Why Not Poll Your Customers?

BuyRugsDirect.com transmits about 30,000 e-mails with poll questions per month to an opt-in-only list. “We’re not mailing customers that many messages,” Carney says. “People don’t want to hear from you that often, so we’re only e-mailing them once or twice a month.”

Part of Broader E-mails

The e-mails also contain articles on such subjects as decorating or changes in the rug industry or some sort of hot new trend, Carney explains. And a poll question is included in each e-mail. A recent e-mail contained a tips article on decorating, then a simple question asking customers if they found the article interesting, somewhat interesting, already knew about it, or boring. “It’s a quick poll,” Carney says. “I’ve found it to be a great way to get feedback from customers and really listen to what they have to say.”