Direct mail is the most powerful advertising medium available, returning on average $13 in sales for every $1 invested (DMA). There are several reasons for these results:

Reach:  The penetration of PC’s in the home is now about 50% of households. Approximately 80% of these households access the Internet on a regular basis - less than 20% frequently. In addition, the average Internet user has 2.2 mailboxes. Targeting the right mailbox and avoiding automated Spam eradicating software makes hitting your mark even more challenging. On the other hand postal direct mail can reach every household and business in America and beyond.

Demographics:  The demographics for mediums like email are not well developed. Most of the information is gathered voluntarily and the majority is not verified. Other mass-market mediums like television and print advertising represent a shot gun approach to marketing. Conversely, the demographics for direct mail lists are very well developed. In fact, you can tell a tremendous amount about the socio-economic status and buying habits of a direct mail recipient just based on their zip code.

Customer Acceptance:  Several research studies have confirmed that if consumers have to receive advertising they prefer to receive direct mail. Direct mail is not only an accepted part of American culture, but those who receive it also feel in control - they decide whether to read it or not and when.

Legal Considerations:  Over half the households in American are now listed on the Do Not Call Registry. New laws in the United States prohibit Spam (unsolicited email) - it is also universally despised. Soon to be enforced FCC regulations will make it illegal to send Fax advertising to a recipient without their signed permission. Direct Mail remains a legal and effective way to reach prospective customers.

Hybrid mail is the marriage of digital documents and traditional postal mail. Documents are created in a digital format, routed electronically, and then automatically printed and mailed on high-speed equipment. By leveraging digital print-on-demand technology, high-speed data links, and modern computer processing hybrid mail drastically reduces the time and expense required to send any kind of postal mail. is the leading provider of short-run hybrid mailing solutions.

The process of launching a direct mail program is daunting for first-time direct mail users and universally despised by even the most experienced direct mailers. In fact, the Direct Marketing Association reports that on average it takes three weeks to launch a direct mail campaign. Small businesses can trim some time and complexity by producing direct mail in-house (often literally) at the expense of production quality and personal work time.

gives you the ability to launch direct mail campaigns in minutes right from your PC. Simply upload your mailing list; upload your direct mail document and approve the online preview; we do the rest. The message is automatically printed, folded, inserted, and presented to the Postal Service for delivery. is faster, easier, and costs 50% less than using traditional small business tools.

In addition to automating direct mail campaigns, also offers targeted consumer mailing lists or business mailing lists with low minimums; free direct mail design templates and direct mail artwork; free direct mail design and list consulting services; toll free number rental; telesales follow-up calls; educational content; a free monthly newsletter full of business tips; and timely special offers. In short, everything required to grow your business using direct mail. No other service offers the depth and breadth of .

Over 12,000 business customers have recognized the time and cost savings of using and have become registered users.

is a technology based service offering. Production is handled by certified and trusted print production partners. gathers direct mail jobs and submits them to large-scale commercial production partners. The end result is a higher quality product at lower prices with no single point of failure, and unlimited production capacity. You win on all fronts.

Yes. Our list prices assume short-run production of standard products. We welcome the opportunity to quote your larger direct mail jobs or custom direct mail formats. Volume purchase agreements based on annual direct mail volume are also available.

always offers a low price guarantee. Bring us a competitive quote on any direct mail or mailing list order. If we can’t meet or beat the quote with a comparable direct mail or mailing list offer then we will send you a king size mug absolutely free.

An affiliate program typically pays a referral fee (often a percentage of the business referred) to partners who provide new business.

Yes. has more than 30 online affiliates including the US Postal Service, Office Depot, and Microsoft. Contact us to learn more about how you can earn referral fees for sending us new business.

Yes. has launched almost two-dozen private label direct mail sites. Private label sites are most popular among distributed enterprises (e.g. franchises, distributed sales forces, dealer networks). These organizations have the need to control the brand, the message, and the offer centrally; while still empowering franchisees, salespeople, or distributors to market aggressively through the mail using .

