The Development Of Modern Courier Services

 by Chris Herd

 Courier services are distinguishable from typical mail services for several reasons. The first and perhaps most important of which is the speed in which modern courier companies are able to deliver each package with most offering same day, next day and overnight services. The second distinguishable feature of packages transported by courier is the importance of their contents. If it's important and absolutely has to be there quickly a courier is typically employed to get the job done.

Early Couriers

The speed and reliability of couriers has provided a valuable service throughout history and can be traced back to early civilisations when runners would literally traverse hundreds of miles on foot between villages to deliver important documents. To enable messages to be carried greater distances than those possible on foot early Egyptian and Persian cultures trained carrier pigeons to fly long distances to deliver important messages. These pigeons were carefully selected and would carry small messages in tubes attached to either their leg or neck.

The First Courier "Networks"

As civilisations developed the networks used by couriers also improved. 100's of routes along which horseback couriers could easily pass were developed. It was these early examples of network based courier systems that has formed the basis for all modern courier systems. Nowadays, an important package that needs to travel a considerable distance will be handled by multiple couriers and utilise a vast network of routes on its journey to its destination.

Modern Courier Services

Nowadays, modern courier companies have an assortment of vehicles at their disposal including planes, ships, trucks and motorcycle. These vehicles have enabled courier companies to offer increasingly quick courier services. It's not uncommon for online retailers to offer next day delivery on items ordered as late as 9pm the previous day. Customers are oblivious to the vast mechanised network that is engaged when they place an order to ensure that their order arrives on time.

Recent technological advancements have also helped to improve the speed and capacity of today's courier networks. Modern track and trace systems follow each and every package throughout their journey providing valuable information to both the courier and customer. Additionally, GPS systems enable these companies to track and manage the location of each courier which in turn enables them to react quickly when a courier is needed in a specific area.

Conclusion

It's clear that courier networks have played a pivotal role in the development of modern society and will continue to do so in the years to come. An army of drivers, packers, warehouse staff and office staff work round the clock 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to process, collect and deliver a vast amount of packages and letters. So, next time a courier rings your door bell stop and consider just how many people it has taken to make that delivery possible.



This article has been produced by Diamond Logistics. A UK based company offering a selection of fast, efficient courier services.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/The-Development-Of-Modern-Courier-Services/248442

Website Value - What's Your Business' Website Worth?

 by William Lee

 If you were asked to put a value on your website what would it be? Perhaps you paid a small fortune and commissioned a top design agency to build it. It would still be worth at least what you paid for it, right?

It's a sad fact that a great number of websites are worthless. They give no value to their owners and are little more than a drain on resources. Would it surprise you if your website was classed as one of these?

The World Wide Web is made up of millions of webpages so it's not surprising that many are rarely seen by human eyes other than their owners' and creators'. These unfulfilled webpages are like trees in a forest. They can make as much noise as they want, but if no one is around to hear it then who is to know they ever made a sound? Too many of those that are seen by people are poor at encouraging progress through the sales cycle i.e. they don't persuade the reader enough to progress to the next stage whether that's submitting a sales query or making a purchase.

So how have you determined the value of your website? Have you only taken into account its cost to build and maintain or have you also considered what it actually does for you and the value it adds to your business? Ask yourself this question, if you were to put your website up for sale, how would you convince a potential buyer that it was worth the asking price? Would you sell it on the basis of how much it cost to build or on the strength of the benefits it brings?

Do you think owners of expensive luxury cars are motivated by how much they cost to build, run and service or because of things like the prestige they give the owner, the superior performance and higher levels of comfort? In this context, it may be easier to recognise value and worth, but when it comes to your website can you do the same? If your website provides you with no measurable benefits or is a tree in a lonely forest then how can you be sure it's worth anything?

Suppose we're comparing two very different websites; one cost �10,000 to build, looks very impressive, but converts poorly, generates little interest and the other cost �1,000 to build, wouldn't win any design contests, but consistently generates fresh leads and converts a high percentage of prospects into customers. Which of these websites do you think is worth more?

Now ask yourself again, what's the value of your website?



William Lee is the proprietor of Web Star Creations (http://www.webstarcreations.co.uk). His personal blog is http://www.wlee.me.uk.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Website-Value---What-s-Your-Business--Website-Worth-/1214