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It was shortly afterwards I received an update from this newsletter telling me that it would no longer be available as a web page, but would now be an rss feed only. And telling me if I wanted to carry on reading I should download some software to do so.
Whoa, backtrack there.
Your subscribers can only read your newsletter if they download some extra software and learn how to use it?
I emailed
owner to point out that I thought it was a bad idea. You want your subscribers to stick with you, make it easy for them,
reply I got was that I should join
21st century, if I wanted to read his newsletter he would tell me how I should do it.
No I don't want to read it that bad thanks anyway.
So before you go running headlong into
latest technological marvels of
internet, think about what your customers need. Do they have
latest greatest browser to view your latest greatest multimedia masterpiece? Will they need to download some extra software just to view your newsletter?
Subscribers are humans too you know, and as humans they are fickle creatures. They will stick with you while
goings good and easy but make them work to stay with your newsletter and you're history as there are plenty more good newsletters they can get free.
Flashy animations, and new technology can be impressive, but put your customers first, and use
technology only if it helps them.
Doug Titchmarsh

Doug Titchmarsh runs several sites including http://www.cashinonline.info and http://www.titchmarsh.com and publishes an e-zine for marketers online and off which you can get by sending an email to douglastitchmarsh@getresponse.com