What is an autoresponder, and how will they help your business?
An autoresponder system for your site can increase your
efficiency, save you time, and ultimately, by providing more
information to your customers, increase your profits.
In short, an autoresponder is an automated "e-mail-on-demand"
system that automatically responds to e-mails sent to specific
addresses.
Now, let me go into a bit more detail so you can have a clearer
understanding...
Have you ever used a "fax-on-demand" system? You know, the ones
where you dial a certain fax number and automatically receive a
fax back without actually interacting with someone?
If so, you know they're great because they allow you, the
customer (or the person seeking information) to get that
important info quickly and easily.
Well, e-mail autoresponders work in exactly the same way, only
you send an e-mail to a specific address and get a pre-written
response back.
But there was a problem...
For a long time, functionality of autoresponders was very
limited in that you could only receive one message back. That
made autoresponders a great way to send information, but they
weren't too effective at increasing sales.
Here's why:
Because it normally takes 5-7 exposures (or "contacts") to a
product or service before most people will buy. Clearly, only
creating one contact with a single autoresponder message wasn't
getting the job done; people simply weren't being exposed enough
to the product. More importantly, trust and credibility were not
being built.
Now, that's all changed. With today's new "smart" autoresponder
systems, you can send a series of follow-up messages that can
really increase your response rate!
Here's how smart autoresponders work:
You set up a what's called a "sequential" autoresponder that
sends out a series of messages on set number of days. For
example, message #1 may go out immediately, message #2 in two
days, #3 three days later, and so on. In doing so, you can
"stagger" your contacts with the potential customer and not
overwhelm them -- but at the same time, you're making those
critical exposures needed to make the sale.
And the best part is that it's completely automated!
In other words, you don't have to do a thing besides set the
autoresponders up. Once you've created them, they're on
autopilot automatically answering queries and sending out your
sales letter again and again, working like a tireless
money-making robot, making sure you never lose a single sale. An
autoresponder system really can boost your follow-up efforts.
So, what can you do with your autoresponder system that will
increase profits?
Well, the list is really endless, but here are just a few ideas:
Send follow-up sales messages. Make sure you squeeze out every
last sale from your prospects.
Send more information about your product. Increase your sales by
giving your customers the information they need to decide to
buy!
Send a free report. Give your customers some free information;
they'll see you as an expert and as the best in your field and
will be much more likely to buy.
Mine your mailing list for gold. Keep in touch with previous
customers or potential customers and offer them specials from
time to time.
And so many more! The potential is unlimited. An autoresponder
system will increase your efficiency and effectiveness. But more
importantly, it will dramatically increase your sales.
(By the way, if after reading this article you're looking for a
really great autoresponder system, be sure to check out
AutoResponse Plus at www.sybren.net/arp, which is what I use;
it's really great.)
About the author:
Need a killer website for your business? Need someone to market
it? Micah Cranman designs and markets attractive, compelling,
and results-driven websites for small businesses and
organizations. For more information on how he can help you
develop a powerful web presence, visit his site at
www.sybren.net.
