I don't know about you, but according to me, the best marketing tool for your online business other than your domain name is your follow-up autoresponder/list server.

While a good one can make running your online business a dream, a bad one (or transferring your list) can turn it in to a nightmare. Based on my experience here are 6 things to be aware of while selecting a follow-up autoresponder (or transferring your existing list to a new one).

1) Make sure your follow-up autoresponder has a "List Broadcast" facility.

This way, there is no need for a investing in a different list server to manage your opt-in list.

2) Make sure you read the "Fine Print" before signing up for any service.

When I first decided to get one for my growing opt-in list, I came across one that looked absolutely great. It seemed to have all the features and the price was dirt cheap too.

I signed up immediately and soon my list outgrew the 1000 barrier. When I decided to send this news to my subscribers, I got a notice something like this: "Your List Has More Than 1000 Subscribers. If You Would Like To Send A Broadcast To Your List, Please Purchase The List Extension Feature"

I cursed myself for not reading the fine print.

3) Inquire if they have any list transfer policy.

This is very crucial if you're changing your existing list server and have a relatively large list.

One autoresponder I checked had a list transfer policy which stated that you cannot upload more than 2500 subscribers in a given month!

4) Always upload a DEMO list and send a test mail to see if everything is fine.

Recently I checked an autoresponder that had everything one could dream for. When I shifted my list to this one and sent a broadcast, I couldn't close the window!!! It kept displaying this...

Mailing xyz@xyz.com Mailing xyz@domain.com ... ... Don't Stop Till You See "Finished Mailing"

It took more than an hour to mail to my entire list and all the time I had to keep watching the process. This might be OK for those who have unlimited Net access, but for those with dial-up plans, it can be a nightmare.

-----SIDE BAR----- It's very easy to create a demo list if your domain has "Catch All" e-mail address feature. You can create a list of 20 or so with addresses like this:

you1@yourdoamin.com you2@yourdomain.com you3@yourdomain.com

... so on. -----SIDE BAR-----

5) Inquire whether they have any limit imposed on the no. of subscribers.

6) See whether they have any limit on the message length you send to your list.

Finally, ALWAYS check your new service THOROUGHLY before leaving your old one. Most of them offer a 30 day guarantee; which should be a sufficient time to make any decision.