Autoresponders

Autoresponders

Autoresponders are one of the most misunderstood and misused applications online. Simply put an autoresponder will reply to a message that is receives or will send out a message at a predetermined time. An autoresponder is normally an email address that has a set of rules behind it to respond with a html or text message.

 

While the definition is simple, the application and use of an autoresponder can be used in many different ways, the normal one being that when you go on holiday, you set an autoresponder to send a note to people who email you to say you are on holiday. Now while that is useful in itself, this is where 99% of people stop thinking about them.

 

Now consider that you could use autoresponders to:

 

Deal with Advertising enquiries
Deal with first level customer support
Handle product information requests
Deliver electronic products
Deliver multi part courses
Distribute an online newsletter

 

These are just some of the possibilities of using an autoresponder. Now to give it some kind of perspective, think about how much time that would save you as a small business owner, or how much money that would save you if you paid a member of staff to handle these enquiries.

 

I'd imagine that now you'd be interested in learning more about Autoresponders.

 

There are two types of autoresponder products available: Web Based and PC based.

 

Web based applications are simply that, you subscribe to an online service, use their interface to build and manage your responder campaigns and then activate them. Once done they then run 24 hours a day. So any time anyone sends a note to an autoresponder email address, the system kicks into life and replies on your behalf. Any time of day or night. So your visitors or clients can get access to the information they need when they want it and more importanty without your involvement.

 

The main advantage of a Web based version is the ability to send out sequential emails. This means that a user could subscribe to a 5 part course, the system would then automatically send out part 1 immediately and then schedule and send out the other parts on a predetermined basis. All this without you getting involved.

 

How powerful is that.

 

The second form of autoresponder application is PC based and as it says it is run from your local computer. This means it works in the same way as the web based version but, and here is the difference, it can only work when your PC is running. This is fine if you want to maintain a "working hours only" policy but if you want to run a 24/7 business then short of leaving your PC running on all night, this really won't work for you.

 

One way you can take advantage of autoresponders for free is to use the rule settings of your Microsoft Outlook. There are autoresponder rules in here so that if you get a message with a particular subject line or email address then Outlook will run it via it's rules for that address and reply as necessary. This even allows you to add in file attachments and the like.

 

Here are some solutions you can use:

 

Web Based Autoresponders

Getresponse

 

PC Based Autoresponders

Mailloop
Microsoft Outlook

 

Speedie Solutions

 

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