VirtualPABlog

Constant Contact v/s iContact

I've been using Constant Contact (www.constantcontact.com) for managing communications with large databases for a while now and I find it a fab tool for sending out newsletters and email campaigns, it's very intuitive and simple to use with professional looking results. I've recently heard a few people talk about icontact.com, so I signed up to a free trial account to have a look and compare.

What I like about Constant Contact is that you have loads of templates and graphics and layouts to choose from. In icontact, there doesn't seem to be as much a vaste choice in pre-designed images and layouts, which I suppose is fine, because once you've found one template you like, you should stick to it so your recipients get used to your look and feel.

One feature that icontact has that Constant Contact doesn't is that you can create more than one sign up box for different lists. In Constant Contact, it's just one form that subscribers can tick which list they want to subscribe to.

Pricing is different too. Both have a scale of monthly charges depending on how many contacts there are in the database. Constant Contact starts at $15 for up to 500 contacts, then jumps to $30 for up to 2,500 contacts. icontact starts at $9.95 for up to 250 contacts, then $14 for up to 500, then $19 for 1,000, then $29 for 2,500, so it works out slightly cheaper than Constant Contact and better value when you have less than 2,500 contacts.

Images are dealt with differently too. icontact allows you to store up to 500Kb for free, then you pay 10% to have up to 1Mb and 20% up to 2Mb. In Constant Contact, you're allowed up to 5 images for free, then you pay just $5 per month for unlimited images.

For usability, I prefer Constant Contact. It may be because that's what I'm used to and I know exactly where I'm at and there's no fear of sending out a half baked campaign unintentionally to the whole database!

I'll give icontact a fair trial and use the 15 days up and see if I can get used to how things are laid out there. I'm allowed to upload 250 contacts within that (Constant Contact only allow 100 in their free trial)

Oxbni - Amazing add-on Tool for Outlook

Check this amazing tool out, called oxbni (inbox spelt in reverse).

You download it and it installs itself in Outlook and sits on the right of the viewing panel. After it's indexed all your emails, it does some very clever stuff.

It's linked to Facebook and LinkedIn, so any information that's stored publicly there you can see immediately. For example, when I've selected an email, any pictures that are on that person's Facebook or LinkedIn profile appear in the Xobni panel.

It also tracks all the email exchanges and file exchanges you've had with that email address/person, save you hours hunting for past correspondence.

And best of all, it's free!
http://www.xobni.com/ 

One footnote to add, is you need to be very careful what you reveal on social websites like Facebook.... anyone, including prospective clients, get to see it, so make sure it's something you don't mind anyone and everyone seeing/knowing about you!

Appropriate Book-keeping

It's important to remember that, over and above meeting legal requirements, day-to-day accounts are there to serve the business and not the other way round. It is not always appropriate to keep full double-entry accounting records.  Indeed, for many businesses, it would be a mistake that would be costly in time and effort for very little return.

A lot of meaningful information about a business can be found from simple single entry systems.  As with anything, it's a question of finding a system that gives the most return for the least amount of time, effort and cost.

For many business owners it would be more cost-effective to pay a bookkeeper rather than attempt to do it themselves, this allows people to work on their business rather than in their business. You could be spending more time on winning sales, developing relationships with customers and enhancing your products or services.

Finally it's important to recognise that things change over time, so what might have worked a year or two ago could need updating if things are getting unwieldy.  Don't be afraid to make changes!

by Kassia Gardner - Bright Angels