It is quite common for us to need to make a repetitive change to a large number of photos. This can be very time consuming and mind numbing task. I ran into a video the other day by Brian Getting of Practical eCommerce that I thought I’d share that shows how to automate repetitive processing tasks in Photoshop.

http://bannerrep.com/videos/tutorial_PS4/batch_processing.mov

Historically, much of the Flash-based content on the web has been unavailable in search results due to search engines inability to extract content, such as text and links, from Flash (SWF) files. This situation has been frustrating for web developers and artists alike who have tried to come up with workarounds to help get search engines to index and rank their Flash pages.

That seems to have changed as a recent post on the Google Webmaster blog says that Googlebot can now extract textual content and links so Google can better crawl, index, and rank the web site.

This is a significant change in direction as even Google’s own help documentation has warned against the use of Flash-only sites:

“In general, search engines are text based. This means that in order to be crawled and indexed, your content needs to be in text format. This doesn’t mean that you can’t include images, Flash files, videos, and other rich media content on your site; it just means that any content you embed in these files should also be available in text format or it won’t be accessible to search engines.”

Google had in the past suggested using Flash sparingly or using a method such as Scalable Inman Flash Replacement (sIFR) to provide an HTML source that can be rendered as either Flash or non-Flash.

So now that both Yahoo! and Google can read Flash files, how much will this change impact search relevance? Neither Adobe nor Google could provide numbers about how many more pages Google will now be able to crawl and index and how much this has impacted search results.

So does this mean it’s finally OK to build my artist web site entirely with Flash?

I’d still discourage having an all Flash website…especially considering Flash content isn’t made up of primarily words. It’s made up of images, video, and animation, and none of that will be surfaced in search results with this advancement. Google’s new Flash algorithms extract text and links only, so everything else is still a black box.

Because of this, you are still missing out on seach engine optimization methods and limitations in building a rich Flash website:

• No Meta Data
• No capacity to distinguish text formatting (so no h1, no bold, or strong, or italics, no bullet points, none of it.)
• You have to create your flash file in a way that results in having a separate URL associated with every major piece of content in the Flash file.
• You can only have one page Title if the entire site is in Flash - thus it becomes extremely difficult to optimize and target to various parts of your 50 page site to their audience if the site is built entirely in Flash when you only have ONE page title.

It’s not that we don’t like Flash. Flash has the potential to showcase a product or service’s benefits in ways that static pictures and text can’t quite match. But if what you create is cool, but the content fails to attract attention, interest, build desire, and call your visitors to action, then you are wasting your time and their time; after all you are looking for leads, subscriptions, and sales, not just traffic.

In a recent test by FutureNow with one of their clients, they were able to reduce the homepage abandonment by 28.57% by substituting a flash element, with a static image. This change reduced load and wait time, it listed product benefits immediately, and the client  didn’t have to hope people would be patient enough to see the right part of the Flash animation. It also helped boost sales, since before the test so many people left before they got past the home page.

So what’s a good example usage of Flash on a website?

Take a look at this page from the  Leo Diamond website. It is not the prettiest web site out there, but the Flash tools provide visitors with a better feel for diamond carat size and color than either text or static pictures could and because of this, the site converts extremely well due to this interactive diamond tool.

So what things should I consider before deciding to use Flash on my web site?

• What will this allow me to convey that text and static images wouldn’t?
• Am I actually conveying benefits or just adding sparkle and glitz?
• Does it address the visitor’s true concerns?
• Is there a way to make this more interactive and not just a push-presentation?
• If I can’t make it interactive, what can I do to hook the viewer right from the start, so they don’t skip the presentation? (You ARE going to provide a “skip” option, right?)
• What pathways am I providing to the flash viewer when they are done with the interactive tool or presentation?
• Do your calls to action continue to build on this momentum?

If you can answer those questions, it might be smart to use Flash sparingly on your website - but remember to make sure you measure the impact on your bottom line first.

Hat tip to Erik Deckers for making me aware of this:

DoubleShot Studio recently announced the launch of ArtPerk.com, a new website for artists seeking to locate display opportunities and gallery openings. ArtPerk lists opportunities throughout the nation and offers unique features to help artists find show opportunities in a quick, user-friendly way.

Artists seeking shows to enter now have the ability to search for opportunities by media, by location and other search parameters. In addition, users can save their searches and receive daily or weekly e-mails with those search results as reminders.

