Autoresponders – Why do you need one?

by Philip King

Have you noticed how, if you have an internet based business, everyone says you "need" an autoresponder without actually giving a reason as to why!

Well if you’ve every purchased an item online you have invariably used an autoresponder as they are almost always used when you buy online. A typical scenario being, the sending of your email receipt when the transaction is complete along with follow-up messages thanking you for your business or offering discounts on future purchases.

There are many autoresponders available, just do a Google search on "Autoresponder" or "email marketing" to see what I mean. AWeber, founded in 1998, are possibly one of the most well know email marketing software automation businesses (as they say). Another good candidate is GetResponse. Both AWeber and GetResponse are the companies I’ve put my name to as they have the best knowledge system, video tutorials and easy to use control panels in my opinion. That having been said, they might not be to your liking so please do your research and check the market place before making a choice.

So, do you need an autoresponder? Well, if you sell online or run a club or other facility where automated responses can be used to give a better customer experience, then the answer is, maybe. Sorry, read on, things will get clearer.

The thing to remember with autoresponders is, all of the emails must be written beforehand. This has the advantage that standard responses can be given for typical situations with considerable time and manpower savings but has the disadvantage of, potentially, being very impersonal.

Autoresponders are an excellent tool for generating leads. Customers opting-in to newsletters are added to the subscriber list and get a new issue of the newsletter on a regular basis so maintaining customer awareness and hence potentially increasing sales, either directly or indirectly. An autoresponder for club newsletters is also an excellent option.

When deciding upon a suitable solution, set-up fees and time requirements, which can be considerable, must be considered. Should the service be outsourced or server-side?

• Outsourced autoresponders run on the suppliers server and are configurable by the client using a web-based control panel. This is good for the client as it is easy to implement with just a small learning curve, the downside is the monthly usage fee payable. AWeber and GetResponse are examples of outsourced autoresponder programs.
• Server-side autoresponders are those installed on your own server. The benefit of server-side installation is that you have complete control of the implementation. The downside, is the high learning curve required to gain the technical skills needed to implement the installation. The Infinite Responder is an example of a server-side autoresponder.

You have to compare these factors when making your decision. Do the benefits outweigh the costs?

Do you need to send a sequences of emails, such as an "e-learning course", a special report, a club bulletin or sales reminder? In cases like these, you would write and save a series of emails which the autoresponder software then sends at intervals specified by you. For example, people subscribing to your "e-learning course" would receive a new module every week for 10 weeks from the date of subscription. All controlled and fully automated using the autoresponder. If this sounds like you, then you probably need an autoresponder.

The advantages of autoresponders are:

• Follow-up emails can be written beforehand.
• Standard responses can be given for typical situations.
• Considerable time and manpower can be saved.
• Good for newsletters.
• Maintains customer awareness.
• Automated opt-in and opt-out.

The disadvantages of autoresponders are:

• Follow-up emails must be written beforehand.
• Potentially very impersonal.
• Another learning curve.
• Can be costly to implement and maintain.

So, why do you need an autoresponder? You need an autoresponder if the emails you are sending can be predicted and automated and the befits you will gain from having an autoresponder, i.e. time, consistency and manpower outweigh the resources needed to realize and maintain the implementation of the autoresponder.

An autoresponder is an ideal method of sending marketing information. It’s a great method to educate and inform. People buy from people they know, so adding an autoresponder to your marketing mix can also improve your bottom line as well.

Finally, please don’t automatically add everyone who has ever emailed you to your mailing list . This would be a breach of the data protection act. Just because someone has emailed you doesn’t give you the right to add them to your mailing list. Please, be considerate.

You may also be interested in the following:

• Autoresponders – What are they?

• Autoresponders – AWeber Review
• Autoresponders – Why do you need one?
• Autoresponders and Affiliate Marketing – How does it work?