A Beginner's Guide To The Autoresponder

It's generally true that the lifeblood of any online business is your email list. Therefore building an email list is something you need to be doing from the outset. List building can be a very simple process if you have a few tools in place before you get started. One of the most important tools you are going to need is an autoresponder. Without an autoresponder building, your list is going to be much harder if not impossible.

Fortunately, there are a few different autoresponders out there and they are generally easy and inexpensive to obtain, Some are even free. And most are extremely simple to use. You won't need to outlay too much money to get started, nor will you need any specialized skills.

What Is An Autoresponder?

Autoresponders are messages set by you to go out automatically to your email list. They help you by automatically sending out emails and newsletters to recipients who have signed up to your list.

You can schedule each individual set of messages, (known as a campaign) to go out to your list in a sequence set out by you. You can decide what messages are sent by which campaign and even control the rate at which they are sent. For example, you may want to send emails out to a new subscriber on days 1,2,3,4,5 then slow down the rate of emails to say day 7,10,14, etc. Autoresponders are invaluable because they enable you to write your messages in advance and they keep track of who they have sent them to and when.

They also give you a breakdown of how many of your recipients opened the messages, clicked on links, etc.

The best autoresponders also give you the ability to create and manage newsletters, even providing you with hundreds of templates.

As you can see, an autoresponder service is really an essential part of your list building arsenal. Without it, you would find it almost impossible to collect and manage email addresses. It would also be a nightmare trying to keep track of what messages you have sent to each individual address.

There are two types of autoresponder services...

Self-Hosted Autoresponders

Self-hosted Autoresponders won't normally cost you a monthly fee. They will usually have an upfront charge for the autoresponder itself. However, what you save initially may cost you later down the line because of problems that can arise when using this method.

First, with self-hosted autoresponders, you have a very real chance of all your messages getting delivered to your recipient's spam folder. This is because a self-hosted autoresponder does not usually contain the ability to stop messages being filtered as spam.

Second, you will have to deal with any spam complaints you get by yourself. When you use a hosted service, they will usually handle any spam complaints you may get on your behalf. Also with a hosted service, you have the option to use double-opt. This ensures you will have extra protection in the event of any spam complaints.

Third, hosted services usually provide you with the ability to back up your lists should anything go wrong. With a self-hosted autoresponder, this will be solely down to you to attend to. Add to that any maintenance you may need to carry out and all of a sudden the money you are saving may not seem such good value after all.

Hosted Autoresponder Services

Hosted autoresponder services are much less of a headache to use. Not only are they generally white-listed with most of the major ISP's, but they also ensure you are protected in the event of any spam complaints you may get. They also have lots of extra useful features that you would not get with a self-hosted autoresponder.

There are numerous hosted services for you to choose from and each comes with their own pros and cons. If you have never used an autoresponder service before, it can be very difficult to decide which one is best suited to your own personal needs.

With this in mind, I'm going to give you a brief summary of the five most popular autoresponder services available today. You can then better decide which is the right one for you. Remember, once chosen you will usually have to stay with the same service for as long as you are running your business. If you decide six months down the line that you want to change your autoresponder, you will have the unenviable and somewhat complicated task of transferring your list to your new service.

Transferring your list to a new service can be a very time consuming and awkward job. Your new autoresponder service may even require you to ask all of your lists to reconfirm their subscription. Best case scenario, this could take a long time, worst case you could lose a large chunk of your email list in the process.

Obviously, if you have spent the past six months building your list, this would be a major setback. So as you can see, it is important to choose the right autoresponder service from the start.

Popular Hosted Services

Aweber.com

Aweber has been the most popular autoresponder service for a very long time now. The reason is they are a very reliable service, with some great features and a price plan that will grow with your list. Therefore it is not too expensive at the outset, in fact at the time of writing it's free for 30 days then just $19 a month. As your list grows your monthly fee will increase. Aweber is also fairly easy to use and with access to over 700 templates and 6000 stock photos, it is well worth considering. It also has a great customer support system.

