DISQUS

Heather, there are a few reasons why I switched:
<ol>
<li>The first reason is that less than half my subscribers weren't getting my newsletter sent by CC. Providers like 1shoppingcart.com, AWeber and iContact work very hard to get all messages through to your subscribers.</li>
<li>The second reason I switched away from CC is that they don't have any autoresponders (other than your "thanks for subscribing" message).</li>
<li>Third is iContact offers a survey option (included in the price, that is, not separate like CC). If you've been following my blog a little, you'll know that I've turned into a survey junkie.</li>
<li>Fourth, iContact is cheaper than CC and I get more options.</li>
<li>Fifth, it has been highly recommended by colleagues I trust and respect.</li>
</ol>
I hope this helps you make your decision.

Let us know who you choose to go with.

Jenn, thanks for the confidence-booster!!

Trina, you ask a great question... and it's a tough one to answer, when you're looking at your business from the inside out, through your eyes.

I'd love to be able to predict with 100% accuracy how each message I send out is being received... but I guess that's the fun of being in business! It's a lifelong lesson -- and the more we learn, the better we get!

tehnyit, you said "you will have to work harder to make the next improvements as you already are good in that area" and I couldn't agree more.

I'll be using ChatWise (aff) real soon (as soon as I can afford it) to get real-time feedback from my website visitors. What methods are you using to get feedback?
Thanks for joining the conversation!! BTW, I'm following your blog with interest...

Denise (yes, you got it right!! :))

You're fortunate to have a network of people you can turn to for honest feedback.

You said: "I have a hard time getting some others to give constructive feedback." My question is: Who are you asking? Are you making it easy for your audience to give you feedback?

Let us know how we can help!!

Eve, thanks for the tip. I would have done that had I posted the link to my website. I chose to add the full web address for people who get Text Only email. Maybe I should 'tinyurl' links like that?

Chuck and Tom! WOW, you guys are quick! I posted this message not 5 minutes ago, and you're already joining the conversation!! Thanks so much. I'm flattered that you both took the time out to visit, read and comment on my blog.

Chuck, an additional thanks for contacting me personally.

Tom, it's not personal (as you know!). No doubt you understand the power of word-of-mouth referrals! While I've heard nothing but wonderful things about AWeber in my community, I was swayed to register with iContact due to recommendations from people I personally know and trust.

It shows you both care about and proudly stand by your products, making sure the word gets out. Thanks again guys!

Thanks for your support and words of encouragement, Jenn.

I'll let you know what the survey turns up and progress on this project!

Jenn, I knew you'd get what I'm talking about.

It made me smile when you said "they get a snake oil salesman feel from your page - ick!" It made me think of a newsletter I got last week, describing where the term 'quack' comes from, which is basically someone who boasts about his salves and has no merit!!

I'll have to find the link with the graphic and post it here.

As usual, thanks for keeping the conversation going!!

No problem Jenn. I thought this was a brilliant, yet simple suggestion, so I just HAD to share it!

Genesis, thanks for joining us all the way from Guatemala.

I'm really glad to find someone who can relate to being a WAHM with 2 little ones.

I look forward to getting to know you better! I love your site. Keep up the great work!

Thanks to everyone for your input and support on this issue. It's great to read your comments and see how you deal with being a professional entrepreneur, who just happens to be a caring and conscientious mother.

I've recently embraced the fact that I'm still caring for a 4-month-old and that my work hours will have to be arranged accordingly. So my day goes something like this: I take care of my kids during the day, working while they nap. Once everyone is in bed, then I can start my work day (8pm to 1am).

So far, it's working good. I'm comforted by the fact that as my kids get older, I'll be able to solicit their cooperation to work a few more hours in the day.

Thanks again!! I'm not sure why I was so nervous about writing this post, but I'm glad I did!!

Jenn, thanks so much for sharing your experience on this topic. I love what you say:
"If we sat at our desks all day long and tried to think of some way to be absolutely completely different than everyone else - we wouldn’t get anything accomplished!

I believe that the “uniqueness” that we have as entrepreneurs comes from a combination of who we are and the niche we serve."

The challenge I'm finding with clients (and frankly with my own business) is to clearly verbalize the differences and to articulate with words a Unique Selling Proposition.

I'd love to continue this conversation in a separate thread and hear how others are doing it!

Shane, thanks so much for joining the conversation. You are absolutely right. It seems I'm finally taking some of my own good advice!!

Your blog if full of great information. Don't be surprised if I quote you on my blog!!!

Erin, I've recently realized in order to be successful and to really separate myself from the pack, I must delegate and concentrate only on what I do best (I've been in denial, thinking I can do it all myself). I envy you for having a full-time assistant!!! I will keep you posted.

