stomers, initiate contact and close deals before competitors have a chance to respond. Not only are online services faster than traditional mail processes, they are often less expensive for short and medium print runs. For companies needing to reach their customers quickly and cost-effectively, the search for a quantum leap from the mail-it-and-wait age to tThe mandate for businesses in today’s volatile economy is to do more with less: cut costs, save time, trim waste. And while small businesses can’t afford to keep doing things the way they’ve always done them, most companies continue to rely on the same outdated, expensive and inefficient marketing tools they used when carbon paper and typewriters were the heights of office technology.

At a time when the growth and success of most businesses is dependent upon the ability to deliver timely and targeted information to current and potential customers quickly, easily and as inexpensively as possible, the majority of companies continue to settle for the same direct mail tactics used in the fifties. According to the Direct Marketing Association, the average direct mail program takes more than three weeks to launch. Factor in delivery time and an additional fortnight to receive a response and you’re well over a month before the first person-to-person conversation takes place. Still, many small-to-midsize companies lack the time and resources to deal with traditional direct mail processes and forgo the most potent advertising vehicle available; direct mail returns, on average, ten dollars for every dollar invested.

Quietly, however, the savviest businesses are sending letters, flyers and postcards using new, Web-based direct mail services. With a turn-around time of days rather than weeks, businesses can target customers, initiate contact and close deals before competitors have a chance to respond. Not only are online services faster than traditional mail processes, they are often less expensive for short and medium print runs. For companies needing to reach their customers quickly and cost-effectively, the search for a quantum leap from the mail-it-and-wait age to t

ights of office technology.

At a time when the growth and success of most businesses is dependent upon the ability to deliver timely and targeted information to current and potential customers quickly, easily and as inexpensively as possible, the majority of companies continue to settle for the same direct mail tactics used in the fifties. According to the Direct Marketing Association, the average direct mail program takes more than three weeks to launch. Factor in delivery time and an additional fortnight to receive a response and you’re well over a month before the first person-to-person conversation takes place. Still, many small-to-midsize companies lack the time and resources to deal with traditional direct mail processes and forgo the most potent advertising vehicle available; direct mail returns, on average, ten dollars for every dollar invested.

Quietly, however, the savviest businesses are sending letters, flyers and postcards using new, Web-based direct mail services. With a turn-around time of days rather than weeks, businesses can target customers, initiate contact and close deals before competitors have a chance to respond. Not only are online services faster than traditional mail processes, they are often less expensive for short and medium print runs. For companies needing to reach their customers quickly and cost-effectively, the search for a quantum leap from the mail-it-and-wait age to t

the Direct Marketing Association, the average direct mail program takes more than three weeks to launch. Factor in delivery time and an additional fortnight to receive a response and you’re well over a month before the first person-to-person conversation takes place. Still, many small-to-midsize companies lack the time and resources to deal with traditional direct mail processes and forgo the most potent advertising vehicle available; direct mail returns, on average, ten dollars for every dollar invested.

Quietly, however, the savviest businesses are sending letters, flyers and postcards using new, Web-based direct mail services. With a turn-around time of days rather than weeks, businesses can target customers, initiate contact and close deals before competitors have a chance to respond. Not only are online services faster than traditional mail processes, they are often less expensive for short and medium print runs. For companies needing to reach their customers quickly and cost-effectively, the search for a quantum leap from the mail-it-and-wait age to t

direct mail processes and forgo the most potent advertising vehicle available; direct mail returns, on average, ten dollars for every dollar invested.

Quietly, however, the savviest businesses are sending letters, flyers and postcards using new, Web-based direct mail services. With a turn-around time of days rather than weeks, businesses can target customers, initiate contact and close deals before competitors have a chance to respond. Not only are online services faster than traditional mail processes, they are often less expensive for short and medium print runs. For companies needing to reach their customers quickly and cost-effectively, the search for a quantum leap from the mail-it-and-wait age to t

stomers, initiate contact and close deals before competitors have a chance to respond. Not only are online services faster than traditional mail processes, they are often less expensive for short and medium print runs. For companies needing to reach their customers quickly and cost-effectively, the search for a quantum leap from the mail-it-and-wait age to the Internet age has arrived.

Of the $200 billion spent annually on advertising in the U.S., $40 billion is on direct mail. For businesses, the advantages are numerous:

FLEXIBILITY: Direct mail allows a variety of formats, offers and messages that customers can read at their own leisure. You can include tear-off reply forms, coupons, and return envelopes.

AFFORDABILITY: Unlike radio, newspaper or TV, you can pick the size of your mailing depending on your business and your budget. You can send a few dozen mail pieces, a hundred, a thousand, or more.

TARGETABILITY: List services such as Experian and InfoUSA have compiled databases of every resident in the country. You can pick your recipients based on location, income, gender, and many other attributes. Some companies have online services where you can try different attributes and preview your results before purchasing an address list.

MEASURABILITY: By keeping track of who responds to your mailing, you can immediately calculate your return-on-investment. You can start with small test mailings, try different offers, and pick the one with the best response rate.

COST EFFECTIVENESS: According to the Direct Marketing Association, direct mail has the highest return on investment of any marketing method. On average, direct mail returns $10 in sales for every $1 invested.

Yesterday’s old-fashioned direct mail seems outdated (even dul