GetResponse.com

GetResponse is second only to Aweber in terms of popularity. They also boast some great features including a fairly substantial image library as well as over 500 templates. As with Aweber, Getresponse is simple to use and also has plans that will grow with your business. Starting at $10 a month they are cheaper than Aweber, and also offer the option of getting an 18% discount if you pay for 12 months in advance. Again at the time of writing they are offering a 30-day free trial.

iContact.com

Just like Aweber and Getresponse, iContact is offering a 30-day free trial. With packages starting at $14 a month they are competitively priced and with a 15% discount if you pay annually are well worth a look. They provide a very reliable service and although not as user-friendly as Aweber and Getresponse their autoresponders are still very good. Add to this the fact that you can manage a list of up to 15,000 subscribers they offer a very enticing autoresponder service. Another great point to take into account is the ability to import your existing list and add contacts manually.

ConstantContact.com

Constant Contact also offers a free trial period, but unlike the others, this is a 60-day trial. Like Aweber and Getresponse they offer a service that grows with your list, with packages starting at $20 a month. They also offer a good size image library, templates, and a phone app. They are a little let down by the lack of features compared to Aweber and Getrsponse. But with a really good support network, they certainly offer a service worth considering.

MailChimp.com

Finally, we have MailChimp. Mail Chimp is somewhat different from the other autoresponder services because they offer a free service aimed at startups. If your list remains below 2000 you will not have to pay anything. After 2000 names on your list then you can go onto the paid plan which starts at $10 a month. However, with the free version, you are limited to the features you have access to so you may want to start on the paid plan earlier in order to access the extra features.

Bottom Line

The autoresponders I have listed all have really good integration features and work really well with WordPress. As WordPress is used to build around 28% of all the websites on the internet, being able to integrate into this platform is an important feature.

Although I have listed what are probably the five most popular autoresponder services out there, that's not to say you should disregard the others. By all means, have a look at a few of these and decide for yourself. We all have different wants and needs and maybe you will find a service more suited to what you require.

Have you started using an autoresponder service yet? If so which one and how are you finding it? Do you use a self-hosted autoresponder? what problems have you faced and how have you overcome these?

I'm a full-time internet marketer and product developer with a passion for helping newcomers succeed in what can be a very confusing business. If you would like more free advice, tips, help, and information on running a home-based business feel free to drop me a line. Just visit my website at http://darrenjrussell.com

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Darren_Russell/2379573

TOP 3 BEST AUTORESPONDERS FOR EMAIL MARKETING

Autoresponder - The Key to Running a Successful Online Business

In this article, we shall define what autoresponders are, and why you should utilize them to achieve successful online business.

If you run an online business it means you already own a website or a blog. Once your online business is set up, the next most important thing to consider is using an effective autoresponder.

Autoresponder defined

In simple understandable terms, it is actually electronic newsletters forwarded automatically to your subscribers via your mailing list, and this is done at intervals that you specify or define. By sample, you can design and specify an autoresponder so that once a person signs up to your mailing list he or she will receive a welcome note from your business. Subsequently, you can send other messages such as business discount codes, invitation to connect on social media, new product launch, etc.

The importance of autoresponders

Using autoresponders for your online business keeps a large bulk of your email marketing automated, and that's if you set up things appropriately. With an autoresponder installed on your website, your subscribers will be able to receive specific vital key messages about your business. With this benefit, you do not need to bother about manually sending these messages out, as it is a fully automated asset. This simply makes the importance of using autoresponders all the more clear. In short, they help you save time running your online business, loads of it.

How can you utilize autoresponders to help promote your online business?

• You can utilize them to forward custom birthday greetings with other related offers to subscribers on your mailing list.

• You can transition a subscriber from one phase of communication to another after they purchase an item/product. For example, you can move a subscriber from a 'prospect' level series of messaging to an 'upsell' series of communication.

