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Follow on Google News | Fasthosts warns small firms not to spam their customersFasthosts has warned small firms not to spam their customers, with the company reporting an 88 per cent surge in SMEs reported for sending SPAM.
By: Fasthosts Over the past year, the company has seen an 88 per cent rise in the number of spam reports it has received, most commonly where consumers have reported business customers for allegedly sending spam to them. The data lends weight to the theory that the challenging economy and increasingly competitive online marketplace has perhaps led more small firms to cut corners with their email communication. As more UK firms are adopting email marketing as a valuable sales and communication channel, it would appear that the problem of business-related spam is escalating. Stephen Holford, Marketing Director, Fasthosts Internet, said: "In a tough economy, small businesses may be tempted to be more aggressive with the frequency of mailings, or begin to take for granted their right to email a contact base. Every firm must respect the value that consumers place on their Inbox, and take the proper measures to ensure they use email professionally and ethically." Internet Psychologist Graham Jones said: "Unwanted email is a major issue which causes frustration, annoyance and stress. If a business emails people without paying proper attention to opt-in systems they can expect increased negativity from their customers and their prospects. And with the ease with which people can complain about companies on social networks, there is the obvious potential for reputational damage too." Jones added: "When people are asked to define spam they simply talk about emails they did not request - no matter who those messages come from. Many businesses think they are merely doing 'email marketing' but their customers actually think they are spamming. There is a clear difference in thinking between many businesses and their customers - and that is bad for reputation and revenue." Whilst still rare, it is possible for businesses to become involved in the distribution of spam without even realising. Problems can arise as a result of their email becoming compromised locally, commonly through a virus or Trojan on their hardware such as a PC. It is vital that all businesses they keep mailboxes secure and regularly update passwords to minimise the risk of exploitation of their domain or mail servers. Holford added: "Whilst spam is not new, the damage that it can do to business reputation and customer loyalty should definitely be cause for thought. The more responsibility a company shows towards their use of email, the more credible and rewarding email marketing will become as a channel." - ends - About Fasthosts: Fasthosts is a leading web hosting provider. Based in the UK and operating 24x7 from their dedicated UK data centres, Fasthosts keeps over 1 million domains running smoothly and ensures over 42 million emails are delivered safely each day. Services include registration of domain names (http://www.fasthosts.co.uk/ PR Contact: Richard Stevenson Fasthosts Discovery House 154 Southgate Street Gloucester GL1 2EX +44 (0)1452 561 857 www.fasthosts.co.uk End
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