BizBlast.com, a provider of e-commerce products and services, has spruced up its site and is using direct mail and e-mail offers to let everyone know about it.
The Web site, which is known for allowing users to set up inexpensive e-commerce stores, sent a CD-ROM mailing yesterday to 25,000 small-business owners in the Southwest.
The CD-ROM includes a free trial of its flagship product, the StoreFront Wizard. Recipients can set up their own online store and run it for one month for free. Normally, BizBlast’s least expensive version, the Corner Store, costs $25 for setup and $29.95 per month. A user can post up to 26 products.
The piece also includes a give away offer for a Palm Pilot.
BizBlast picked direct mail because “it's a way of filtering through the large number of business owners and finding those that are interested in our particular product,” said Jeff Lamb, president/CEO of BizBlast.com, Denver. “We feel the offers that we're making are sufficient in getting those that do have an interest to raise their hands.”
Another mailing may follow next month, depending on the success of this mailing. BizBlast purchased the lists from local list companies as well as from other sources.
A corresponding mailing went out via e-mail to 100,000 recipients. It offered a link to BizBlast.com, where users can download the StoreFront Wizard for a free month’s trial. A Palm Pilot will be given to one of every 250 to 300 people who respond. The e-mail lists were purchased from DoubleClick.
“This is a trial campaign,” Lamb said. “We're using the Palm Pilot to get people to respond, give us their name and allow our salespeople to approach them. The free trial is to get them to buy.”
The site was relaunched to have “a different look and feel,” simpler navigation and an e-business learning center, Lamb said. The learning center includes original articles, tutorials and other resources to teach users how to acquire new customers.
A banner campaign is in the company's marketing blueprint, although nothing has been “firmed up,” Lamb said. The plan is to purchase up to 500,000 impressions across the DoubleClick network as well as other destinations.
