The US Postal Service plans to redesign its direct mail Web site to make it more relevant to small business owners.
According to research by ComScore, 84% of the visitors to the direct mail site are businesses, and 59% of those visitors are small businesses with 10 or fewer employees, said Carlton Shufflebarger, manager of direct mail for the USPS, at a workshop at the National Postal Forum in Anaheim, CA, today.
Small businesses visiting the site are looking for rate information, advice on planning direct mail campaigns and tips for creating mailpieces, Shufflebarger said.
To better address those needs, he said the site will be re-designed and re-organized. The USPS also plans to add direct mail “success stories” featuring small business owners, he said.
Most large businesses tend to utilize advertising agencies or other direct marketing service companies for this information, Shufflebarger added.
The direct mail Web site also provides links to Click2Mail, PremiumPostcard and CardStore. These three online services — which are independent companies partnered with the USPS — can assist businesses with their direct mail campaigns.
Users of these sites can upload their own address lists, select the format of mail they want to send and customize their mail pieces with copy, photos and/or logos. By using one of these three online services, small businesses can qualify for automation rates without paying Standard Mail fees, said Debbie A. Miller, online solutions specialist for the USPS.