The site is free for artists to search and for galleries and venues to post. Galleries can create listings for a fee if they’d like front page placement and other advantages.

Check it out, if you are looking for shows and display opportunities for your work.

I recently noticed that there seems to be a growing trend for professional artists to have “relaxing” music played while visitors view their website.  I think this resurgence of having music on your website, comes from people believing that everyone has a boardband connection, which of course is not true. This is similar to what happened with personal web sites 10 - 15 years ago when it was a novelty to show your friends that you could put your favorite song on your website for everyone to enjoy - assuming everyone had the same taste in music and would look at how cool your flaming logo is while they wait for your music to download.

While I understand what you are trying to accomplish by “setting the mood” for viewing your imagery, let me give you some food for thought on how to use it and other gotchas you need to consider before implementing this on your own website.

First, if you are going to have music anywhere on your website, the last thing you want to do is to have it automatically play on the opening page of their website. It will delay the loading of the page, which if they are not on a fast connection, could cause them to leave your website before they ever get to see what you are all about.

If you are going to play music on your website, give them the option to stop the music without taking away from the functionality.  For example if you have an online slideshow that has music to it, they should be able to view this slideshow without music. The last thing you want to do is to scare away a potential client because they don’t share your same taste in music or are viewing your site on a dial-up connection - again, catering to your visitors.

The other thing people forget is the legal aspect of playing music on their website. Just because I believe that a particular song from Aerosmith that I have a legal personal MP3 music file on my IPOD would create the correct mood for a photo gallery of mine does not necessarily mean I can use that same file and use it on my website. While I am not a legal expert on copyright law so you should check with your attorney regarding your situation before proceeding with putting music on your website, my understanding is you would be using that music file in a commercial application, which was not granted when you purchased it - thus you would need to get those expressed rights to avoid an unpleasent conversation with RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) should they become aware of your unlicensed usage.

So how do you stay legal, I saw a recent write-up from the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) who recommend either aquire the proper usage rights by aquiring a synchronization and master use licenses which will allow you to legally used the copyrighted music in this manner. To obtain the synchronization license, required to record music as accompaniment to a slideshow or other presentation - you must contact the music publishing company that owns the rights to the composition which is usually found on the disc or CD insert.  To obtain the master use license - permitting you to make recordings of an existing CD or other music format - you’ll need to contact the owner of the actual recording, which is almost always the record label. This information is also usually on the disc or CD insert and the fees for master use are negociated individually.

Of course, if you want to avoid all of that, you can use royalty free music which provides you with a non-exclusing license to copy and synchronize your work. Cost and quality of the music varies so be sure to investigate and read the license agreement before you purchase. There are a large number of music companies that offer this and can be found by searching “royalty free music” in Google.

I was catching up on email and had the following persuasive element used by cafepress.com brought to my attention today. 

This is an awesome example for how to address concerns clothes buyers might have who are worried about both how a shirt might fit and how thick or thin a shirt is that they are buying. As someone who is ‘right on the cusp” between sizes, subtle changes can mean the difference between sizing up or sizing down. And whether an item tends to run large or run small or be true-to-size is incredibly helpful. Taking the time to think about how to convey such information is an indication of how they think about their customers and I’m sure it pays off in higher conversion rates and less product returns.

Economic waves rise and fall and Internet retailers are as vulnerable to capsizing as any business. Why do some local businesses seem to ride it out more easily than others? What can you do to help your business stick around until the next break in the storm? It’s time take a look at the many hidden assets your business has, that you many not realize their value, so they just sit there not giving you any marketing advantage.

Expanding Your Business Relationships

Just because consumers are spending and being a little more purchase leery, you need to continue to work, continue to advertise, and continue to develop your business to its full potential. This includes keeping in touch and continuing to build business relationships.

Since these business associates and community members already like and trust you, you need to make sure they understand what you do as they would happily send more business your way if they knew the kind of results you produce.

It would be wise to invite them to be on your newsletter or article list to keep them connected with your business, as there’s a good chance that they will direct highly qualified leads to your business.
 
Gathering and Utilizing Client Testimonials
 
How are you currently utilizing all of the testimonials and case studies that you have received from your clients? If you currently do not collect feedback from your clients, its time to start and this can be as simple as sending your customers a very basic survey asking them what they like about working with your company and how can you improve.

