ARE YOU USING AN AUTORESPONDER AND EMAIL MARKETING SOFTWARE

We get a lot of autoresponder and email marketing software since the WP eStore plugin has some autoresponder integration options. In this article I have covered the answers to the following basic questions around autoresponders and email marketing software:

• What is an autoresponder?
• Should I be using an autoresponder service?
• How to get the most out of an autoresponder and email marketing software?
• Which autoresponder service should I use?

What is an Autoresponder?

An autoresponder is a software that can be used to send emails to people automatically. It can also respond to an email that is sent to it. This allows individuals and businesses to react to emails and questions without human intervention. A simple example of an autoresponder is when you go on vacation from work and you set up an automatic response letting people know you will be out of the office. Autoresponders are often used as a marketing tool for online businesses. With autoresponders you compose some pre-written emails that you want sent out to your customers (e.g. instructions after they have purchased a product, news about upcoming product releases and so on). You can specify when you want these emails sent out and to who, even if you are away from your computer the emails are always delivered. Autoresponders are an easy and efficient way to get information to your customers.

Should You Use an Autoresponder Service?

If you have an online business then yes you should use an autoresponder service. List building and email marketing is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to get your product and information out to your customer base. For an online business to compete and survive, it is necessary for you to build an email list of people who have willingly given their email addresses, so they can be informed about things they are interested in. Email marketing software can also be used to send out newsletters, upcoming product releases, online courses (you can set it so each part of the course is date released) and for any other reason you may need to mass email you customers. If you were to send out say for example 1,000 emails from your personal email account without an autoresponder only about the first few would be delivered before your email account is blacklisted for sending spam. Well known autoresponder service providers are usually trusted by the mail servers as they have a reputation of only allowing you to send emails to people who have opted in (this means the person receiving the email had to confirm that they wanted to receive emails from you). In most cases your mail will be delivered to your customer’s inbox and not their spam folders when an well known autoresponder service provider is used. You will also have access to stats like how many people opened the email, how many read the entire email etc (this could be very useful information for your business).

How to Get the Most Out of an Autoresponder Service?

To use an autoresponder you need to build an opt-in list. This is usually done by giving away useful or valuable information for free but requiring your visitors to give their email addresses before they can get the item (e.g. using a squeeze page). Another list building technique is to collect email addresses when your visitors make a purchase on your site. Make sure the emails you send have useful information and not just over done sales pitches. This will help you build a relationship with visitors and customers so they will keep coming back. You can create multiple lists, this way you can send emails to customers that are interested in a certain topic (e.g. an eBook on a specific subject, or people interested in e-commerce etc).

Which Autoresponder Service Should You Use?

There are many autoresponder and email marketing service providers out there. I couldn’t tell you exactly which one you should be using without assessing your situation and needs but here are some guidelines:

• The goal is to get the most value for your money without compromising functionality.
• Take a look at what each service provider has to offer.
• Determine which features you need then look for an autoresponder service that best fit your need.
• Try to find one that will grow with your business.

I personally recommend using one of these three autoresponder service providers simply because they offer good value for your money.

• AWeber
• MailChimp
• GetResponse

The above autoresponders can also be integrated with the WP eStore plugin (WordPress Shopping Cart) so you can easily build up your customer list on auto pilot.

If you have any questions or comments please leave them below in the comments area.