The Web is a primary channel for driving sales, customer loyalty and operational efficiencies. Building an effective Web presence is therefore business-critical. Web Experience Management (WEM) enables a business to manage its Web sites and online promotions to deliver a relevant, engaging Web experience that encourages browsers to become buyers.

Video in e-mail is a hot topic on the e-mail vendor side, but I haven't seen a ton of messages from brands with videos in them. The trend is starting slowly.

Customer reviews and other forms of word of mouth make great fodder for e-mail campaigns. When measured against identical campaigns that don't include word of mouth, they generally drive higher click-through rates and sales. Two key benefits of e-mail and user-generated content include driving community participation and using trusted words of customers to market products.

What makes the world's most addictive consumer Web sites — Adidas, Amazon, and Zappos — so addictive? The secret lies in the developers' ability to blend design and usability principles to create a uniquely engaging user experience. The payoff? Ease of use will compel consumers to return again and again.

We all know the importance of good timing. But for marketers, timing is also comprised of four dimensions, each of which is critical to the success of your programs. Smart marketers who understand, deploy, test and measure the four time dimensions of marketing can deliver breakthrough results without breaking their budgets.

Referring to today's average smartphone as a "phone" is a bit of a misnomer. Most of us have a level of computing power at our fingertips that far exceeds what the most powerful PC offered just a decade ago.

To maximize effectiveness, mobile messaging and offers must be tightly coordinated across all communications channels, including direct mail, e-mail and social media. In practice, personalization is mandatory, not only to improve response rates, but also to avoid customer fatigue. For technology marketers, mobile presents an opportunity to develop an ever-increasing, positive customer-relationship experience and encourage loyalty.

I think mobile marketing holds huge potential for technology marketers right now if they understand that most consumers, and particularly consumers of technology products, are treating mobile devices as an extension of the desktop or laptop browser, not as a separate mode. That means your mobile marketing must now live up to the same standards as your "traditional" online marketing, in all respects, including depth of information and user experience.

The mobile device is one of the most personal of its kind, even more so than the PC. Though marketers are excited by the opportunities this personalization offers, it must be used carefully. Tools like direct mail, print advertising and even packaging can now all become interactive in seconds through the mobile device. What you need to do is start with specific business objectives in mind and execute effectively.

Bliss may be too strong a word when it comes to anything marketing-related, but according to the Direct Marketing Association, every dollar spent on e-mail marketing generates $43.62 in revenue. That, of course, is the average. Follow these rules and get better results from your e-mail campaigns.