Companies who offer bulk email marketing services guarantee their clients that each and every email that they send is worth the price. These firms make sure that the bulk email is received by the target audience as legitimate emails, not as spam.

The prices for this service vary depending on the number of emails to be sent. Bulk email marketing services have a price range of $99 for 100,000 individuals to $1499 for 10,000,000.

Bulk Email Hosting

One of the various methods of Internet marketing in the is bulk email. This type of advertising relies on sending email advertisements to individuals, giving the advertising a more personal approach. A business that would like to advertise using this method is more or less likely to make use of bulk email hosting.

Bulk email hosting is a good way to get ahead of the competition in the digital world of advertising products and services. This is because the World Wide Web does not hold any restrictions regarding the range and scope of who it reaches when compared to television, radio, and print media. And unlike these forms of media, advertising via bulk email hosting is much cheaper. Furthermore, although other forms of advertising have been growing through the Internet (i.e., pop-ups, banners, links, graphics, and short movies) bulk email hosting still is a notch ahead because it talks to the market on a personal level.

Bulk email hosting could actually be done in the comforts of a person's home. However, some companies also offer this kind of service to businesses and interested individuals or organizations. Of course, there are fees as a part of this. There are various rates for the different purposes that bulk email hosting might be used for, including such as businesses as adult content, travel, or credit reports.

There are different specifications for the various companies who offer bulk email hosting. It could include details as how the bulk email would be sent and received, how much disk space could be used, and how much information the company could include in the email message itself.

For modern business, bulk email -also known as spam mail- has become one of the more successful ways to market and advertise a company's products and services. But like any marketing strategy, bulk emailing has its share of advantages and disadvantages.

One of the downsides to bulk email is that it may not reach its target recipient. This can be blamed on bulk email blockers programmed into email accounts. Blockers segregate bulk email into a separate email folder, so the reader cannot directly access it from his inbox.

On the other hand, one of the advantages of bulk emailing is that it has the power to communicate directly to the target market. Such communication is done individually, so much so that the recipient may be able to identify personally with the message. Another benefit for businesses using this strategy is that they do not have to spend so much on advertising. Using bulk email is actually much cheaper than utilizing print advertisements or radio and television commercials.

So how does one send bulk email? One of the most common ways of doing so is by signing up for bulk email services and hosting. Companies that offer this kind of service provide a variety of product packages with different specifications. It will be up to the client to evaluate what kind of plan best suits the needs of his business. Of course, the client will also have to choose a reputable company to provide these services. Information on companies that offer bulk email services and hosting are available online.

Another way of sending bulk email is through the use of computer software. There are programs that have been designed to serve this specific purpose. Try checking the Internet for different kinds of software and the options they offer.

Does your business have a lot of overhead? Do you feel like your spending too much money in certain areas of your business? If you said no then you’re either untruthful or you are not fully aware of the ways in which you can minimize your resources to save money and reduce your company’s overhead. The following article explains the positive consequences of implementing a Web-based system to manage and automate certain aspects of your business. First, let me start off by clarifying something. You do not have to be an “online” or e-business to effectively utilize a Web-based system. This is something that can be used by any business. Whether you sell shoes online, landscape yards, paint houses or perform accounting services from the luxury of your own home, you can benefit from a Web-based system.

Ok, now that I got that off my chest, let’s move on to how and why this will benefit you, your employees and ultimately your business. This is a great formula for success.

How?

One way, is to setup an Intranet that can only be accessed from within your company’s internal network. This is usually a solution for a small- or medium-sized business that have 25 or more employees. This will allow each employee to have the rights and privileges to one centralized system and gain access to certain back-end features.

Another way, and the best way in my mind for a small business, is to integrate a system into a back-end section of your existing website. This will allow employees of your company to have a login and gain access to certain back-end features that will allow them to manage accounts, view sales reports, send HTML newsletters, manage the content of your website through a Content Management Component and much more.

This is a perfect solution because it will allow your business to grow in conjunction with your website. Anytime you want to add a product, you can easily add it through the back-end; anytime you want to send an HTML newsletter, the system will already know your most recent customers who purchased a product or service off your website and include them in your next newsletter campaign.

Setting up a Web-based system is important for every business and I’m confident that if it’s setup correctly, you will receive a great return on your investment (ROI).

Why?

