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Direct e-mail is an inexpensive and efficient way to reach thousands of potential customers. Directe-mail can be used to promote and enhance web presence, depending on the market, product, orservice. However, several countries have legislation affecting unsolicited commercial e-mail thatdirect marketers must be aware of. The Direct Marketing Association suggests that direct e-mailmessages should have:1. An honest subject line2. No forged headers or technological deceptions3. The identity of the sender, which includes a physical address4. A visible opt-out clause that is easy to useBefore marketing via e-mail, your company should be aware of the potential for backlash againstunsolicited e-mails by consumers who feel overwhelmed by the number of such e-mails theyreceive. Companies should consult the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography andMarketing (CAN-SPAM) Act of 2003 to ensure full compliance with the law.Assessing Your Company’s Readiness to Go OnlineCompanies who want a web presence must determine whether they have the informationtechnology (IT) solutions needed to execute their online objectives. IT embodies a range ofcomputer systems and software applications for managing websites and other technologicalresources. And with the rise in cyber attacks on government and corporate sites, investing insecurity technologies will help protect you and your customers from downtime and identify theft.An IT assessment should answer questions such as:• What are your company’s current IT needs? Are they currently met? What are the plans foradditional IT investment to upgrade existing systems?• What business applications are best suited to move online for B2B or B2C e-commerce?• Have you done a cost-benefit analysis of all possible projects involving IT?• Have you identified current and future security issues, and do you have an action plan forcorrecting problems?Steps to Going OnlineYou must lay the groundwork before your company can transactbusiness on the Internet. Potential customers must know whoyou are and how to reach you. Then, if they want to buy whatyour company has to sell, you have to facilitate the exchange ofmoney for your product.Selecting a Web AddressAre You Ready to Go Online?• Who are your target customers? Do theyuse the Internet?• What information would your websiteprovide? How can your customers use it?• How does your e-commerce strategy fitinto your overall exporting objectives?• How effectively can you provide servicethat is personalized and customized?Your web address—also known as your uniform resource locator(URL) or domain name—is as important for the internationalmarket as it is for the domestic. It should be short, simple,descriptive, and memorable to customers in the target market. Every country (plus a fewterritories) has a reserved, two-letter country-code domain (e.g., the United Kingdom has the twoletterdomain “.uk”).Chapter 11: Going Online—E-Exporting Tools for Small Businesses125