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By Shelley Lowery
Autoresponders are one of the most popular tools used on the
Internet, as they will enable you to put a portion of your
business on auto-pilot.
Over the years, I have received many questions about
autoresponders and have devised a list of the most frequently
asked autoresponder questions.
Question: I'm
new to Internet marketing and am continually hearing about the
benefits of using an autoresponder. Can you please explain
exactly what an autoresponder is?
Answer:
Autoresponders are one of the top promotional tools available
online today. They are also known as automatic responders,
mailbots, automatic email and email on demand. They were derived
from the very popular fax on demand and designed to automatically
respond to any email message sent to it with an automatic
response.
Autoresponder programs vary from software set up to run with your
desktop email program and automatically answer your incoming
email to a script that runs on your server. The script may run a
Web-based autoresponder system that utilizes a web page form, or
it may run with your pop email account on your server. It is
programmed to automatically send out a predetermined message when
a message is received to a specified script address or email
address.
Question: My
hosting company provides access to autoresponders, but I have no
idea what they're used for. Can you please explain?
Answer: There are
many advantages associated with the use of autoresponders. Not
only do they automate the daily task of manually replying to
requests for information, but they also provide instant
gratification for the recipient.
Autoresponders can be used in an unlimited number of ways
including:
• Sample ezine copy for potential subscribers
• Articles for publication - A great way for writers to
distribute their articles
• Offer free powerful reports on various subjects and use
your signature file at the end to promote your site or
business
• Offer free resources with information about your site,
product or business
• Information about your business opportunity
• Product listings
• Price list
• Welcome letters
• Thank you letters
• Order confirmations
• Advertising rates
Question: Can
you tell me what I should look for when selecting an
autoresponder service?
Answer: When
selecting an autoresponder service, there are many factors that
need to be taken into consideration to ensure maximum
performance.
The service you select should provide all of the following:
• Personalized responses - This makes the recipient feel
that the message was sent specifically to them.
• Automatic follow ups - Studies have shown it may take up
to seven contacts before closing a sale.
• Unlimited text length - If you are inhibited by the
amount of text your autoresponder may contain, you may be forced
to revise a successful sales letter, ultimately costing you
business.
• Free unlimited updating - It is imperative to provide
your customers with accurate, up to date information on your
products and services.
• Automatic notification - You must have the ability to
track your ad's performance. You should be instantly informed
each time someone requests your information.
Question: I
would like to set up an autoresponder course, but I can't figure
out how to do it. Can you please explain?
Answer: In order to
set up an autoresponder course, you must use a system that
provides follow-up autoresponders. These follow up messages can
be set up to automatically be sent out at predetermined
intervals. In other words, you can set up your autoresponder to
automatically send out a new message each day for as many days as
you would like.
Not all autoresponders will enable you to create follow-up
messages. However, the following service will: www.getresponse.com
If you'd rather have your own autoresponder system that resides
on your server, I recommend using AutoResponse Plus: http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=autoplus
The first step in creating an autoresponder course is to decide
upon a subject. Your course should focus on a subject in which
you have a great deal of knowledge and target your potential
customers.
Once you have selected your subject, you'll need to make a list
of topics. Each topic will represent one lesson. If you have five
topics, then you can offer your visitors a free 5-day course. If
you have ten topics, then you can offer your visitors a free
10-day course and so on.
Separate each of your topics into course lessons. Your first
lesson should welcome your subscriber to your course and explain
a little bit about what they are going to learn, followed by the
first lesson.
The key to creating a successful autoresponder course is to
provide quality information that will be of interest to your
target audience. Each daily topic must contain valuable
information or your reader may decide to unsubscribe. In
addition, make sure you include information in regard to your
course such as the lesson number, lesson title, information about
your products or services and highlights of the next
lesson.
Your course should identify a problem, provide advice in regard
to solving the problem and provide the solution with your
products or services. Keep in mind, your course should not be
written like a sales letter. It must provide quality information
written to teach and inform.
Autoresponders are an absolute essential part of developing a
successful Internet business. The more you can automate your
tasks, the more time you'll have for more important things, such
as making more sales.
Copyright © Shelley Lowery 2003.
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of Web Design Mastery - An in-depth
guide to professional web design. And, Ebook Starter - A complete
ebook design kit. Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a free
subscription to Etips and receive a free copy of the highly acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing
Strategies." http://www.web-source.net
For more articles, resources and information, please see:
Article - link popularity
Article - designing websites that work
Article - writing website content that sells
Resources - search engine optimization resources
FAQ's - search engine optimization FAQ
Services - search engine marketing services