More importantly, let’s discuss the reasons why you should implement a Web-based system for your business. The following are the top reasons that motivate me to recommend implementing a Web-based system to every single one of my clients.

1. Centralization – Implementing a Web-based system will provide you and your business with the ability to consolidate all information into one centralized database. By adding all back-end functionality, which is necessary for the daily operations of each employee, you will be collecting and performing tasks for many areas of your business from one central application.
2. Automation – Let’s say you sell products. But more importantly, let’s say your customers have to call you or your business to make their purchases over the phone. First of all, this can become quite burdensome and expensive if you receive a high call-volume. In order to handle all those sales, you most likely have representatives standing by taking orders over the phone. Secondly, how do you track your sales? Are you taking these orders by writing them down on paper and then manually entering the data into an Excel spreadsheet or other software application so you can generate your reports? Now let’s say you had a Web-based system that allowed your customers to login to the back-end of your website and make the purchases automatically. This would allow you to reduce your employee overhead and at the same time allow you to view updated sales data, at any time, through automated sales reports.
3. Growth – If you’re able to centralize your company’s data while automating the back-end operations of your business then your business will drastically improve. Providing this type of opportunity can be highly beneficial and will allow your business to grow tenfold. By centralizing your data, you will provide a system to your users that will naturally increase their productivity. At the same time, if you’re able to automate certain areas of your business then you will logically reduce your company’s overhead.

Building a website on your own can be a long and drawn out task. Making it even longer is learning how to do it all: planning, design, and coding. But with a little knowledge, a few tools, and a tip in the right direction, you can easily build your website for free.

Start off by getting some knowledge on HTML (hyper text markup language). This is the basic code used to tell web browsers like Internet Explorer how to draw a web page.

Whenever I first learned HTML, nobody was there to teach me. The internet was young and tutorials were limited. Now you can check out sites like http://www.w3schools.com which is loaded with free tutorials, working code examples, and links to books you can purchase for learning. Take advantage of these offers and get familiar with the code.

Next, download some free tools. Below is a list of Windows freeware HTML editors, a powerful graphics editor, and FTP software (for uploading your website once complete). Freeware is software that is free to download and use, with no restrictions or payment required. Most of this software is as good or better than the commercial (high-priced) programs. So take advantage of the author's generosity and grab yours now.

* The Gimp (http://www.gimp.org): A very useful, very powerful graphics editor that any do-it-yourselfer would be happy to own. Create eye-popping designs and save images in several “web-ready” formats.

* Alleycode (http://www.alleycode.com): Once you learn HTML, you'll love this program. It gives you tons of precoded HTML tags and JavaScripts saving you hours on coding time.

* NVU (http://www.nvu.com): Until you learn HTML coding, try NVU. It lets you position images and text just like Microsoft® Office programs. You don't even need to know HTML to use it. The last time I checked, this one came bundled with other useful programs too.

* Pablo's Web Editor (http://www.pablosoftwaresolutions.com/html/wysiwyg_web_builder.html): This editor is similar to the one above, but this one gives you more control over tables.

* Deluxe FTP (http://www.download.com/DeluxeFTP/3000-2160_4-10352949.html): I still use this program on all my machines, even while running a professional web design firm. An FTP program allows you to upload your web designs (pages, content, images, and codes) more easily to the web. Your web host will provide you with FTP access, so this program will come in handy.

Before you start coding blindly, stop and think about your website. A poorly designed website reflects in the finished product and you don't want a mediocre image for your business. So plan it out first. What is the purpose: to show off your products for sale or to act as a brochure for your company or service? Take out a piece of paper and write down your website purpose. Now you can start.

The most important part of your website isn't beautiful images or even content – it's navigation. Users who can't find your content can't read it, so making links visible and in plain sight is important. Place your navigation links on the top 1/3 of your home page real estate. Use “alt” tags with images and group important site navigation links together. Alt tags allow visitors to see where your links lead, even if they can't see the image you provide.

Consider colors too. There's an interesting article here (http://iit.bloomu.edu/vthc/Design/psychology.htm) about the effects of color on our minds and emotions. Read it and take note whenever you're considering colors for your business website. If you already have a logo and color scheme that works for your company, great! This part will be simple.