One of the things you can do if you work infrequently with your clients is to send them a quick phone call or email to check in with them. Most of the time is much appreciated and keeps you on top of their mind, and reminds them reminds them of the value of the service you provide them, which can lead to word of mouth sales leads down the road.

One of the keys is when you get a testimonial, find a place to use it immediately. Ask the person if it is ok to use it for promotional purposes and post it on your web site. This may make the difference from a credibility standpoint for someone who is considering buying one of your products or services, but is on the fence before seeing this testimonial.

Utilizing your Website Analytics:

In a tight economy, your business needs to have great control and understanding of exactly where the dollars are being spent, and what the return for each dollar spent is. Analytical Web reporting tools can provide the tracking information that will give you that control with all the supporting data you need to make smart and efficient decisions.

Paid search is one of the few areas in marketing and advertising where you can quickly see the exact return on every cent you spend. When you measure your results, you can focus on what really makes you the most money as you can track your sales and lead conversion rate for every search engine, content network, product, keyword, and even for the exact creative ad copy you use for each keyword. When you have the ability to view this data, you can see exactly what your customers are responding to and what is most effective in getting them to make a purchase. When you know what motivates buying you can keep what works and stop paying for what doesn’t.

Online businesses need the proper reporting tools to tell them exactly what and how the keywords and creative types are driving revenue. Without this information, you really are making decisions in the dark and will ultimately hurt your bottom line. Working with search marketing company, like Critical Exposure can help you get this reporting set up and provide consulting services to package results for you in a format best fits your needs.
 
Hopefully, this will give you some food for thought on how to continue to build your online business for the future while navigating a tough economy.

I saw a great article by the Professional Photographers of America today, which I thought I’d share some of the key points that they brought up on how to stop losing leads at the beginning of your sales process. 

While it’s the big things like the quality of your products and services or your pricing policies that will consume a lot of your waking hours, it’s the small things that can mess up your overall image.  It’s how you treat your potential clients…even before they talk to you (and I’m not talking about your Web sites or brochures).

From a customer’s perspective, think about how the following would affect your opinion of these companies:

You call a business phone number expecting to get a professional photographer:

• “Hi, it’s ::garble garble::. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you. :: background noise and someone yelling in the distance::” BEEP.

You send an e-mail to inquire about rates or get more information about a portrait setting. You get this response:

• “This is an automated reply from ABC Photography. We will contact you shortly.”

Unless your customers don’t care about how they’re treated, they may hang up and look for services elsewhere. Your voicemail system and your automated e-mail responses can drive potential clients away, and you may never know it. After all, they are all part of customer interaction…usually some of the first interactions a person has when trying to reach you. Below are some dos and don’ts to creating good voicemail greetings and automated e-mails.

Voicemail

Here are some tips to ensure a pleasant customer voicemail experience:

• Your outgoing voicemail greeting does not have to be long and complicated, but it does have to be professional. Script out what you want to say, and read it out loud a few times before recording.
  
• Try to keep the voicemail greeting less than 30 seconds in length. If it’s too long, people may just hang up without leaving a message.
  
• Clearly state the name of your business, thank them for their call, and ask them to leave a name, phone number, and brief message.
  
• Ensure that the background noise is at a minimum when you record. Try to record indoors in a quiet, enclosed space. This will minimize echoes and road vibrations.
  
• Call-back time frames are crucial and necessary, but only if you follow through with your promise. Some business owners shy away from saying that a team member (or the owner) will call back within a certain time frame. While there are no guarantees that a call might turn into a client, a call returned days after a message is a guarantee that you won’t get the contract.
  
• Always include an alternative way to contact you. Do you have a Web site? Mention it in your greeting and invite them to view your images and additional information.

 Automatic E-mail Responders

Speaking of Web sites, many professional photographers have a “Contact Us” page. A potential client can fill out a short information request or click on an e-mail address. What happens next depends on you.

Sometimes, businesses employ an “auto-responder” program, which sends a prewritten e-mail with particular information right back to the requester. You decide what goes in the e-mail, and it is automatically sent out.

There are positives and negatives about using an auto-responder program for your prospective customers. Your e-mail responses may be the first interaction they experience with you, so here are some things to remember:

One-line canned responses are worthless. “Thanks for your interest. We’ll get back to you shortly” means nothing, especially online. It’s impersonal and in most cases, if not given a timeframe, clients will call you directly (if they’re still interested after that response).

