Autoresponder software is a technology that allows you to build a database of interested people and follow up with them on a pre-determined time table. It's a time-saving and efficiency tool, and allows people to automate much of their followup.
Many people ask "which autoresponder is the best?" And that's like asking which car is the best. The question goes back to "what do you need the tool to do?" They typically run between total junk, and high-end systems that do much more than simple automated followup.
The first thing to do is write down your priorities, because as of today, we have not found one specific service that does everything well. Many softwares specialize in different arenas. The typical variables look something like this:
Email automated followup
Automated followup beyond email
Email automated followup
This is for the person who just needs to send email - period. They need an easy solution to get email out the door fast. Software like Aweber, iContact, and MailChimp have been noted as leaders in this category. They focus on deliver-ability, and typically offer lower price points for their services. They take very little integration, and typically can be set up within a day or so (sometimes sooner depending on the service).
Automated followup beyond email
This is for the person that has other tasks that need automating, such as phone-call followup, shipments, inventory, and other tasks that need to be organized. Services like Office Autopilot and InfusionSoft typically fall into this category. They have more customizable features, more tasks that they can accomplish. They are typically more technical as well, so these are not necessarily good places for a beginner. Their pricepoints are also higher - $200 - $500 per month is standard.
Why even bother with Autoresponders?
Here are some of the most basic reasons to begin using an autoresponder today:
1. Followup
Do you currently have website visitors? If so, are you giving them a reason to subscribe to a newsletter or get on your list? If not, you're leaving money on the table. The vast majority of people will not make a buying decision the first time they visit a website. Following up with them can typically increase conversion rates from 1%-2% up to 4%-5%. We have campaigns now that convert at 7%, and the vast majority of those sales are made because we follow up with our potential clients.
You can use an autoresponder for positioning, for educating your market, for connecting with them about their problems, and ultimately, how to be of service to them.
2. Automation
Following up with people takes work. Lots of it. An autoresponder makes the process much, much easier. Instead of following up with every single person individually, you can do all the work once, and have the autoresponder followup with each person as if it's an individual occurrence. This allows you to scale your campaigns and your business to a much, much higher level than you could if you were following up manually.
3. Consistency
Like I said, it's difficult to do followup well. As good as we may think we are at it, people make mistakes. When you're generating leads and you have sales on the line, you cannot afford to overlook a single client. With an autoresponder, you can let the software the the work, as you simply set the timing of your emails once, they go out in a predictable, measured sequence. In other words, nobody gets overlooked.
These should compel you to take a closer look at automated followup, and begin using its power to scale your business.
Joshua Fuson is a professional marketer, and has used autoresponders extensively in his career. To learn more about how quickly you can set up an autoresponder, see the full demonstration here.
You can also learn more about autoresponders by getting the full autoresponder software review.
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