Next, take a look at other websites and get a few ideas. Many customers have come to me with “ideal” web designs they'd like based on other websites they've seen. So check out a few you like, but don't copy images or content. Just get a feel for the website, how everything flows, and decide why the layout “works.” Design your own site to have that same feel.

Most layouts use tables, columns, and white-space to provide clean design; and the best websites use images sparingly. A visitor who has to wait 5 minutes for an image to load will leave in seconds.

Which leads us to images. Photos and other graphics can make a powerful impact on your visitors, readers, and customers. But content is still the reason we all look for information. Imagine a department store ad with just pictures and no descriptions or prices. They'd be out of business fast. So always strive for 75% text content with 25% graphics. This ratio will keep your website search engine popular and user friendly.

Use the GIMP (see above) to draw your images, create anti-aliased text (text that doesn't look jagged), and save in gif, jpg, or png format. These image formats are easily read by web browsers. Also, keep your image size down below 25 kb if possible – they will load faster.

After you've finished designing your images, it's time to put it all together with your text and other content. Use one of the free HTML editors above to either position everything the way you want or code it by hand (if you know HTML). Be sure to check your spelling, include all the links your customers/visitors need, and add a way for users to contact you by email or phone. Ask friends, family, and colleagues for their opinion too. They are your best “in-house” quality control.

Now you're ready to upload everything to your web server. Use a FTP program to copy files (your content, images, and graphics) from your computer to your web host's server. These files are not deleted from your computer, so don't worry. After everything is uploaded, log on to your website and make sure it all works.

As you need them, add guestbooks, order forms, and other interactive ways for customers to reach you and order your products. Design from your users point of view and you'll never go wrong.

So you really need to build a website, now you know how! Even with very little knowledge of HTML or design you can create a great starter website for free. Once you've grown your business, and see a steady income, contact a web design team like mine at Dennis Web Crafting (http://miden.43i.net). We have the experience and tools to create a professional and affordable website for your company. By using a small business design firm, you'll save yourself the work and the cost of expensive software.

Before I identify who should be considering setting up a subscription website, it would be a good idea to define exactly what a subscription website is.

There are two inter-changeable terms; a subscription website and membership website. Most people don't differentiate between the two.

A subscription or membership website is a site which has a password protected member area. Visitors to the site have to register their details and usually make a payment before being issued with a password. The password gives them access to a member-only content. The content is usually text articles, but it can be applications, digital downloads or streamed video and audio clips.

In the traditional print world the subscription website can be compared to a specialist newsletter or magazine. But the internet has some major advantages over print. There are almost zero distribution costs, they can attract a global audience, they can be run from anywhere in the world, content can be archived in a searchable format and most importantly members are able to interact with one another creating a strong sense of community.

These advantages open up subscription websites to a huge number of individuals and organisations who otherwise would not be able to cost effectively sell subscriptions and distribute their information. A site with as few as 500 members can provide a good income for the editor.

Examples of individuals and groups who should consider the online subscription website opportunity are:

• Authors

• Publishers

• Consultants

• Celebrities

• Marketing Experts

• Musicians

• Hobbyists

• Public Speakers

• Personal Coaches

• Sports Coaches

• Business Owners

• Program and Course Developers

• Teachers/ Trainers

• Directors/Producers

• Talent Agents

• Fan Clubs

• Associations/Societies

• Songwriters

• Writers/Journalists/Editors

• Church Groups

• Sports Clubs

• Charities

• Alumni Associations

If you consider that there are over 50 million active blogs on the internet, many of these have a strong and loyal followings......... but they are making very little money from advertising. These are ideal candidates to convert to a subscription website so that they can start earning a proper living from their expertise.

In this article, I'm going to tell you an idea for finding a profitable niche that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere else. Most internet marketers tell you to find a subject that you love or are passionate about, but here's what I think. I take the advice of "sell what you love" with a grain of salt. While I have lots of passions, some I wouldn't want to make money from.

For example, while I've spent about 11 years troubleshooting computer problems, there's no way I want to use those troubleshooting skills online in some way. It would still be hourly labor and it's labor-intensive work. A better solution would be for me to sell computer-related infoproducts to help people fix their own computer problems, if they're inclined to do so.

If you think of yourself as a marketer rather than as someone who sells xyz product, you can find a niche that is potentially profitable ( use http://www.nichebot.com which tells you potential profitability) and learn what you don't know about it.