• You can forward emails to subscribers exactly one month after they purchased a product. This can be done to motivate them to renew a 'policy or guarantee.'

When autoresponders are utilized in such creative and meaningful ways, it can help generate substantial sales and income - with high returns on investment for your business.

To use them, you can sign up with popular providers such as MailChimp, Getresponse, Aweber, Mad Mimi or Campaign Monitor, etc. These providers are renowned for offering businesses robust autoresponders with dedicated tools for hosting mailing lists and forwarding newsletters and messages.

Finally, autoresponders, when set up and used properly, can help online businesses automate lots of marketing activities and tailor specific messages to a mailing list for profit-making and client engagement.

The $ is in the LIST! All the Web tools you need to achieve success under one roof for only $10/month! Autoresponder, Hosting, Splash/Squeeze page builder, Tracker, Rotator, Advertising and much more! Plus Unique Pay Plan, unmatched in the MLM industry - 100% commission! Discover how you can build a successful online business and start making $ NOW!

[https://allinoneprofits.my-home-biz-69.com/sign-up-for-more-info]

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/David_Neumann/2497570

How to Build an Email List Fast and for Free — 5 List Building Tips

Why You Need to Capture Leads, Not Sales

If your goal is to generate passive income, then you might well be hoping to accomplish that by selling a product. This could be a product you've made, or it might be a product that you are promoting as an affiliate marketer. Either way, you'll likely have set up a sales page, creating an ad campaign to send visitors there and then hopefully begun to rake in the profits!

The problem is that it can be tough trying to convince people who visit your page to buy. Your success in this endeavor comes down almost entirely to your conversions and the percentage of visitors that end up buying from you.

And to this end, many marketers will jump straight in with the hard sell. That means that they'll heavily push all the positives of their product and try to get the visitor to click buy as soon as they get there.

This doesn't tend to work. Although you probably want to make your sales process as simple and automated as possible, it's absolutely essential that you don't try to go straight in for the kill. Far more effective is to try to capture leads first instead. Here's why.

Why Cold Sales Don't Work

Just because you're making money passively, that does not mean that you should be impatient about how you are collecting your sales.

If you try to convert your visitors as soon as they land on your page, then this is the equivalent of walking up to someone you like in a bar and asking them for their number, without saying hello or even introducing themselves first. Or it's a little like walking up to someone in the street and offering to sell them a watch for $500. Would you be receptive to that sales technique?

Of course not! And the reason is that you know nothing about the person selling, you know nothing about the product and you have no reason to trust that what they're offering is as good as they say it is.

If someone lands on your page and you try to sell to them right away, then they'll think your site is essentially spam and they'll be frustrated at the lack of value. Chances are they'll leave.

How to Convert

So instead, talk to them about how they can get free information by signing up to your mailing list, or provide them with an article and then offer to share more through your Facebook.

Now you have the opportunity to build that relationship and to build trust and eventually, you'll find that this puts you in a position where they are more likely to want to buy from you!

You might be wondering how this model is still passive. In fact, though, it still can be: there's no reason you can't use automated emails for example through an auto-responder. Or you can write a ton of blog posts and then schedule them to post over time.

You can still make your model passive. Just don't go straight in for the kill!

Download FREE Passive Income Guide
http://TalkingFalcon.com

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/A._Hall/177291

Autoresponder - The Key to Running a Successful Online Business

In this article, we shall define what autoresponders are, and why you should utilize them to achieve successful online business.

If you run an online business it means you already own a website or a blog. Once your online business is setup, the next most important thing to consider is using an effective autoresponder.

Autoresponder defined

In simple understandable term, it is actually electronic newsletters forwarded automatically to your subscribers via your mailing list, and this is done at intervals that you specify or define. By sample, you can design and specify an autoresponder so that once a person signs up to your mailing list he or she will receive a welcome note from your business. Subsequently, you can send other messages such as business discount codes, invitation to connect on social media, new product launch, etc.

