An auto responder is a true asset to your online business. It saves so much time and is like part of your team. It is like having staff but without the hassle. Nearly every online business will have some sort of auto responder service in place. It is usually presented with a web form to capture names, email addresses and even full postal addresses. Those tools can help you put your business on autopilot. Auto responders are great to have, as they are designed to automatically respond to any email they receive with an instant response.
They are even used in offline business. If you ever go to a popular department store and make a purchase they will always ask “would you like to save an extra 10% today, just sign up for our exclusive card”. You then fill out the form providing all your details. This then gives the department store the right to get in touch with you about future promotions and products.
Over the years, auto responders have increased quite a bit in popularity. They are best known for their automatic email responses, which will save you a lot of time. By using one of these programs, you won’t have to spend countless hours answering emails again. If you have a customer base of many thousands, how long do you think it will take you to send thousands and thousands of emails? A very very long time. You create one email upload it into your auto responder account and then let it do the work for you. You will be free to do other things and always know that your customers have access to the information they need anytime they want it.
You can then keep in touch with your subscribers very easy. There are two ways to do this. Have a series of follow up emails going out on a certain date or every 2, 3 or even 5 days between each email. There are also broadcast emails which can run along side the follow up emails.
e.g. Let’s say you have 5 follow up emails going out. One goes out each week over the period of a month. That means you have a whole month of content for your subscribers going out for that month. Now let’s say something happens within that month. You have a sale, go on holiday, a new product, something happens in the news you want to share. What you can then do is send another email instantly by a broadcast email. This will not affect your follow up emails at all. They are great and I highly recommend you invest it as part of you business.
Invest! Invest! OH NO you mean it is going to cost me money. Yes sorry but many things are going to cost you money to have a successful online business. If you have been told that you can make thousands over night with no money, no website blah blah blah blah!!! I see these sites been put up all the time. They are just selling you the dream and not giving you the full picture. So who do I use?
There are many companies’s that provide this service. In my eyes the 2 main contenders are Aweber and Getresposne. I personally use Aweber. When I was deciding these where the 2 companies I was stuck between. So why did I choose Aweber? Well with a bit of research there was more people that used Aweber and where very happy with the service, and I am very happy with the service I am receiving from them. So I would recommend Aweber, but it is a personal choice and depends on your own circumstances and situation.
You can have a trial period using Aweber for just $1. That’s a whole 30 days to have a look around, test it and see if it is for you. You can actually sign up to Get-Response for free. This is only for having a list of 0-10 subscribers then the price goes up. Click the links below to be taken to the recommended sites and have a look around.
They will explain better at what they offer and there full price structure. There are many other company’s but I would recommend these 2. If you want to try others then do so. Just do a little research and see what will fit your needs
Charles (17)
Terry Conti (11)
Danny (9)
Barry@The Newbies... (7)
David Taylor (7)
Sally (6)
Cheolsu (5)
Kathy Dobson (5)
Jacinta D (4)
August 25, 2010 at 3:01 pm
Hi Craig,
Excellent description of the importance of the autoresponder in business. Your review of AWeber is very comprehensive and I personally choose them in preference to other options.
Great to meet you on the challenge Craig and I look forward to returning in future for more of your excellent advice.
Regards,
Brian
Brian Alcock recently posted..So You Failed…So What!!
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Hi Brian,
Thanks for stopping by. My outlook on auto responders is starting to drift a little from Aweber. As so many people here that are commenting are talking about Wizard Responder. Is the grass always greener????????
[Reply]
August 25, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Hello Craig,
I wish I had seen your post when I first started online. I had checked out Get-Response, AWeber, and an autoresponder service my hosting company had. I also looked at a few that you could pay a one-time fee and you owned the software and never had to pay another monthly charge (that part sounded nice).
My research narrowed down the choice to Get-Response and AWeber. I tried Get-Response on a trial bases and really liked it. When I signed up for John Thornhill’s MasterClass, he asvised us to use AWEber, and so, I switched.
My conclusion is that they are both great products and the pricing is very similar. If anyone is truly serious about online marketing, they should pick one or the other.
Your blog looks great, so keep up the work and I will be back!
Mark
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 12:03 am
How Do Mark,
Yeah it was a tough decision which one to go with but I ended up using Aweber. Now with all the people leaving comments about different auto responders it really has got me thinking.