Use an automatic e-mail as a marketing tool. Yes, you want to thank them for their interest, but go one step further. For example:

We’re so glad that you want to know more about ABC Photography, the leading portrait/wedding/seniors professional photography studio in the Anytown Metro area. Why do our clients love us?

‘ABC captured our special moments in a way no one else could. We have memories that we can look at every day, all thanks to ABC Photography.’ - Mary Q. Public, a very happy customer

We want to give you the attention that you deserve, so please expect an e-mail from us about your specific questions within the next twenty-four hours. You can also call us during studio hours (Tuesday – Saturday, 8:30am – 5:30pm). Thanks so much for contacting us!

This is a little more personal than that “We’ll get back to you when we can” feeling that often comes from a normal automated response.

The buying cycle includes at least four distinct phases. Each involves important information about your company and its products and services.

This is why you can’t overlook the importance of your ‘About Us’ pages, especially during the key negotiation phase. Although it might not solely make a purchase, a bad ‘About Us’ page can definitely stop a purchase from happening.

This chart tracks five of the different types of information that buyers seek over the course of the buying cycle — from awareness through purchase. Company information starts out quite a bit lower in importance than the other material and still ranks lowest when all is said and done. But notice its significant rise in importance at the negotiation phase.

It’s at this point that prospective buyers start looking at your company as a whole after you’ve made their short list. They move beyond features and functions of your products and services. They want to confirm that you will be the kind of stable partner with no danger of disappearing.

‘About Us’ pages also become much more important at the negotiation phase because of the company execs interested in it: the CIOs, CFOs, etc. They’re the execs who have the final say on significant purchases, and your company information can go a long way in easing their concerns about you as a potential partner. Remember, they’ve already received recommendations from the search team about your product. Now, they want to be convinced your organization is reliable.

Here’s what they look for:
1. Up-to-date material - Complete and current information, including recent press releases about your company’s successes.
2. Customers - Who else do you work with?
3. History - What are your company’s roots and its growth pattern?
4. Location(s) - Do you have an office nearby? For some companies, especially manufacturers, it’s a real plus to have a physical location in the vicinity even in the Internet age.
5. Boards of directors/advisors - Who are they? Successful and prominent directors can validate a company, especially in its growth years.
6. Media coverage - High-profile articles or a mass of media coverage can put you on the map.
7. Blogs/thought leadership - Blogs offer a view of the thinking of a company’s executives.

Strong ‘About Us’ sections probably won’t make the sale. But they can sink your chances if the information is meager, out of date or unimpressive.

Domain Name - Buying and Selling a Domain Name
Over the past several years there has been a boom in domain name speculation, and as a result, it is very possible that the domain name you want is no longer available. If you have searched for every possible domain name you can think of, only to find that none of them are available, it may be time to think about purchasing an existing domain name from a domain name reseller or individual owner. The fact that a great majority of domain names have been registered as investments, means that there are a number of excellent domain names for sale over a wide price range. In order to get the name you want, when you want it, and at a price you can be comfortable with, consult the HostSearch Domain Name Buyer’s Guide.

Domain Name Buyer’s Guide
Buying a Domain Name from a domain reseller or individual owner can be a difficult, costly procedure, which is why we at HostSearch have come up with some tips on the domain buying process, and a step-by-step guide to save you time and money.

Tips When Buying a Domain Name:

• Remain Anonymous
  When purchasing a domain name, it is essential to remain as anonymous as you can throughtout the entire process, in order to keep the price as low as possible. Domain names do not have fixed prices, and therefore the price of a domain name comes entirely from negotiations between buyer and seller.
• Do Not Disclose That You Plan to Develop a Site
  If a domain name reseller or individual knows that you plan to develop a web site, specifically a commercial website, the price of your name will skyrocket, and you could end up paying five to ten times the market value for your domain name.
• Do Not Disclose Your Full Name or Personal Information
  It is extremely easy for someone to find out a great deal of information concerning you and your personal financial situation over the Internet. Therefore, it would be a good idea to create an alias web-based email address to conduct your negotiations.

