What is an Autoresponder?
An
autoresponder is a computer programme, which itself
provides instructions for the computer, that when it receives e-mails,
which is
an electronic form of mail, from an external source it automatically
sends a
reply.
A
piece of software, driven by a computer program that sends
email messages from one computer to another, is called a mail transfer
agent.
An
autoresponder
was originally created to overcome the
problem of a mail transfer agent not being able to deliver an e-mail to
a
particular address. When this happens, a bounced message, which relates
to an
automated e-mail message from a mail system informing the sender that
the
message cannot be delivered, such as “your e-mail could not be
delivered
because ……” is created.
It
is important that an autoresponder does not generate
e-mail backscatter, which is a side-effect of e-mail spam, viruses and
worms in
which e-mail servers receiving spam and other mail, send bounced
messages to an
innocent third party. Should this happen, the autoresponser may itself
be
regarded as e-mail spam which, also known as junk-mail, refers to the
sending
of almost identical e-mail messages to a wide variety of recipients.
Auto-responders
represent important e-mail marketing tools
in that they can efficiently and effectively provide specific
information to
their prospective customers, and then follow-up with additional
messages, at
specific time intervals, which can easily be altered to suit the
requirements
of the sender.
Types of Autoresponder
There
are two types of autoresponder which possess the
facility of sending a series of follow-up messages:
Outsourced
ASP models – This type of autoresponder operates
on the provider’s infrastructure and can normally be configured using a
web-based control panel. In general, the customer pays a monthly fee
based on
the level of usage of the system.
Typical
examples of hosted or outsourced autoresponder
include the following:
TrafficWave.net,
whose website states: “Acquiring an
autoresponder is like hiring your own personal selling assistant to
instantly
respond to prospect requests with your information. It will capture
prospect
information, manage those prospects, and send your information out
automatically.”
AWeber.com, which is
probably the best-known system of this
type
GetResponse.com
Server-side
models – This type allows users to install an autoresponder
system onto their own server. However, this requires a certain level of
technical skill.
Typical
examples of server-side autoresponder include the
following: AutoResponsePlus.com
ListMailPro.com
Autoresponders
are often used in conjunction with an
electronic mailing list, which is a special usage of e-mail that allows
for the
widespread distribution of various forms of information to a broad
cross-section of internet users.
In
such a role, they are used to confirm subscriptions,
non-subscriptions, and various other list activities.
Squeeze Pages
Squeeze
pages are landing pages that are created to
encourage prospective subscribers to leave their email addresses in an
opt-in
format, where they have to confirm that they wish to receive the
requested
information.
When
applying Direct marketing using an autoresponder, the
list of subscribers is regarded as the most important part of a mailing
campaign. Therefore, marketers devote a great deal of time and money to
the
collection of a list of highly targeted subscribers. Methods used for
acquiring
such a mail list include business reply cards, the application of
telemarketing, rental lists, and co-registration agreements.
However,
because of the danger of spam, many consumers are
wary about giving out their email addresses. To overcome this problem,
many
online businesses create "Squeeze Pages" that detail what the
subscriber will be receiving and the businesses privacy standards.
The
use of squeeze pages can greatly increase the
visitor-to-subscriber conversion rates. They are often used in
conjunction with
an email autoresponder in order to send the requested information as
soon as
the visitor confirms their email address. The autoresponder may be
used to
send a series of follow-up emails, or to provide an immediate download
link to
get further information.
By offering information upon completion of
confirming their
email address, it has proved to be a very effective method of
increasing
opt-ins using Squeeze Pages.
Autoresponders
– How To Succeed
Peter Radford writes Articles with Websites on a
wide range of subjects. Autoresponder
Articles cover Description, Application, Types, Software, Squeeze Pages.
His Website
contains over 60 Autoresponder Articles,
written by others and carefully selected.
View his Website at:
autoresponders-how-to-succeed.com
Presented on 3/9/10. This Article may be reprinted so long as the
Resource Box remains in tact.
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