpose Your Business Step #2- Getting From Point A to Point B

In my previous article, Step 1, your challenge for the... Read More

6 Steps to a Successful Medical Spa Expansion

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, since... Read More

Do You Really Need a Toll-Free Number for Your Business?

Do You Really Need a Toll-Free Number for Your Business?... Read More

Finding the Right People for your Business

Where do you find the right people for a business... Read More

The Key to Small Business Growth? Buyer Alignment

Unfortunately for all buyers, each selling organization and their individual... Read More

How To Cut Expenses And Manage Your Business

If you own a small business, you should know that... Read More

Window Cleaning Business Start Up

Should you buy a business opportunity or Franchise if you... Read More

Small Business Survival Tips

No matter what kind of small business you have, you... Read More

Going Public: The Process for Small and Mid-size Companies to Go Public

It's the dream of every person who starts a business... Read More

Procrastinate Your Way To A Successful Small Business

What will your business look like a year from today?If... Read More

Do You Make These 7 Deadly Cash Flow Mistakes?

Managing cash flow is every small business owner's most important... Read More

Todays Chef, Tomorrows Restaurateur -- Startup Tips by Restaurant Consultants Inc

Researching information for a recent business plan, I came across... Read More

Women and Small Business

In the book Women and Small Business author gives all... Read More

How to Promote Your Business by Entering Contests

You are probably hard at work promoting your business (and... Read More

Recognizing Employees? Contributions Can Go a Long Way

Every employee would like to earn as high a salary... Read More

Start a Resume Writing Service for Profit

The resume writing service serves an important role in the... Read More

Loose Lips Sink Ships - The Fastest Way to Put Yourself Out of Business

I agree that knowledge should be free, but the next... Read More

Two Types Of Business Plan Cover Pages ? Which One Are You Using?

This is the tale of two business plans with very... Read More

Want to Grow Your Business? Make an Irresistible Offer

My clients and many of my readers are small and... Read More

More Business Card Marketing

If you are worried about how many different business cards... Read More

Small Business Franchise Opportunities

Many businesses offer small business franchise opportunities. There are many... Read More

Banking and Company Credit Card Policies for Small Business

Does your small business have a banking and credit card... Read More

Do You Microbifer in Your Cleaning Business?

Microfiber cleaning towels have been around for about ten years... Read More

The Game Plan ? The Difference Between Small Business Success And Failure

It is an American dream to own a business. But... Read More

Franchising Industry Burdened in Over Regulation

There were only an estimated 1800 active franchisors in this... Read More

Local Search and Internet Yellow Pages - A Whole NewVocabulary for Small Businesss

Buyers want both online and local information about where to... Read More