Thanks for joining the conversation, Tammy. I can SOOO resonate with what you're saying. I too have given up on a few projects (or have been discouraged by others) because "it's already been done." While I don't want to copy something that's already out there, I do want to put my own spin on the topics I'm passionate about.

I'd love to say that my next product will be ready for September, but I think it'll be more like mid-October.

By the way guys (Tammy, I think you know this already), did you know that January and September are the best times to launch a new product? It's true!!!

Hi Trina. Thanks so much for joining the conversation. I'm so happy that you found this post useful. It's why I do it, so thanks for letting me know you found it helpful.

Feel free to ask any particular questions you may have.

Much success.

Thanks Pat. I have a long way to go to catch up with the leader, but I'm working hard at spreading the word.

I'm so glad you enjoy my blog!! I love sharing!!

Thanks so much for the vote, Jenn (and for your future votes too!!!), as well as your kinds words. You can be sure I'll be using the Law of Attraction to win!

Ditto about your blog. I'm learning SOOO much about the Law of Attraction. You're truly an inspiration.

Jenn, how did your first week go?? I'm still struggling to keep my messages down but I'm doing much better. I realize I have a nasty habit of "putting it off until later." At times, 'later' comes, like, WEEKS later!!

I also think I'm subscribed to too many newsletters and Yahoo Groups... but that's another issue!!

Marcia, you don't sound OCD at all, you sound like a very organized and methodical person. I could learn a lot from you!!! Thanks for the "Take Charge" resource.

Janet, I SOOO agree with you on this... When I have to scroll down to see all my messages, that's when I know I've gone too far (does it count that I use the preview pane??)!!

Matt, Janet, Marcia and Jenn... Thanks so much for joining in on this subject. You've made me realize that I shouldn't put too much emphasis on stats.

Matt, I had no clue text-only messages aren't included in the open rate stats. Very good to know. I don't add images to my newsletter (not since I've changed the design), so I don't know if that makes a difference or not.

Janet, based on your comment (and those of others) I decided to change my newsletter delivery day to the first Wednesday of the month (instead of Friday). I'll see how that works out. I also seriously want to change providers, so I won't be surprised to lose some of my subscribers. But hey! I only want people who actually WANT to read my newsletter to be subscribed. I'm wondering, if I increase my delivery to bi-monthly or weekly, will it improve readership?

Marcia, CONGRATS on the incredible success of your first HTML newsletter... The survey idea sounds like a good one too...

Jenn, as always, you have such words of wisdom to share. You're absolutely correct in saying that if my unsub rates go up, then there's a problem... I guess my issue is, I want subscribers who actually WANT to read my articles, so if you're not reading it, just unsub already!!! I agree with you, I too am a fan of 2-way communication options... I love connecting directly with my readers, getting their reaction in almost real-time. How do you keep track of all that? And where do you find the time to participate in each of these forums. I read your blog everyday, and I see how detailed your posts and comments are... You're such an inspiration to me and I strive to be more like you!!! Thanks for the reminders!

Nikole, this is a great article and thanks for adding my post to your Additional Resources.

I read somewhere that you can access the original audio to listen to again for clarification. Although, that's not what the service is about, it could help with inaccuracies.

Thanks for the inside info, Erin. I guess I wouldn't use this to blog until transcription quality is resolved.

Fiona/Tracey,

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond.

I'm glad to see I'm not alone with low newsletter open rates.

In doing additional research, I read somewhere that Constant Contact is blacklisted by many ISPs (I don't know if this is still the case).

I'd love to change to 1ShoppingCart, considering how I want to grow my business, but can't afford it right now. I'm thinking of changing from Constant Contact to Intellicontact.com. It's less expensive than Constant Contact, and includes autoresponder and survey features. They have a 15-day trial, so I'll see how that goes.

The unsubscribe link is the first thing readers see because that's the way Constant Contact is set up.

I realize sending a newsletter on Friday is not the best scenario, so I've been toying with the idea of changing to Wednesday.

Thanks again, ladies. Glad you joined the conversation!

Here’s my ultimate productivity tip:

My love/hate relationship with the kitchen ended when I started planning meals. Usually done on the weekend, with pen and paper in hand, I sit at the kitchen table with my recipe books (or use Recipezaar — I swear, it’s saved my marriage on numerous occasions) and plan all my meals for the week ahead. From that, I make my grocery list and go shopping. Not only does this save time, it also saves money and prevents the frustration of going through the aisles and not really knowing what to buy.

You can read the entire post here: http://blog.cristinafavreau.com/2007/05/ultimat...