We might live in a digital world, but direct mail is here to stay. Statistics show that the average ROI for direct mail campaigns is placed between 18-20%. The ROI is so high because an estimated 80-90% of direct mail is opened. Those statistics explain the lasting appeal of direct mail. At a certain point, though, keeping up with your mail as an individual or a business owner becomes impossible. That’s when you might want to invest in a virtual mailbox. In this post, we’ll quickly define what we mean by a virtual mailbox before we look at the pros and cons of these services.

What Is a Virtual Mailbox?

A virtual mailbox is a service where a provider offers its clients a physical mailing address. The majority of those providers will receive physical mail on behalf of their clients while offering a host of supplementary services, such as:

• Scans of envelopes and packages
• The option to shred, hold, or ship items
• Competitive shipping rates
• Depositing of checks

The Pros of a Virtual Mailbox

Now that we have a better understanding of what we mean by a virtual mailbox, let’s jump right into the positives of this service:

Perfect for Digital Nomads

The gig economy is well and truly flourishing. This means that there are more digital nomads working their magic than ever before. Those talented and mobile workers are often on the road, though, and this means that they can often struggle to receive and manage physical mail.

A virtual mailbox is a perfect solution for those nomads, who can enjoy their adventures safe in the knowledge that their mail is being cared for properly. They can set and forget their virtual mailbox. The best providers offer regular notifications and updates, too, empowering digital nomads to effortlessly handle their direct mail.

Convenient Service

Any business owner will understand that direct mail can become a challenge to manage. The average business owner will receive a huge volume of mail – some of it will be garbage, while there will be some business-critical pieces too.

Sorting through mail to differentiate between those two groups is often a job in itself. Thankfully, virtual mailboxes handle this time-consuming task for business owners. This means that business owners are free to focus on what they do best: running their business. Small business owners will be particularly thankful for this service, and they can save many valuable hours by enlisting the help of a virtual mailbox.

A Quick Resolution to Direct Mail

A big problem with direct mail is the fact that it doesn’t really make itself known as an email does. When a person receives an important email, they’ll see it right away and they’ll be able to formulate their response. Direct mail, on the other hand, is often left at the bottom of a postbox for days at a time. This might mean that business owners unknowingly neglect important communication and fail to act on it.

With a virtual mailbox, though, they can rest assured that they’re taking care of their commitments right away. Those business owners will receive notifications when they get an important piece of mail and they’ll be able to act right away.

Never Change Address

Digital nomads travel and change addresses on a regular basis, but businesses do too. Some nascent businesses will often change their premises and their departments will often shift between different locations. This can cause lots of confusion and it might mean that businesses fail to receive important pieces of mail. It can also result in costly delivery fees when items have to be sent between different locations.

A virtual mailbox can put an end to this problem. With a virtual mailbox, businesses and freelancers can benefit from having a single address that doesn’t change. This makes life much simpler and far less stressful for business owners who need to focus on nurturing their business.

Reduce Clutter

Numerous studies have shown that a clean office without clutter can help employees to work to the best of their ability. An office that is replete with clutter can distract people and detract from the suitability of a workplace.

Virtual mailboxes are a great help here. Virtual mailboxes empower business owners to receive only the mail that they need – any unwanted mail can quickly and securely be disposed of. This helps businesses to reduce clutter and stay focused on what counts: growing their business by working as effectively as possible.

Ideal for individuals

In 2019, the State Department estimated that there are around 9 million U.S. citizens living abroad. A virtual mailbox service can make life much simpler for those people. With a quality virtual mailbox, they don’t have to worry about bothering their family or friends, or waiting for an important piece of mail to be shipped overseas to them.

The Cons of a Virtual Mailbox

Some people might be reluctant to pay for a virtual mailbox service because they don’t want to take on another cost. Some freelancers and nascent business owners, for instance, might find that they are uncomfortable taking on extra costs during the early days of their business. Between software, equipment, specialist tools, and other business supplies, they might find themselves a little anxious about incurring an additional cost.

It’s totally understandable, but it’s important to bear in mind that a high-quality virtual mailbox service can deliver a high ROI. In fact, many of those business owners will often decide to invest in a virtual mailbox once they have nourished their business enough.

Sign Up For A Virtual Mailbox Today

We hope that this piece has been helpful to you! If you are ready to get the best virtual mailbox in the business, be sure to learn more about US Global Mail today. We are proud of our reputation as industry leaders and it would be our pleasure to help you take care of your virtual mailbox needs.

For any questions, feel free to contact us here!