Step One: Is the Domain You Want For Sale?
The first step in the domain purchasing process is determining whether or not the domain name you want is for sale. In order to obtain this information, try visiting the site in question. When you visit the site, there are a number of possible results, which are covered individually below:

• You discover a functioning, operational site.
  If this is the case, it is very likely that the domain name is not for sale, however, you may still want to write an email to double check.
• You discover a “For Sale” page.
  This is a good sign, as it means the name is available; however, before you put in a bid you should do some research concerning the market value of the domain name, which could save you a quite a bit of money.
• You discover a page inviting you to join a domain broker or auction site to bid on the name.
  This is also a good sign, as it means the name is available, but again, before you put in a bid do some research on the market value of the name.
• You discover a generic “bookmark” page, from a domain registrar.
  In this case you will have to conduct a WhoIs Search to determine the owner of the name, and then contact him/her by email.

Step Two: Creating a Budget
After you have determined the availability of your desired domain name, the next step is creating a budget for the purchase of your name, and getting a reliable estimate of its value. You can get a decent estimate of the value of a domain name by getting it appraised online for a small fee. Another way of creating a budget for purchasing domain names is to make an estimate of how much the name means to you, and in commercial applications, your business. Regardless of how high or low you set your budget, it is extremely important to abide by it. Getting caught in a bidding war for a domain name is a great way to end up paying way too much for your domain name, especially when there are plenty of good domain names available for purchase.

Step Three: Deciding Where to Buy
After you have decided to purchase a domain name, you need to decide where you are going to purchase it from. There are several methods of purchasing a domain name, including private sales, through a domain broker, or via auction. Each of these methods has a variety of advantages and disadvantages, which we have broken down for you below.

• Private Sale
  Private sales are the most complicated way of purchasing a domain name, and also the most risky. That being said, private sales can also be the cheapest way of purchasing a domain name, and are not subject to comission fees. Think twice before you try to purchase a domain name privately, because you will be responsible for transferring the domain name, and will also have to deal with how to arrange payment, escrow, etc.
  
• Negotiated Sale via Domain Broker
  This is probably the most convenient way of purchasing a domain name, as you will be guided through the entire process, and will also be able to remain anonymous throughout. However, some domain brokers charge a fee for buyers. In addition, the purchasing process is likely to take a long time, and you will probably have to make the initial offer, which puts you at a disadvantage. If you do decide to use a domain broker, make sure to bid low, and increase your bid in small increments. A few places to consider include:
  
  Go Daddy Broker Service

  Network Solutions Certified Offers
  

• Sale via Auction
  This is probably the riskiest way of purchasing a domain name, but can result in a low cost, quality domain name. With domain auctions, you must be careful not to get caught up in a bidding war, as you can never be sure that the other bidders are truly interested or not. In addition, most domain auctions require some sort of membership, and can take a long time to complete transactions.

WhoIs Searches
WhoIs Searches are the best way for you to find out contact information about any registered .com, .net, or .org domain name.

If the domain name you want was registered with Network Solutions, a WhoIs Search will not provide you with the email address of the domain name owner. In this case you will have to use the administration contact email for your inquries. A number of domain resellers use their WhoIs Search ID’s to display the availability of their domain name, so if you get a WhoIs ID like this: BuyThisDomainName@anymail.com, you can move along to the bidding process

I’ve been following an interesting thread on how to deal with delivery issues with item sold online that I thought would be appropriate to share. Below are the experiences of two vendors in how they have chosen to deal with the challenges of shipping and confirming delivery of their products.

We (John Wagner of Jewelex.com) uses the US Postal Service almost exclusively to deliver our packages. Because we ship a wide variety of package sizes and weights, and because the packing materials are provided free of charge, USPS is by far the most economical of the carriers for us. And they are pretty darn reliable, for the most part!

We ship from Long Island to the rest of the world and our truly disappearing packages so far have numbered about two or three legitimate ones in ten years on the internet. And over 50,000 shipments and
counting. We do get claims of non delivery but we have our own way of handling that.

Whenever we get a claim that a package did not arrive we send an email that states something to the effect that the USPS takes this sort of thing very seriously and we will file a “non delivery claim investigation form”. We tell the customer that the USPS will send a postal inspector to interview them and ask them to sign an affidavit that they did not get it, and go from there.

It is illegal to accept a package that is not addressed to you (it really is) and when they find out who took the package in, the perpetrator faces ten years in prison.

We ask them to wait another couple of days to see if it turns up and if not then of course we will replace it. Well you would be quite surprised at how many packages suddenly turn up (”the neighbor took it in…..the
doorman signed for it….it went to the next house”…etc) when we send the letter to the claimant.

