The Cart Blog » Email

MailChimp Updates!

thatsoftwareguy — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:23:43 +0000

Those crazy chimps are hard workers! Their API has been updated to version 1.3, so my Zen Cart MailChimp Integration and Zen Cart Newsletter Discount modules have been updated. Please use the new versions of the contributions for any future installations you are doing.

MailChimp – ZenCart Interface Updated

thatsoftwareguy — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 16:47:04 +0000

Those mischevious chimps keep changing their forms! My Zen Cart MailChimp Integration has been updated with the latest instructions. Please use the new version of the contribution for any future installations you are doing.

LinkedIn Answers

thatsoftwareguy — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:28:55 +0000

I have said before that I think the Q&A facility of LinkedIn is one of its greatest strengths. Here’s a recent question asking how to build a better e-zine that is an example of what I mean.

Interesting form email product

thatsoftwareguy — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:22:23 +0000

I had a very positive experience using Ultimate Form Mail for a client. Take a look at it, particularly if you need forms with file upload added quickly to a website; it’s reasonably priced and straightforward to use.

Canned Responses in GMail

thatsoftwareguy — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:13:24 +0000

The Googlers are at it again – if you receive common questions again and again in email, you can save a canned response and use it at the click of a mouse. See the Mashable review for more information, or just go to Google Labs by clicking the green beaker on the top right side of your GMail browser window, and enable Canned Responses. You’ll see it right below the subject line next time you compose an email.

Tackling the pile of stars

thatsoftwareguy — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:31:07 +0000

I use GMail’s “star” feature as a giant honking todo list, and I’m pleased to say that this weekend, I’m down to 54 starred items. “Inbox Zero” should be “Starred Zero” for me.

I enjoy using Remember the Milk (in fact, I just downloaded the BlackBerry client, which is called MilkSync), but for email that takes time to process, starring can’t be beat.

Warning signs your client may be spamming

thatsoftwareguy — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:47:21 +0000

Accidental spamming is an easier to make mistake than you might think. MailChimp offers some do’s and don’ts for a successful email campaign along with tips for talking to stubborn clients.

New to email campaigns? This is a great primer on email campaigns, also from MailChimp.

MailChimp shows off That Software Guy’s integrations

thatsoftwareguy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:14:30 +0000

Always nice to get a bit of buzz from my fellow monkey-lovers at MailChimp. I’m a big fan of their service; if you need an email service provider, check them out.

Three words from Seth Godin about email

thatsoftwareguy — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:39:21 +0000

Seth Godin speaks to Google – a wonderful talk that’s well worth an hour of your time. Most interesting story: creation of Hallmark collectible ornaments (about halfway through), with followup marketing by email. Takeaway: the most effective email campaigns are

Anticipated
Personal
Relevant

The “email blast” approach has never worked, will never work, and will likely land you in hot water. Take the time to do it right.

That Software Guy works with MailChimp on email promotions. Check out their resource library to see the depth of their expertise. Reasonable prices for small businesses too.

Are you an accidental spammer?

thatsoftwareguy — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:10:45 +0000

My friend Jeremy over at Being a Starving Graphic Artist Sucks asks, Do You Assume that Everyone Wants to Regularly Hear about Your Creative Freelancing Business?
Delete the words “Creative Freelancing,” and you’ll find it’s an effective question that every small businessperson should be asking themselves. The rules are:

Just because they bought from you doesn’t mean they want your marketing material.
Just because they met you at an event doesn’t mean they want your marketing material.
Just because they emailed you doesn’t mean they want your marketing material.

The best practice here is to use a double-opt-in newsletter provider and allow clients to sign themselves up. I use MailChimp (see examples here) and wrote software to allow Zen Cart users to use MailChimp too. There are many offerings in this space, but I think MailChimp is the best one for SMEs.