Here's another underutilized source for niche ideas: If you have any ebook collections, I think they're a goldmine, and not for the reasons people think. If you look at the ones that include special reports-Take for example Free to Sell-If you don't have it, I'm sure you'll find it for $2 on Ebay. There is the Ebusiness Encyclopedia which has dozens of reports you can resell. Now these reports may be outdated but they give you dozens of potential niche market ideas.

Plus you're allowed to take the reports that are there and add to them. And you can do your research right on the web to expand this information into an ebook.

Successful launch of product development hinges heavily on cautious planning, unambiguous characterization, and effectual communication. The said elements become more crucial if you want product development outside the precinct of your company or organization. In order to completely define your outsourced product development projects and accordingly map out your road to success, three primary rungs of analysis must be done with a well thought out process, comprising Product Requirements, Project requirements, and Design Requirements.

Product Requirements

It usually starts with customer or marketing requirements and flows through the system engineering and regulatory process to fully define how the product will look, feel, and perform once it is complete. However, this process is iterative as tradeoffs are made between features and benefits, and the inherent safety, regulatory, and implementation overhead incurred to implement these features, but the end product emerges out as a comprehensive product requirements specification.

Project Requirements

Project requirement is one more critically important process of the product development project analysis. At this stage of analysis, development plans are formulated, tools are selected, norms are established, and communication methods are defined-all these help development team members understand clearly their roles and responsibilities. Clarity at this stage lets the development team concentrate on technical challenges. Precisely, project requirement process sketches out a clear development plan that considers and documents interface points, tools,risks, and defines how information will flow, how system will be used, and how obstacles will be overcome.

Design Transfer Definition

The design transfer definition comes at the final step to ensure successful outsourced product development. At this stage, the structure and content of the design outputs as well as the process by which these outputs will be delivered, are identified and documented. The optimal end result from this process is a sender that fully understands the formats, templates, and best-practices expected by the receiver and a receiver that knows which outputs will be sent and in what format and timeframe to expect them.

Effective Requirements Definition: Key to Outsourcing Success

Requirements identification is the most critical element of a successful outsourced development project. Three primary groups of requirements are: product requirements, project requirements, and design transfer requirements.

Product requirements

Product requirements remain at the core of the product development project. One must know what they are creating in order to successfully realize it. This knowledge needs to be communicated to all members of the development team. This involves fully documenting, reviewing, and clarifying the product requirements. This should be a first step in the project plan.

Project requirements

Identification of Project requirements is the second major identification category necessary for outsourced product development success. These critical factors include required interface points, deliverables, tools, team members and roles, and other project planning items necessary to fully identify how the product will be completed.

Design transfer requirements

The last key requirements definition category is identification of the design transfer requirements. The design transfer requirements describe who needs which deliverables at the end of the project and, more specifically, the format and form that these deliverables must assume to seamlessly integrate into the destination systems. Whether it’s documentation control or a specific, chosen manufacturer, clear definition of how the recipient must receive the project outputs in order to quickly and efficiently finish the product development project pays huge dividends at the end of the successful product development effort.

Bottom Line

With careful, up-front analysis of the product, project, and design transfer requirements as a critical first step, your company will be on the road to outsourced product development success.

Outsourcing today is no longer seen as an option only for repetitive, non-innovative, and non-strategic functions; it is increasingly being evaluated and regarded as a viable option for more strategic business functions. One such area that has seen new and growing interest in outsourcing is outsourced product development.

In the backdrop of speedily changing business environment, stiff competition, and declining market shares, companies have been challenged to expand into new markets, introduce new and innovative products, and apply the latest product development technology to their development work.

In such highly competitive environment, time to market has become the critical differentiator. Companies’ efforts to achieve better time to market have, however, been challenged by following factors:

* Shorter product life cycles
* Technological obsolescence
* Rapid advances in design and engineering technologies
* Increasing design and engineering complexity
* Necessary infrastructure changes required with new technology application to product development

The cited challenges and the more pressing requirements to innovate and introduce new products have only caused product development costs to shoot up further.

Consequently, companies have recognized quickly that working with third party specialists through an outsourcing engagement can help them reduce design cycle times, achieve better time to market, reduce costs, minimize risks, access the latest technology without owning it, improve return on their product development investment, and, in the process, improve the overall competitiveness of their products.

