Your Powerful Automated Assistant: How To Pick The Right
Autoresponder
As amazing as autoresponders are, I am surprised that not
everyone and every business is using them. For those that don't
know, an autoresponder is a simple email program that responds
automatically to emails that are sent to it.
Not only that, but it can also be used to set up a series of
follow up emails and provide you with mailing list management.
If you have a business, online or off, having an autoresponder
is almost a necessity if you want to fully maximize your sales
potential.
Here is what typically happens:
You own a website that sells a product or service. Through your
marketing efforts, you get several visitors a day. You get about
a sale daily, but for those that don't purchase, they are lost
to you forever.
Now, let's say that you are going to use an autoresponder to
increase your income. You need to know a very important fact
about sales: "Most people need to see an offer about 5 times
before they decide to purchase." What this means is that you
need a way of connecting with your visitors at least five times,
and autoresponders will do it for you...AUTOMATICALLY.
Back to your website. Your marketing efforts haven't change and
you continue to get several visitors a day. But, you have
written a 5 part eCourse about using your product or service.
So now when you get a visitor, a little pop-up comes on (or you
have a sign up spot in the sidebar) telling them that you are
offering a FREE eCourse. All they need to do is supply you with
their email addresses, and you'll send it right over.
Now, you will still get that quick sale. However, those visitors
that were on the fence about purchasing or who didn't have
enough time to look your offer over will sign up to get the free
eCourse.
And now, in automated fashion, your autoresponder will send them
the eCourse (of 5 lessons) and also continue sending as many
follow up emails as you want.
Not only that, but now you have started your own mailing list,
and we all know that the power is in the list. So six months
down the road when you want to run a special and reduce your
prices by $50 for one day only, you can send an email to your
entire list with the details.
The best autoresponders are run by third party companies
(desktop autoresponders handled by yourself tend to get
blacklisted quicker and have lower delivery rates).
If you are going to pick an autoresponder, the best bets are Big
Three: GetResponse, Aweber, and EmailAces. Each has its own
strength and weakness, so you are going to need to evaluate your
situation and goals to match it up properly with the appropriate
autoresponder company.
Here is a basic overview of the three:
1. GetResponse (www.Get-Response.com). Many people start off
using GR. The main reason is because they have a free version of
their autoresponder service. This isn't a free trial that
expires in 30 days. The free service doesn't have all of the
features of the premium service and it does contain ads, but as
far as getting your feet wet, it is a good option. Other
features include: unlimited autoresponders, unlimited follow-ups
(only 5 in free version), mailing list management, pop-up
creator and a neat tool that checks your messages to see if
email service providers will think they are spam. The premium
service runs for $17.95 per month.
2. Aweber (www.Aweber-Responder.com). People who have been using
autoresponders for a while eventually switch to Aweber
(especially those involved in internet marketing). It has a 30
day free trial so you can try before you buy. The features
include: unlimited autoresponders, unlimited follow-up messages,
a Spam checker, mailing list management and tools to create
pop-ups. It also integrates nicely with PayPal. This is
important if you want to use the autoresponder to automatically
deliver your digital products when sales are made on your
website. Their service runs $19.95 a month.
3. EmailAces (www.EmailAces.com). This is a newer company than
the other three but has similar features. You also get unlimited
autoresponders and follow-ups, unlimited mailing list size,
WYSIWYG HTML editor, and strong customer service. Their service
runs $19.95 a month for the unlimited autoresponder package (and
just $7.95 for the first month).
The question shouldn't be whether or not you need an
autoresponder. You do. Especially if you want to maximize your
income online (I can't think of a more important tool).
The question you should ask is WHICH autoresponder do I choose.
And it all depends on your individual situation. So figure out
what you want to accomplish, research the big 3 autoresponder
companies, and decide on one.
It will be the best business decision you have made yet.