| The first thing I, and every other webmaster I | | | | Writing/Replying to Emails |
| know, starts his or her day with, is to check emails. | | | | Responding to Emails |
| You will also need to keep checking your emails | | | | This will your most time-consuming, yet most |
| several other times during the day. | | | | important task every day. Sort emails in order of |
| Sorting and Managing Emails | | | | their priority. Respond to any new order or product |
| Outlook Express | | | | enquiry first and foremost. Next, reply to any emails |
| The first step you can take towards effectively | | | | from past customers. Customer service is extremely |
| managing your emails is to get yourself and email | | | | essential in any type of business. Next comes any |
| software like 'Outlook Express'. With Outlook | | | | business proposals, joint ventures, website issues etc. |
| Express, you will be check all your email accounts in | | | | Once the business emails are done with, focus your |
| one single place, set up folders for different emails, | | | | attention on other emails. You may have several link |
| set rules for email messages etc. Outlook Express will | | | | exchange requests. Visit each website and decide for |
| be sure to make life much more easier for any | | | | yourself if it is worth exchanging links with and |
| webmaster. | | | | respond accordingly. |
| Spam Filtering | | | | There might be some emails with some feedback |
| You will notice that you receive tons of emails, of | | | | regarding your website, informal emails, general |
| which very few are actually of use. Most emails, | | | | queries etc. They can be responded after all other |
| called 'SPAM' will try to sell you something or the | | | | emails have been sent. |
| other. How do these people get your email address? | | | | Writing Emails |
| The answer is simple. Your email address is posted | | | | Replying to emails is not the only task when you |
| on your website, in the message forums where you | | | | open your Outlook Express. You will also be required |
| are a registered member, your newsletter | | | | to write emails for several purposes. For e.g. you |
| subscriptions and a whole lot of other places. Fighting | | | | may need to submit a new article via email. You |
| spam is a difficult task but you can reduce the | | | | might need support from your domain or hosting |
| extent of spam by using Spam Filters. A spam filter | | | | company, your hired designer or webmaster etc. You |
| blocks emails with offending words. A good spam | | | | may need to approach people for link exchanges, |
| filter is the Norton Antivirus Email Protection. Other | | | | joint ventures and the like. Perform this important |
| Spam Filters are also available. In most cases your | | | | task and make sure to add an email signature |
| hosting account will also provide some sort of Spam | | | | containing your website address to every email. OE |
| Filter which you can activate to protect yourself | | | | has an option by which it can automatically add your |
| from spam emails. | | | | signature to every email that you compose or reply. |
| Spam Filters are not 100% effective. In addition to | | | | This will help in promoting your website url with every |
| those, you can set up your own message rules in OE | | | | email that you send. |
| (Outlook Express). You can set up emails from a | | | | Autoresponders |
| certain address or with certain words in their subject | | | | Your hosting provider will also provide a certain |
| line to be deleted from the server. | | | | number of autoresponders which you can use with |
| OE Folders | | | | your email accounts. An autoresponder is an |
| You can organize your emails much better using a | | | | automated email reply. For e.g. if you have a |
| certain option in Outlook Express which allows you to | | | | separate email for enquiries - You can setup an |
| create folders and setup message rules for them. | | | | autoresponder for this address so that whenever |
| You can create different folders for Ezines and | | | | anyone sends an enquiry at this email, an automated |
| Newsletters, Newsgroup postings, orders, queries, | | | | reply (which you can set up) like 'Thank You for your |
| contest entries, passwords, payment details etc. You | | | | enquiry. We will get back to you within 24 hours' is |
| can automatically rules so that the emails are directly | | | | sent back. |
| deposited in these folders. For e.g. you can create a | | | | Autoresponders are also helpful when you are going |
| rule that emails with the subject line 'Mom Tycoons | | | | out for a few days. You can setup autoresponders |
| Business Ezine' be delivered into a special folder that | | | | for all your emails so that all emails are replied with a |
| you have created for it. You can, of course, manually | | | | 'Thank You for your email. I will not be able to reply |
| move emails to specific folders as well. | | | | to your email till Monday as I will be out of town. |