Major outsourcing driving factors :

* Cost efficiency
* Focus on core business
* Reduce/manage risk
* Solve business process issue
* Access to technology
* Optimize application investment
* Headcount reduction
* Transfer management and maintenance
* Achieve cost variability
* Asset reduction
* Access to global expertise
* Derive incremental revenue


Bottom Line
Today, outsourcing is no longer seen as an option only for repetitive, non-innovative, and non-strategic functions; it is increasingly being evaluated and regarded as a viable option for more strategic business functions.Factors such as cost efficiency, focus on core business, access to echnology,time to market, access to global expertise, among others are the reasons for outsource product development that leverage quality and development discipline to the product as well.

Developing products can be a challenge in the home based business environment. Where do you go for a laboratory to create and test new product lines? Where do you turn for new packaging and marketing? Where do you turn for help?

You’re there. YOU are the crack team, as Donald Trump says. So forget about looking around. You’re it. Here’s what to do for your own product development.

First find a need. You want sales, so find something people want. How? Communication is the key. Ask your friends, your contacts, your business associates, your clients. See what they could use to make their lives easier. Poll them, survey them, email them, call them. Post questions on forums and chat rooms. Be like television’s Lieutenant Colombo (or the original Pink Panther) and enjoy the search, but don’t give up until you get your answers.

Second, get organized NOW, if you aren’t already. Take good notes as you go along. Keep organized, well-labeled computer and print folders and files in handy places. Use an organizer with a calendar if you need to. Third, create a product based around the need you discovered above. No need to be Einstein or invent the wheel. Search and find others in the industry to help and see how others did their product creation before you. Then copy their methods –not ‘exactly’, but rather ‘similarly follow in their footsteps.’ I.E. read trade journals, search the Internet, review archived magazine articles, ask your local librarian to help you – and research “how to” get your idea off the ground based upon how others have done it in the past. Then team up, share ideas, share resources, share marketing funds and share revenue, etc. with those experienced. Reach out and don’t be afraid to find help and share. No need to go it alone or be greedy.

Third, along the way, get legal or other authoritative help as needed. Start with the Small Business Administration and find out if you need special permits, licensing, fees, contracts, legal structure, etc. Comparison shop, if possible, and get set up properly.

Fourth, there are plenty of ideas to go around. After one success, you can move on and duplicate it again and again. Do it. And give back to the community. Help others get their businesses established and growing.

Ready to create and launch an information product that will have a indelibly positive affect on your business? ...a product that brings you recurring passive revenue, pronounces you as an expert in your field, and produces a lower entry product to get prospects into your marketing channel?

If you are, then put on your seatbelt, because you're in for the ride of your life! A ride that can be exciting, empowering, exhilarating, and life-changing!

The first step of any successful product creation, and often the step forgotten and minimized, is the step of creating a well thought out Product Definition Blueprint.

A Product Definition Blueprint describes in detail, what your product is, what it does, and who it's for. It tells you what your product is, and what it is not.

A well written Product Definition Blueprint offers several key benefits:

First, it helps you stay focused, on track, and committed to a clear, tangible goal. Without clear boundaries about what your product is and what ultimate benefit it provides customers, you might get stuck in the trap many first-time product producers fall into... the trap of never completing... It only makes sense that if you don't know what you're completing up front, how do you know when you've finished it??

Second, it enables you to effectively describe your product to others. Chances are, when launching a new product, you will enroll the help or support of others during the process. Whether you decide to get input from experts, enlist a sales copywriter, or hire a web designer, having a clear, concise description of what your product is, what it does, and who it's for will make enrolling the support of others seamless.

Third, it lays the foundation for excellent marketing messaging. If you begin product development with a well defined audience and a specific ultimate benefit, you've made marketing a cinch! So often inexperienced product developers build a product first and then find an audience later. This can lead to having a product that no one really wants to buy. However, by considering your audience from the get-go, you can deliver the message and value throughout the product development process. At the end, building your marketing materials is an easy, seamless process.

To build your own Product Definition Blueprint, answer the following twelve questions:

1. Name five reasons you would like to create an information product.

2. What subject(s) would you like to explore in your new information product? List 5 possible subjects.

3. What solutions or benefits could you provide to your audience in an information product format? List at least 10 possible solutions and benefits.

