Mr. Suh says this phenomenon is unique to American media culture. Instead, he urges small-business owners to fight the trend. In fact, the real target audience of a Web site may take comfort in basic information and offerings remaining in one place under the same clickable button. Fast Answers Treat an e-mail message like a phone call. That is, return it promptly.
Many businesses let e-mail pile up and miss potential opportunities.
Mr. Suh, who still looks at every e-mail message that comes into his firm's Web site, says he can quickly handle and channel 50 or so a day. And he says many clients and business have showed up that way. Mr. Suh suggests a maximum of 12 hours, but adds that sooner is better. And while it may seem obvious, he notes that it is important for business owners to read and understand the customer comments that come in. Customer feedback is highly valuable, if you make use of it, Mr. Suh says.