We also then note in our address base in the computer that this particular customer pulled that stunt and all shipments to them are flagged for restricted delivery. Our products and shipments average in the hundreds of dollars, they are not small amounts. Insurance through the post office is expensive in relation to outside insurers but insuring for just $50, no matter how much it really is, guarantees that the post office will take action in the event of a loss. Insurance also gets you a signature delivery so you do not have to pay extra for it. Oddly, $50 insurance costs $1.65 while a signature delivery alone costs $1.75!! So insuring for $50 covers the whole thing for ten cents less!

New York City is a problem area to ship to because in many of the buildings they do not allow the postman to go upstairs to deliver the package, the doorman signs for it and it never gets where it is supposed to go. Or in unguarded buildings it is just left in front of the door and is stolen. In fact we only ship to NYC via restricted delivery to first time customers because we have been beaten a few times there. Out of our ten
or so real losses, eight were from NYC and we know for a fact that at least five of them were fakes because they re-ordered the items they said they never got, items that are no longer available on our website!!. Customers we know get the $50 insurance deal complete with signature.

Signature delivery only proves that someone signed for it, and often that someone is not the person to whom it was addressed. Which can lead to your recipient claiming with his credit card company that he
never got it and which leaves YOU holding the bag because the onus falls upon you to prove delivery.
 
The USPS has a service called “Restricted Delivery” which costs an additional $3.50. It requires that the package be signed for not by someone but ONLY by the person to whom it was addressed and that person
must prove to the postman who he is by way of photo ID. And by law the postman cannot delivery it to anyone else no matter what. If the recipient is not home he must leave a notice that it can be picked up at
the post office only by the legitimate recipient, period. The notice even tells them to bring photo ID or they are not getting it, even if the postman knows them personally on sight. If it is not picked up in ten days it comes back to you.
I (Scott Marino of LittleJammies.com) have been retailing online for 9 years now and have shipped well over 250,000 packages.

For the problem you are referring to, the USPS’s delivery confirmation (not tracking) is not what most would call a robust error-proof service. Some mail carriers scan the package as they deliver them, some scan it
in their truck and some scan it in postal facility before they even start their route. In the last 2 cases, there is much room for error for the package not really getting to the right location. For the overall shipping cost, including the delivery confirmation charge, they do a good job as almost all packages get there.

The problem comes in when the package does not get there. Most USPS shipments end up being for the lower cost merchandise and are self-insured (meaning uninsured). I just padded the shipping a
little to cover the losses and wrote the few lost ones off. I’d stall for time, because many times they would appear days later (probably the person who received the package not addressed to them finally got around
to giving it to the right home).

I made a business decision with my newest venture regarding shipping. When faced with how to get orders to the end customer, for me it came down to 2 carriers, UPS and USPS. I ruled out DHL for having too small
a network and FedEx Ground for similar reasons. In my last company, we averaged what I would term the “problem rate” for packages. That included any communication from a customer related to shipping. For the
USPS, it was around 3% of all orders. Mostly it was a “where is my package” question as many customers did not understand that delivery confirmation did not include “in-transit” scans and was only confirmation of delivery. For UPS, the problem rate was well below 1% as the in-transit scans and tracking information keeps the customer up-to-date on their shipments.

UPS’s cost is higher, but reliability comes with it. I made the business decision to not offer USPS as a shipping option. I looked at the cost of the time wasted with answering the same “where is my package”
question and the inevitable “I didn’t get my package” complaints, the self insured replacement costs and the credit card chargebacks that don’t recognize USPS delivery confirmation as proof of delivery. Those
hidden costs offset the savings in shipping for me to a significant degree.

I only offer UPS as a shipping option. Yes, I charge a little more for it, but the complaints are almost none. In the last 15,000 packages shipped with UPS, I have had 4 totally lost packages, 6 damages and 3
mis-deliveries. UPS paid on all the claims because they were all insured. For the handful of chargebacks, I have not lost a single one as they recognized UPS’s tracking as proof of delivery.

It’s all a matter of economics as to which works best for each business. Looking at the “other” costs like customer questions that have to be answered, the cost of replacing lost merchandise and the lost
chargebacks, the USPS is less of a bargain than simply cheaper rates. With UPS, you can always ask for an incentive (discount) plan as your volume grows.