4. If you could only create one information product in the next 4 months, which one would be most exciting and rewarding for you to produce?

6. Who is your target audience? Who is your audio product for? Describe them in as much detail as possible. Describe their demographics, psychographics, interests, career, hobby, gender, marital status, etc.

7. What needs does your target audience have, that your product could in some way solve? Why do they need your product now?

8. What ultimate benefit or result will your information product deliver to your target audience?

9. What will your customer expect from this product?

10. In what format would you like to deliver your information product? Downloadable PDF files, downloadable mp3/wma files, software system, online accessible webpage, physical CD's, workbooks, special tools, reports, eMail delivery of content, other?

11. What is the name of your product?

12. By when will your product be complete?

Now that you've answered the twelve questions and built your Product Definition Blueprint, take a moment and feel the excitement of knowing that you have taken the first big step in bringing to life your information product!! Let yourself taste all the success, fulfillment, and possibility that will come right along with it!

Perhaps you have been online for awhile now and are marketing others’ products. Perhaps you are just getting online now and aren’t sure what to promote. Or maybe you have a product or two already and want to create a new one, but aren’t willing to put in the time and effort you did the first time around.

I am going to show you an easy way to get an online product ready to go, in the shortest amount of time possible.

These are the steps:

1) Decide what the product will be. If you don’t know where to start, ask yourself what you know more about than most people. Do a search online and see what is available on that topic. Do you notice any conspicuous missing areas of information? Should there be better information online on your topic? If so, that will make a great topic to base your product around.

2) Decide what you will create. Will it be an informational manual? Will it be an instructional video? Will it be an audio series? Or will it be some combination of all three?

3) Sit down in a quiet place and write down, in outline form, everything that you would want to include in your product.

4) Take out another sheet of paper and organize all the things you brainstormed in step 3. Create 10-15 topics and write out a title for each topic. Next, create 5-10 sub-topics under each topic. This will be the backbone outline of your product, whether it is an ebook informational manual, an audio series, or an instructional video.

5) Now begin writing! Write one sub-topic at a time. You do not have to write in any order, meaning that you do not have to write the first topic first, etc. Just write what you are feeling most like writing about at the time. You may need to do some study on some of the topics about which you do not have as much experience.

6) If you are adding an audio element, there are plenty of good inexpensive audio recording and duplicating programs out there. Once again, start with an outline, and either write out a script or ad lib your information. Be sure to listen to the final version and make sure it sounds professional--if it does not, rerecord it, making the necessary adjustments.

7) If you are adding an instructional video element, be sure and have a good cameraman. You want to have good shots of whatever it is you are teaching about, so the viewer can understand what is going on just by watching. You also need to make sure that the voiceover is nice and clear, and maintains a consistent volume all the way through the recording.

8) Edit and reread everything you do. Have others look at it and be very open to their suggestions. You want to have a quality product for sale.

For most of us, coming up with a creative idea is a painstaking process. I know I get my best ideas while doing something completely unrelated to my business such as walking, gardening or playing golf. But it's not always reliable. The ability to think in practical but creative and original ways is available to everyone.

A local businessman once told me, "Originality is simply having a pair of fresh eyes."

We can nurture the habit of looking at the same old things in new ways- as though we have never seen them before. Here is one way to "get a pair of fresh eyes" and look at your world as if it was brand new:

-= Ask Customers for Their Ideas =-

In emails to my customers I ask them for their opinion on projects I'm contemplating. What an eye opener it is! You and I tend to look at things the way we always have...but ask a stranger what they think and you'll see what you've been missing.

Friend, if you're trying to choose between 2 or 3 projects and aren't sure which one you should pursue send your ideas to your email list and ask them for their input. For responding, you could offer them a discount on the product that is finally chosen for development. This 'system' works for products your developing yourself or for products you might be interested in distributing or representing.

You have the power to make a difference in someone else's life. Your words, actions and attitude affect people around you. If you have ever spent any amount of time with a child between the ages of 5 to 10 the affect you can have on them is dramatic. Smile, and they smile. Frown and they will frown. Act happy and excited and so will they. They will follow your lead in whatever you do.

It doesn't get that much different when we become adults. You can have the same affect on your customers. If you're happy about what you're selling, they will be happy to buy from you. You can affect your customers in positive ways and they will respond by doing more business with you.