Autoresponder Questions and Recommendations

by Shelley Lowery

Autoresponders are one of the most popular tools used on the Internet, as they will enable you to put a portion of your business on auto-pilot.

Over the years, I have received many questions about autoresponders and have devised a list of the most frequently asked autoresponder questions.

Question: I'm new to Internet marketing and am continually hearing about the benefits of using an autoresponder. Can you please explain exactly what an autoresponder is?

Answer: Autoresponders are one of the top promotional tools available online today. They are also known as automatic responders, mailbots, automatic email and email on demand. They were derived from the very popular fax on demand and designed to automatically respond to any email message sent to it with an automatic response.

Autoresponder programs vary from software set up to run with your desktop email program and automatically answer your incoming email to a script that runs on your server. The script may run a Web-based autoresponder system that utilizes a web page form, or it may run with your pop email account on your server. It is programmed to automatically send out a predetermined message when a message is received to a specified script address or email address.

Question: My hosting company provides access to autoresponders, but I have no idea what they're used for. Can you please explain?

Answer: There are many advantages associated with the use of autoresponders. Not only do they automate the daily task of manually replying to requests for information, but they also provide instant gratification for the recipient.

Autoresponders can be used in an unlimited number of ways including:

• Sample ezine copy for potential subscribers

• Articles for publication - A great way for writers to distribute their articles

• Offer free powerful reports on various subjects and use your signature file at the end to promote your site or business

• Offer free resources with information about your site, product or business

• Information about your business opportunity

• Product listings

• Price list

• Welcome letters

• Thank you letters

• Order confirmations

• Advertising rates

Question: Can you tell me what I should look for when selecting an autoresponder service?

Answer:When selecting an autoresponder service, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration to ensure maximum performance.

The service you select should provide all of the following:

• Personalized responses - This makes the recipient feel that the message was sent specifically to them.

• Automatic follow ups - Studies have shown it may take up to seven contacts before closing a sale.

• Unlimited text length - If you are inhibited by the amount of text your autoresponder may contain, you may be forced to revise a successful sales letter, ultimately costing you business.

• Free unlimited updating - It is imperative to provide your customers with accurate, up to date information on your products and services.

• Automatic notification - You must have the ability to track your ad's performance. You should be instantly informed each time someone requests your information.
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Our Recommendations

Get Response

Free autoresponder service that offers unlimited autoresponders, no maximum mail length, automatic multiple messages sent over a period of time and much more. It's all free, but you'll have to put up with a small advertising message at the top of every message you send out. This can be removed by upgrading. The fee based service also includes the potentially important Double Opt-In feature.

AWEBER

AWeber can be configured to automatically send up to six or more follow-up messages at varying time intervals. The contents of each of these messages can be varied at any time as can the time interval between each message. And very importantly, each message includes unsubscribe information so that the prospect can easily remove his or herself from the process at any time. Additionally, it has a Double Opt-In feature, which is very important in today's spammy world.

Traffic Wave

Traffic Wave gives you unlimited campaigns. And, it has a built in series of emails you can upoad to get you started, an FFA page you can promote for yourself (it's yours), lead capture page generation, and a veritible plethora of other goodies. This is one very complete package.

Vertical Response

Email Campaigns with VerticalResponse.

So easy it is SCARY!

Vertical Response, Inc., a leading provider of self-service and customized direct marketing solutions, empowers small and medium sized businesses to build, control and measure their own direct marketing campaigns. VerticalResponse is the most intuitive Web-based direct marketing solution on the market, allowing customers to deliver highly sophisticated and easy-to-deploy email marketing campaigns as well as printed postcard campaigns for delivery through the US Postal Service.

Constant Contact

With Email Marketing by Constant Contact®, you'll discover that you can quickly create affordable, professional-looking email campaigns that help you better connect with your customers, clients, or members. And with Survey, their online survey product, you can better understand their needs and wants

SendFree

Autoresponder service with an interesting twist: SendFree also acts like an advertising exchange service. How it works: you sign up for a SendFree account and set up your autoresponder service. At the top of every automatic reply your autoresponder sends out is a short text advertisement. Half of these are for other members' sites. The other half are reserved for SendFree's advertisers. In turn, your advertisement will appear at the top of messages sent out by other members

FreeAutoBot

This free autoresponder service lets you send out one or many automatic followup messages at intervals you specify. Best of all, there are no ads added to your outgoing messages. Instead, the site makes its money off banner ads on the main site, and through sending registered users occasional messages.

Email Aces

This is a Top Notch Autoresponder used by a LOT of email and Internet Marketers.

We've just put together a companion blog site to document our learnings and findings about the various autoresponders we come across. You may read about it at Auto Responders Reviews.

On another related topic, if you'd like to know more about the requirements for finding a good web hosting company, visit our sister site; Web Hosting - The Basics.

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Question: I would like to set up an autoresponder course, but I can't figure out how to do it. Can you please explain?

Answer: In order to set up an autoresponder course, you must use a system that provides follow-up autoresponders. These follow up messages can be set up to automatically be sent out at predetermined intervals. In other words, you can set up your autoresponder to automatically send out a new message each day for as many days as you would like.

Not all autoresponders will enable you to create follow-up messages. However, the following service will:

http://www.getresponse.com/

If you'd rather have your own autoresponder system that resides on your server, I recommend using AutoResponse Plus: http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=autoplus

The first step in creating an autoresponder course is to decide upon a subject. Your course should focus on a subject in which you have a great deal of knowledge and target your potential customers.

Once you have selected your subject, you'll need to make a list of topics. Each topic will represent one lesson. If you have five topics, then you can offer your visitors a free 5-day course. If you have ten topics, then you can offer your visitors a free 10-day course and so on.

Separate each of your topics into course lessons. Your first lesson should welcome your subscriber to your course and explain a little bit about what they are going to learn, followed by the first lesson.

The key to creating a successful autoresponder course is to provide quality information that will be of interest to your target audience. Each daily topic must contain valuable information or your reader may decide to unsubscribe. In addition, make sure you include information in regard to your course such as the lesson number, lesson title, information about your products or services and highlights of the next lesson.

Your course should identify a problem, provide advice in regard to solving the problem and provide the solution with your products or services. Keep in mind, your course should not be written like a sales letter. It must provide quality information written to teach and inform.

Autoresponders are an absolute essential part of developing a successful Internet business. The more you can automate your tasks, the more time you'll have for more important things, such as making more sales.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery. http://www.webdesignmastery.com And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. http://www.ebookstarter.com Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies." http://www.web-source.net

Richard Hale * Internet Retirement System Consultant * 611 24th Ave S, NMB, SC 29582