Copyright 2005 Paul Jesse

Autoresponders return previously stored messages or sets of messages in response to any email sent to that autoresponder address. Almost all paid web hosts and many of the free ones provide autoresponders as part of their hosting service.

When do you use autoresponders? Normally, they are used to follow up with a visitor who has made an inquiry. If a customer does not initially buy, you can utilize their email address to follow up later. It could lead to future business. The reason for following up with the client is that you want to refresh their memory about having been to your place of business. Remind them that they viewed your products. You can use this opportunity to boast your product’s advantages. You could offer special discounts or other bonuses to entice them to purchase. Don’t give up easily just because they didn’t buy the first time. This is your lead-in to a possible sale. Rather than approach each of these potential customers individually, an autoresponder does it for you. This saves you time, stress, and effort. It is done for you automatically.

There are several types of autoresponders. Each type has different capabilities. For this reason, they range from free to very expensive. It’s up to you to choose the autoresponder that best fits your business needs.

If you want more advanced capabilities, you can always purchase autoresponder software. There are two types of autoresponder software. The first is installed on the web host server, and the second is installed on your computer. There are advantages and disadvantages to purchasing each.

First, the software installed on the server isn’t always user-friendly. If it’s really complicated, chances are that it will require services of an installer. It also may be limited to providing only one autoresponder address on that server. However, sending emails in a big list is handled by the server. The server-based software manages the autoresponder addresses and is backed up. This takes that stress off the user.

If you opt for autoresponder software installed on your own computer, you have the advantage of it being easy to install, but you are responsibility of backing up the list. Sending mass emails might exceed the limits of your internet service provider. This software, however, might offer the possibility of combining the email list with other functions or marketing tools that would not be possible via server based software. Whichever autoresponder you choose, it is most likely to your benefit to incorporate this marketing tool into your business. It saves you time, effort, and in some cases money. Let technology work for you. This is an effortless way to increase sales.