Paula G. Web Design

Sometimes when I ask clients if they need or want an autoresponder the phone line gets dead silent. They are not sure what they are or when/why they might use one. The truth is that autoresponders are a critical component in having an effective website that is truly integrated with your marketing efforts, online and off.

If you break it down, an autoresponder is just that…. a piece of technology (in this case email) that responds automatically. Have you ever sent an email to someone who was on vacation and you got an “out of the office” reply? That is an example of an autoresponder. It automatically responds to whoever sends an email to that address and says “Hey I’m out of the office”. That is a simple and somewhat useful example, but it doesn’t begin to capitalize on the power of autoresponders.

Taking them a step further… an autoresponder can not only respond automatically to someone filling out an web form or sending an email to a particular address but can also respond to someone multiple times over a predefined time. Have you ever taken an eCourse? That is, a course that is a series of emails sent to you over a particular period of time? Well, all eCourses use some sort of autoresponder technology.

As any marketing expert will tell you, prospects need to be exposed to you and your message multiple times (the “average” facts and figures can change) before they buy. An autoresponder is an ideal way to do that. With an autoresponder you only need to set it up once, and then whether one prospect or tens of thousands of prospects sign up they will receive your message on the time interval you defined. An ideal way to leverage both your time and the technology.

How to Get an Autoresponder

Autoresponders come in many shapes and sizes. Most web hosts include basic email and email autoresponders (that “out of office message” type example). These can be handy for sending out just one free report or automatic email. For example you might set up “freereport@yourdomain.com” and have the autoresponder set up to automatically email anyone who sends an email to this address. This is as simple as it gets. However this simple solution is lacking some very important features, most notably the ability to capture the peoples email addresses (a new lead for your business).

As a result, more sophisticated autoresponders can be found with some shopping cart systems as well as separate autoresponder services. Most shopping carts have built in capabilities to capture lead names and email addresses and send them automatic email messages with product download or other information. You then have the ability to communicate with these people in the future. In addition, shopping carts and autoresponder services can be configured to ensure you have a person’s permission before you send them emails (unlike SPAM).

What I like about specialized autoresponders are the depth and breadth of services they offer. The one I personally use and recommend is Aweber . They not only offer unlimited autoresponders (which means you can offer an unlimited number of eCourses, special offers, teleclasses, etc.) but also a host of other goodies that create a better user experience for your prospects and a more powerful marketing tool for you. Goodies such as:

• Double opt-in (the strongest permission you can have so you don’t get ruled a SPAMMER).
• Click-tracking (you can see what links in the emails you send get the most interest).
• Split-testing (you can automatically try out different sign up forms to see which ones attract the most subscribers).
• Support technicians who understand and work only with autoresponders.
• Shopping cart integration (so you can get the best of both worlds).
• Real-time statistics.
• Support for plain text and HTML email.
• Online how-to video tutorials so you can get up and running quickly.

What these extra goodies allow you to do are conduct solid online marketing and employ sophisticated techniques to attract, manage, and communicate with your prospects.

Picking your autoresponder does require some forethought. Because of the whole permission thing I mention (anti-SPAM) if you choose to switch autoresponder providers at some point you can potentially lose existing prospects since you can’t just import them into your new system. That is why it pays to think it through and work with someone who is familiar with the technology when you are just getting started.

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