What is an Autoresponder?

Let’s first define what this automated marvel is first? An autoresponder is an automated e-mail marketing software or service that can help you manage your newsletter and mailing list. An autoresponder has also been known as an “automatic responder system”.

Example of Uses

When would be the best time to begin utilizing an autoresponder? For most, it is when your business is beginning to pick up momentum, and you are feeling the strain and stress of answering the same questions from customers over and over again or you have a newsletter or list that is growing faster than you can keep up with.

For ecommerce sites, an autoresponder should be considered from the beginning. Why? It can be one of the most helpful aids to getting specific information to your customers. Such as: when specials hit your site, requested information about your company, requested information about your products or services, and requested pricing lists, just to name a few.

When you have a fledging business, you usually will have time on your hands. But once your business starts growing you will soon see your time dwindling. This is when an autoresponder can help you to answer the questions that need to be answered, as well as, give you the additional follow-up support your customers need and want, while keeping your focus on your business and your customers.

Types Of Autoresponders

There are different types of autoresponders, offering different capabilities and options.

Limited capability autoresponders: Some autoresponders only allow for a single pre-programmed message that the sender can download - with the capability of retaining the senders email address. This type of service, more times than not, are offered through your web server, if at all.

Full-Capabilities autoresponders can offer limited broadcasting or unlimited broadcasting and can be packaged either as a stand-alone software program or an online-based software program.

Choosing the Right Autoresponder

When choosing an online autoresponder you should consider: 1) Your needs and your money supply. 2) The type of contact you will need. Are you going to be contacting your customers on a continuous basis? If so, then unlimited broadcasting may be your best option. However, if you know that you will be contacting your customers on a minimal basis, than check out the limited broadcasting services, you may save yourself some money. 3) Double-opt-in capabilities. With double-opt-in capabilities you will eliminate the calls of spamming by your list. And, may I just add, that if you do an overkill with contacting your list - don’t be surprised if your list soon begins to dwindle to nothing.

However, if you are short on money you can go with a free web-based service. You can go either with a straight free web-based service or a program that offers a free service with an opportunity to upgrade to pro– both are great options when you are a fledging business. But be aware that with the free service, you will have to allow their ads to be shown to your list. Several examples of autoresponders are GetResponse, which offers both a free and a pro version (no ads) while Free Autobot is a free service with ads.

If you choose to go with the stand-alone software program, be aware of the software’s limitation and your e-mail server’s limitations/rules. For example, some e-mail servers will allow only a certain amount of emails to be sent through their systems at one time or per day. Thus, make sure the software meets your needs and your server’s requirements.

As you can see, there are autoresponders that can fit every person’s needs, wants and pocketbook. Thus, if you are feeling the strain of success, or just wanting a break from the necessary grunt work for running your online business, look to autoresponders to help automate your business.
About the Author

Vickie J Scanlon– She has been working on the Internet as an affiliate marketer and an avid researcher — Visit her site at: http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz for free tools(http://www.myaffiliateplace.biz/Affiliate_Free_Tools.htm), articles on affiliate/internet marketing, ebooks, affiliate opportunities, computers, software utilities, tech accessories and more.

Yes, of course you do! Likely you know what a sales funnel is too!

But just for those of you who you don’t it’s a simple process of taking a visitor and “funnelling them through a process”..

In it’s basic format it looks something like this…

Visitor

Opt in

Sale

Second sale

Third sale

Ongoing sales

Eventual Travel through funnel

Now in this process you have information, support, guidance, up selling, cross selling, down selling and back end selling… You may have training, cloning and a truckload of other goodies going on..

People may leave this funnel at any given point, but you can “control” to some point how they leave your processing.

That information is all for future reports (which we will be adding from time to time in our new site).

Many people in Internet Marketing have asked me….. “How do I get people into my list to begin with..”?

Well there are MANY ways, but one that I personally love and one that I know my own mentor teaches is…

Get them at FREE or BETTER than FREE!

So what can you give to someone that is better than free that will help you to build your list?

Well, lets look at that in more detail first.

Have a process in mind when you start this step.. Understand where you are ‘leading’ your visitor, do not just think one step ahead, have a plan, a goal, a purpose and to quote what Mike Filsaime teaches.. “Begin with the end in Mind…. ”

My latest quote, one that I think I lay claim to is this…..

“Focus lets you see further on down the road… Action, takes you there…”

So combining the two methods above, we already have a strong guiding force to ensure we build that list.

One is to have the focus, the foresight to know where we are headed, where we want to take our members on their journey and we also have the strategy implemented, we are taking action to put this machine in motion.

I call it a machine, because provided you set this right, you could in reality have a detachment from the whole process once it kicks into motion and you could simply become an observer and watch the whole process unfold..

Lets look at flower arranging as my example.. Lets say that this was my area of expertise, then I would probably start with a free eBook or better still a free video on basic flower arranging techniques and or tips…

That would be something my audience would be interested in, and they would be willing to share their email address for!

What is the cost of this method?

Well, there are MANY things you could use, and you do not even have to create them yourself.

Think about original marketing techniques… Offline, you would have to pay to advertise in a magazine, newspaper or journal in your field. You could pay for leaflets, inserts, TV ads, Radio ads, Business Cards, gift items with your contact information on and much more to spread the word about your business.. But this would not come cheap!

Now you can set up a web site, create a product at a very low budget and then give that away for free in return for the right to market to them in future - their email address..

Better still, you create a method for making money on the upsell to this free exchange and then you give that first upsell to your members to keep a high percentage of the profit.. This makes them an affiliate of your product, and they will then “advertise” on your behalf..

The incentive for them is income and to let people know about a great service or product you have and you get more names on your list to market to for the future…