Not Much Spam In That

e-businesses advise net-newcomers not to use bulk e-mails

Sales and Prices

The most recent McCannics e-survey reveals that internet-connected businesses in the UK are generally pro-active in publicising their web-pages.

Almost all (92 per cent) have submitted their site to the various internet search engines. Very few have relied on these sites to automatically index their pages.

Almost as many (90 per cent) have already added their web-site address to their business cards and other stationery and 70 per cent have used their web-site address in traditional forms of advertising, such as newspapers and postal mail-outs.

Over half (56 per cent) advertise their web-site on other web-pages, either with paid-for banner adverts or reciprocal links with other sites. The same proportion have e-mailed their existing customers, clients and contacts with details of their web-site.

One-quarter of firms pay for an advert in the Yellow Pages telephone directory and quote their web-site address there.

One other means of publicising web-pages which was not presented to respondents as an option but which was mentioned by a number in comments was the posting of a message to appropriate Usenet newsgroups.

However, one method which was roundly condemned by a number of respondents was the sending of bulk e-mails to potential customers/clients. This practice, which has become known as "spamming", may seem very appealing to businesses new to the internet, as it is a very low cost method of sending a message directly to many thousands of potential customers. However, because it is so cheap compared to the traditional equivalent of postal "junk mail", it has become a real problem, with many internet users finding their mailboxes swamped with irrelevant messages. Many internet users boycott the products of companies which engage in spamming.

One respondent put it this way:

• "Unsolicited "Bulk" e-mails, better known as spamming, are the bane of every Internet users life - the recommendation to all companies should be: don't do it!"

Only two respondents to the survey admitted to using bulk e-mails to promote their web-site.

More comments from respondents...

The e-survey has been operating on a pilot scale for a little over a year and is now ready to show its full potential. Organisations which would like to collaborate and can encourage a significant number of UK internet-connected businesses to volunteer to take part in the survey should contact McCannics. Individual UK-based businesses which would like to take part in the survey should send a blank e-mail to volunteer@mccannics.demon.co.uk.