07-22-2007, 11:15 AM
Quote:If you have been selling online for a few years, you've built up an extremely valuable asset - your customer list. This audience has already been vetted by you and has a keen interest in the products that you sell. Why not keep them up-to-date on new items in your store or web site?
That's why one of the most important decisions you'll make is choosing a list hosting service. Oh sure, you can set up software on your server to send out your emails. There are robust open source solutions available. But sending out the emails is just a small part of maintaining your list, and a good list-hosting service can make the task of organizing your contacts and communication with them much easier.
A list is a constantly evolving organism. New email addresses are added and old ones disappear. It's not just a challenge to keep a database current, but keeping your server white-listed with ISPs to ensure that your emails are getting through requires constant monitoring...
full article: http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y207...bu0195/s02