Salt Lake City, Utah — ARKONA Inc. has announced a new product called eMail Sync. This new product allows dealers to have complete confidence that their database of e-mail addresses is current and accurate and that the customers associated with those e-mail addresses want to hear from the dealer.

Communication with customers via e-mail is quicker, more efficient, and simply more effective than phone or direct mail. After years of attempting to capture their customers' e-mail addresses, most dealers still only have e-mail addresses for less than 2 percent of their customers. ARKONA stands ready to assist dealers with its new eMail Sync, which can increase a dealer's valid e-mail address count by five-fold or more.

eMail Sync takes the dealership's existing customer database and cross references each person's physical address against a national opt-in e-mail database containing more than 120 million records. Once the initial database is created, a "welcome e-mail" is sent asking each customer for permission to send e-mail offers. This initial e-mail details the benefits of receiving e-mail correspondence from the dealership while providing the option of not participating.With eMail Sync, the dealer only pays for those addresses successfully matched and where the customer agrees to accept additional e-mails from the dealer. There is no charge for invalid e-mail addresses or for customers who have asked to be omitted. This step-by-step process ensures that the dealer is complying with all current federal and state privacy laws.

Once this expanded database is developed, the dealer can market to these customers as often as desired. The dealership now owns that complete record. This means the dealer does not need to rent e-mail lists from vendors, which charge a fee for each use of a name.

"Having valid customer email addresses allows the dealer to cultivate invaluable online relationships with customers," said Michael Critchfield, VP Sales, ARKONA. "By using ongoing eMarketing communications, the dealership maintains its relationship with the customer until the next purchase. E-marketing is a cost-effective form of business development that drives business to the dealership."

eMail Sync also includes a complete e-mail management system with all the tools necessary for effective database marketing. Dealers can automatically send service-targeted e-mails at the beginning of the month followed by a second e-mail in the middle of the month emphasizing end-of-month sales. ARKONA can also develop e-newsletters that go to every customer. These programs provide the added value of allowing the dealer to further build and expand relationships with customers while also providing the ability to conduct valuable CSI and market research surveys.