| These five indispensable tools will help you to | | | | marketing essential. Without some form of contact |
| compile, respond to, maintain, track and otherwise | | | | management database, you'll be swimming "upstream |
| gain control of your marketing efforts online. All of | | | | against the flow" in the management of your past, |
| them are even available for free or at a very minimal | | | | present and potential clients. It's all too easy to be |
| cost. While you might be able to function for an initial | | | | overwhelmed. Later you may opt to install a contact |
| period without some of these, ultimately you'll need | | | | management database like ACT! or Goldmine, but |
| them all if you're going to grow an online business. | | | | while you're growing your online network a list server |
| The "fabulous five" essential online tools include: | | | | will do nicely. Have a look at these:o An overview of |
| 1. An E-mail account | | | | the principal list servers and their features as well as |
| The first essential tool is an e-mail account capable of | | | | providing the download access pages for them is at: |
| handling large quantities of mail, large attachments | | | | allows users to create their own internet newsletters |
| and file sizes. Most free e-mail accounts aren't really | | | | in plain text or HTML, create mailing lists, RSS |
| suitable and many sites and group lists don't accept | | | | syndication feeds and is *free* to use. |
| them. Google has by-invitation-only e-mail accounts | | | | 4. A PDF compiler |
| that house a stunning two gigabytes of storage. | | | | If your products and services include distribution of |
| (gmail.google.com/) Hotmail now offers 250 | | | | e-booklets, e-reports, e-books or other online |
| megabytes of free e-mail storage which in itself isn't | | | | info-products, you'll need to put many of them into |
| too shabby either. There are so many others that | | | | pdf format. This format helps protect your |
| just typing in "free e-mail" into a search engine will | | | | documents from copying and other pilferage and is |
| yield scores of sites including those from Netscape, | | | | an accepted industry standard for online document |
| Yahoo, Hotmail, Google, and Lycos among others. | | | | and e-book distribution. Free pdf compiler software, |
| 2. An auto-responder | | | | with tutorials, is available online at these sites:o |
| Initially, you also may be able to self-respond to the | | | | 5. A website |
| incoming messages to your e-mail account, but | | | | Although it's quite possible to market services and |
| eventually, if your marketing campaign is working, | | | | products online without the associated costs, |
| you won't be able to manage all your inquiry traffic | | | | programming and hassles of a website, ultimately it is |
| without assistance. That's where the auto-responder | | | | an essential tool that is highly effective in showcasing |
| will come in handy. It will acknowledge incoming mails | | | | your wares, whatever they may be. Aspects of |
| as they arrive with your pre-determined message, | | | | getting and maintaining a website are too numerous |
| saving you, your business and your sanity. There are | | | | to be addressed here. Information on free website |
| numerous good ones available at no cost online. Here | | | | hosting, templates and site management is only a |
| are some for starters:o allows to follow-up on e-mails. | | | | few mouse clicks away. Free website hit counters, |
| The program is free with no adso Another free | | | | website templates and even no-cost hosting services |
| auto-responder is downloadable at: A tutorial on | | | | for a website are at: |
| auto-responders and auto-reply e-mail services as well | | | | Here are more for comparison:o Free web hits |
| as free software downloads is provided at: A free | | | | counter Free web hits counter Free website |
| autobot is available at: is yet another good free | | | | templates Free website templates Free web site |
| auto-responder downloadable from the web. | | | | hosting and utilities are available from: |
| 3. A List server | | | | Using these tools for building, maintaining, marketing |
| Another essential tool for managing your | | | | and promoting online commerce at any level will be |
| soon-to-come throngs of incoming inquiries, requests | | | | indispensable in marketing your products and services |
| and orders is your list server. As you build your opt - | | | | on the internet. This short list is certainly not to be |
| in e-mail list of contacts you'll need a way of sending | | | | considered all-inclusive. Whether you opt for these or |
| messages to all of them at once. Announcements, | | | | other free or paid versions, you can use these five |
| promotions and special notices along with your normal | | | | essential tools to boost your online presence and |
| touch-base e-mails will need to be sent out in a | | | | build your customer base. Hey, shouldn't you be |
| reliable manner. Maintaining customer contact is a | | | | getting busy? |