The importance of autoresponders

Using autoresponders for your online business keeps a large bulk of your email marketing automated, and that's if you setup things appropriately. With an autoresponder installed on your website, your subscribers will be able to receive specific vital key messages about your business. With this benefit, you do not need to bother about manually sending these messages out, as it is fully automated as set. This simply makes the importance of using autoresponders all the more clear. In short, they help you save time running your online business, loads of it.

How can you utilize autoresponders to help promote your online business?

• You can utilize them to forward custom birthday greetings with other related offers to subscribers on your mailing list.

• You can transition a subscriber from one phase of communication to another after they purchase an item/product. For example, you can move a subscriber from a 'prospect' level series of messaging to 'upsell' series of communication.

• You can forward mails to subscribers exactly one month after they purchased a product. This can be done to motivate them to renew a 'policy or guarantee.'

When autoresponders are utilized in such creative and meaningful ways, it can help generate substantial sales and income - with high returns on investment for your business.

To use them, you can sign up with popular providers such as MailChimp, Getresponse, Aweber, Mad Mimi or Campaign Monitor, etc. These providers are renowned for offering businesses robust autoresponders with dedicated tools for hosting mailing lists and forwarding newsletters and messages.

Finally, autoresponders when setup and used properly can help online businesses automate lots of marketing activities and tailor specific messages to a mailing list for profit making and client engagement.

The $ is in the LIST! All the Web tools you need to achieve success under one roof for only $10/month! Autoresponder, Hosting, Splash/Squeeze page builder, Tracker, Rotator, Advertising and much more! Plus Unique Pay Plan, unmatched in the MLM industry - 100% commission! Discover how you can build a successful online business and start making $ NOW!

[https://allinoneprofits.my-home-biz-69.com/sign-up-for-more-info]

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/David_Neumann/2497570

How to Setup a Winning Autoresponder Series — How to Start an Email List #4

What Is An Autoresponder And How Can It Help Me?

Do you use email marketing in your business?

If so, you may be tired of having to get up every single day and try to create some content to send out on a daily basis. Did you know that there is a way you can create all of your content and have it go out automatically? Through the use of an autoresponder you can place all of your emails into it and have them delivered at specific times.

In addition, you can create an opt-in form which will allow new subscribers to get a predetermined email campaign. This is a great way to introduce new customers and leads to your business and products. Let's take a look at how an autoresponder can help you get more clients and sales.

If there is one thing we know about customers is the fact that they hate getting sold to. It is absolutely essential in today's business to seem as non-salesy as possible. And one of the best ways to do this is by genuinely helping our leads. We can do this with great content that will help them and our product or business will allow them even greater success. One of the first things you would need to do is create a lead generator. This is going to be something that you create that is going to help your clients.

Let's look at this from a weight loss clinic. They may be in the same situation as you and wonder what is an autoresponder and how can it help us. Well, they are going to begin by creating a great piece of content of ten foods that will help you lose weight quick. Individuals will land on this page and opt-in to an email list of the autoresponder. The autoresponder captures the individual's name and email and will send out the report.

Now that the autoresponder has the individuals name and email it can begin to send out emails. These emails need to focus on helping and not selling. These emails will be sent out automatically to the individual until they unsubscribe from the list. If the emails are helpful and build trust, they will stay on the list. Over time when trust has been built the weight loss clinic can begin a soft sell on a product or service.

What makes autoresponders so invaluable is everything can be created once and it is a set and forget business model. Of course, you can always add emails into the mix at your will and do a daily blast. This is great if you want to capitalize on a trending topic or have a sale you want to introduce. An autoresponder will become an invaluable tool for your business.

While this gives a basic rundown of what is an autoresponder, there is much more to it. It is best to research the various responders on the market and understand their true power. Regardless, these are one of the best tools to have in your business arsenal!

Shane Allen Bost is an Internet Marketing Consultant specializing in new product development and affiliate program management. www.ShaneAllenBost.com

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Shane_Bost/464266