• Customizable logo’s on the top right and left of Web site pages
• Link to a custom template gallery (hosted on your site or ours)
• Customizable link to return the customer to after a transaction
• Optional custom landing page (you provide the artwork)

Several examples are provided below. The first, Office Depot, takes advantage of the custom logo’s and limits templates to postcards. The second, First American Real Estate, uses the logos and has a custom template gallery. The third, Mitsubishi, has a custom template galley and a custom landing page.  

Yes. Every element of the site can be customized. However, additional charges will apply and more time will be required. We recommend starting with the base private label direct mail site. Once you have experience with how your team uses the site then we can discuss more extensive changes if required.

Yes. There is a $1,000 setup fee to create a private label direct mail site. Graphic design assistance is billed at $60/hour. Engineering effort required to customize beyond what is described above is billed at $100/hour - most will not require this. Setup fees can be waived based on a minimum volume commitment.

Once graphics have been provided a private label direct mail site can be available within 24 hours.

There are three key elements to every direct marketing campaign: the list, the offer, and the creative. Experts seem to agree that the single most important element is the list. In fact, many direct marketing professionals claim that the relative ratio of importance is: 70% list, 20% offer, and 10% creative. It is ironic, because this is also the element that is least well understood by small business owners and most often over-looked.

If you are prospecting for new customers you will probably not have their names. However, to buy a mailing list it is essential to know what your best prospective customers look like. That’s where your house list comes in handy. Scanning through your house (existing customer) list you can identify the traits that are common among your best customers. For example, you may find that your best customers live within five miles of your business and have incomes less than $50,000. These demographic clues will help you purchase a list of customers that will buy.

We provide a more complete mailing list primer (link) in the articles section of .

offers targeted consumer direct mail lists and business direct mail lists online. If you don’t see what you need online just let us know. We are an authorized list broker for several other sources of direct mail lists as well.

This depends entirely on the list that you purchase. Many vendors limit your use of a purchased list to a single mailing. In fact, some will just send you labels for a single use. Many seed (add special names) to the list so they will know if you use it more than once.

All the lists purchased through the Web site can be downloaded and come with the right to use for an entire year. Given the frequency that people move you will probably want to refresh your list more often than this. However, it is nice to know that you have the option, and this is an important question to ask before you purchase a direct mail list from anyone.

Compiled mailing lists are comprised of information from public records and sources such as the phone book, courthouse records, bankruptcy filings, mortgage deed records and more. On the other hand, response mailing lists consist of individuals who have responded to an offer either through the mail, phone, television, or through other means of mass communication (e.g. a magazine subscription list, a catalog mailing list, etc.).

Compiled list are ideal for those businesses that need special demographic selectivity to target a well-defined market, for instance targeting auditing companies specializing in bookkeeping, manufacturers with 50 or more employees, or families with household incomes of $50,000 who live within 10 miles of your store. All of these examples are likely to do better with a compiled list than a response list. This is good news if you understand the demographic profile of your customers since compiled lists are generally less expensive than response lists - costing between $40 and $70 per thousand versus $90 to $125 per thousand for response lists.

Response lists are the best choice if you need to cover an entire market of prospects with similar characteristics. For example, if you are selling a specialized software engineering tool, or to every Certified Public Accountant in the State, there are lists available from publications that serve these markets. Often information is even available on how frequently these prospects typically respond to offers they receive. Response lists, especially among those who are shown to respond, can produce higher response rates - thus justifying the higher price.

Both types of lists are not always available for all audiences. So a little research may be required to determine what is available for your target market. Please contact us directly to determine the best list for your campaign objectives.

The lists offered Through are compiled lists provided through our partner Experian. Experian provides access to the largest business and consumer database in the United States. We believe that Experian compiled direct mail lists represent the best value to direct mail users anywhere.

We accept mailing lists in .csv format - comma delimited text file. This is the most widely supported industry standard for direct mail lists.

Most popular contact management or spreadsheet programs provide an option to save a file in comma delimited text format. For example, in Microsoft Excel you can use the “Save As” option on the “File” menu and then specify .csv in the “Save as Type” box at the bottom of the pop-up box.

When in doubt consult the manual for your specific application. We also offer custom list design and list formatting services for those who want to delegate this task or have special list formatting needs.

There is no guaranteed level of returns with direct mail. Still, industry experts tend to use 2% as a rule of thumb. We have seen results much higher than this and much lower as well. Your results will depend heavily on the quality of your direct mail list, your offer, and the amount of attention you grab with your design.

The single most important thing you can do to boost direct mail results is to improve the quality of your direct mail list. Put the right offer, in the hands of the right person, and good things will happen. Understand who your best customers are and then find more prospects just like them - they will be the most likely to buy.

Test your offer/message often. Break a piece of your list into pieces and try a slightly different message or offer with each piece. Track the results. Then use the version that “pulls” best on the rest of the list. Continue to test and refine with every mailing.

If you are using black & white try switching to color. Research has shown that color can boost response rates by as much as 50%. Compare the extra cost of color with the extra sales you expect to receive and see if color makes sense for you.

These are just a few of the many techniques you can use to improve response rates. Please visit the direct mail articles section of our site of wealth of other ideas.

currently supports First Class postage, Standard A postage (previously Bulk Rate), Non-profit postage, or G10 (Government).

First Class postage provides the fastest and most reliable delivery for direct mail. Most research shows it also produces higher response rates. However, if you have a very large direct mail job the cost benefits of using Standard A (~$.10 per one ounce letter) can be substantial. On the other hand, Standard A does require minimum quantity of 200 pieces and you will need to allow 7-10 days for delivery.

If you are sending a standard postcard the good news is that First Class postcard rates are actually lower than Standard A postage. This means that it is always best to send a standard postcard using First Class mail. In addition, it is always best to send a time sensitive direct mail (e.g. invitation, time-limited offer, etc.) using First Class mail.

If you are sending a jumbo postcard, a letter, or a self-mailer, we still recommend First Class mail (based on speed, delivery reliability, and enhanced response rates). However, if you are sending a large direct mail campaign that is not time sensitive you may want to consider experimenting with Standard A to see if the cost savings makes up for the added delivery time and reduced response rates.

Discounted Nonprofit rates are available for organizations that qualify. If you have been approved by the US Postal Service for Non-profit rates all you will need is your Nonprofit ID number and city of original authorization. We will then request authorization on your behalf to submit mail with your ID through our Business Mail Entry Units.

G10 is a special mailing permit available only to government organizations.

The guidelines for qualifying for Nonprofit rates are available on the US Postal Service Web site. If you have not been approved, but feel you may qualify, you can file PS Form 3624, Application to Mail at Nonprofit Standard Mail Rates, with the postal service.

Our goal is to get all direct mail campaigns out the door in 72 hours. The postal service often delivers local First Class mail overnight. Coast-to-coast mail typically requires three days for delivery. You should allow 7-10 days delivery for Standard A. But, it could be longer - no guarantees with Standard A direct mail. Mail deliveries can take significantly longer from Dec. 10-25.

If you have a time sensitive mailing, please allow plenty of time for delivery and let us know so that we can help you track it.

accepts standard postcards, jumbo postcards, 8.5 x 11 letters, 8.5 x 14 legal size letters, 8.5 x 14 legal size letters with a perforated tear-off, 8.5 x 11 legal size letters with perforated return coupon and business reply envelope, double postcards, and self-mailers directly through the Web site. You can also request a quote for any other custom direct mail piece you can imagine. We are here to help.

Yes. Please contact us for more details.

Dimensional mailing refers to direct mail that has an unusual shape or an enclosure - the latter sometimes referred to as “lumpy mail.” Yes, can handle all of your dimensional mailing needs. Please contact us directly for a custom quote.

Yes. has a number of gift card solutions. Please contact us directly for more details.

Yes. We can arrange to use your letterhead or a stock that you specify. Additional charges may apply depending on the source and availability of the materials.

Yes. We have completed direct mail campaigns for the US Chamber of Commerce, the NAACP, the National Restaurant Association, Special Olympics, and the Boy Scouts of America; among others. We understand the special direct mail needs of non-profits and we are here to help. Please contact us with your non-profit direct mail campaigns.

support Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF documents through the Web site. We also support native Microsoft Word mail-merge. We have found that most other graphic design applications contain an option for saving files as PDF. Adobe also provides a free tool on the Web for converting files to PDF. Thus, these two file formats serve 95% of the documents we encounter.

If you have special needs beyond this please just let us know. Our direct mail design and list consulting services are here to help you.

We maintain a staff of direct mail design and list consulting specialists. We offer 30 minutes of free design/list consulting with your order of 2,000 pieces or more - additional services are available $30/half-hour. We can also offer custom quotes or enlist the help of more specialized agency partners for larger direct mail projects.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express (through PayPal), PayPal, wire transfer, cash, or a business/personal check. Got something else to trade? We’ll look at that too.

places no restrictions on the minimum job size - you can submit a job as small as one piece. However, there is a minimum charge of $25 per order.

No.

The clarity of a digital image is best expressed in terms of dpi (dots per inch). A digital image displayed on a computer terminal can look very clear in as low a resolution as 75 dpi. However, when images are enlarged, or they are printed on paper, they require higher density to remain clear. Printed images look best when they are 600 dpi or better.

There are plenty of tools available on the Web that can give you this information. When in doubt, print a copy on paper or contact our design/list specialists. We are here to help you produce the best quality direct mail piece possible.

The indicia serves a couple purposes. First, it tells the US postal service which account to charge for the mailing. By using a postal indicia and pre-sorting the mail instead of using stamps we are able to send mail at lower postage rates and pass those savings along to you.

Second, it does serve to assure the receiver that they are receiving a high quality direct mail message that is bio-hazard free - the sender never touches a piece of mail sent using .

Finally, the distinctive branding also captures attention bringing your postcard or letter to the top of the pile. The brand name is one more element we use to maximize your results. Soon we will be adding several other brand related features that will further increase your message impressions, capture email addresses, and create excitement. You will be pleased with what we have planned.

The best way to minimize direct mail returns is to have a very clean mailing list. Remove any unintentional duplicates in advance of mailing. Any list that you submit to is automatically CASS certified to remove any undeliverable addresses.

Another technique used to maximize delivery is to add the phrase “or current resident” to the address directly below the recipient name. That way if your prospect has moved, and you have a geographically dependent audience, the current resident gets your message.

Some returns are inevitable with any direct mail campaign. Remember to remove the returned addresses from your database. No need to pay for a mailing to the same address to be returned more than once!

The United States Postal Service currently requires a return address on any mail that is sent. By special arrangement with you can use our return address and we will deal with any direct mail returns for you and report back the results.

provides a current status (process, printed, & mailed) directly in your account history. This allows you to monitor the status of your direct mail job. In addition, we always recommend seeding (adding your name & address) the mailing list so that you will know exactly when it arrives and what the finished product looked like.

We do not sell customer information. Period.

Your mailing list belongs to you. We do not store or sell copies of your direct mail list.

Yes. We frequently handle mailings to Canada from the United States. There is a slight uplift in pricing to cover the additional postage. We can handle other special direct mail projects internationally through a network of partners. Please contact us directly to learn more about what we can do to meet your specialized international mailing needs.

Yes. We have a number of environment-friendly direct mail solutions such as recycled paper products. Please contact us directly for more details on the options available.