[Reply]
August 25, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Craig:
Excellent post on autoresponders: why we should use them and how to use them.
I understand you recommending Aweber…but there is a free alternative called Listwire. As a free autoresponder company, it is very classy.
Thanks for participating in the 100 Blog Comment Challenge.
Later,
Kat
Kat recently posted..10 Tips to Buying Cars on eBay Motors
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Hi Kat,
Thanks for your time to visit my blog. I have never heard of Listwire. I am always skeptical of free services. But if they come with a recommendation then they are worth a look
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August 26, 2010 at 11:07 am
Hi Craig:
Your blog post is about the importance of autoresponders. All Internet marketers from a coach or advanced marketer to a few weeks newbie all know that autoresponders are the key element to this business.
You have done a great job reminding us how important it is in our daily life. A well written post and an awesome blog. I liked it. You are doing JV too. This is also a very traditional marketing technique, has lots of benefits.
Since I am an Online writer my focus is on ebooks my post for the 100 comments challenge came from ebook best sellers.. The title of the post is “How to write an ebook that is included in the best seller list”
Talk again
Fran Aslam
Fran Aslam recently posted..The Future Of eBook And Digital Information Technology
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
Hi Fran,
Thanks for your kind words. I am putting together a new ebook. Well it won’t be new just my thought on the subject. It is going to be about SEO.
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August 26, 2010 at 11:19 am
Hi Craig!
You’re absolutely right on how important autoresponders are.
I use Aweber and just love their service. I’ve tried some of the others and nothing else seems to quite measure up for me. I’m sure it’s mostly personal preference, but I just love them.
Jess Webb recently posted..Sustainability for Digital Entrepreneurs
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Craig Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Hi Jess,
I also am very happy with the service I am getting with Aweber. What other autoresponder programmes have you used? As from all the people that have left a comment there are many other programmes that they use and are happy with
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August 26, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Craig
Great post highlighting the importance of autoresponders and the main services available. I actually use oneshoppingcart, bit of a legacy and never got round to changing it over, and find it does everything that I need. One day will get to Aweber!! How is your list building progressing? All the best
Tom
Tom Harvey recently posted..Video Marketing – Anatomy Of A Successful Affiliate Campaign
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Hi Tom,
That’s a new one oneshoppingcart. Or is that a whole package service where you sell and promote products as well?
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August 26, 2010 at 8:27 pm
Hi Craig,
Great post and very interesting. I have an Aweber account and I am going to start joining giveaway events soon to build a list. Before I join the giveaways, I am going to check out all the training from Aweber, if I am going to use an autosponder I might as well know how to use it properly.
Good luck with the Challenge, I will be back soon to read the rest of your blog.
Take care.
Robyn
Robyn recently posted..100 Comments Challenge – What a Challenge!!!
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 26th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
Hi Robyn,
Aweber’s training video’s are a must. They explain everything very well so you can understand all the features that they offer. Your list is going to be the backbone of your Internet Marketing career so get started as soon as possible.
[Reply]
August 27, 2010 at 6:20 am
Hi Craig,
A well written article about auto responders- something we just can’t do without.
I use AWeber as well and they are good but I must say I keep finding new things that they can do!
Well worth the money!
Good luck with the Challenge.
Dave
Dave Whittle recently posted..Resale Rights Products Explained
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
Hi Dave,
There are so many feature that I am not really utilizing with Aweber. Anything that improves my online business is a must
[Reply]
August 27, 2010 at 11:09 am
Craig:
Great post on the need for using an auto-responder!
I have used both GetResponse and AWeber and I prefer AWeber. There are many other options out there, even some decent free ones so everyone should do some research before deciding. Move your list from one company to another can be very difficult and in some cases impossible.
Using an auto-repsonder is an easy way to stay in touch with your subscribers and to help build their trust in you.
Of course in order to entice someone to join your email list you should offer them something of value since they are trusting you with their email address.
- Rick
Rick Byrd recently posted..Business Ethics – Is There Such a Thing
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Craig Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 11:53 pm
Hi Rick,
Thanks for stopping by. You are so right about giving value to your list if you want to add more subscribers and keep the ones you have got
[Reply]
August 27, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Craig
Im on the AR service only but you can use the other services to sell and promote your products. Cheers
Tom
Tom Harvey recently posted..Video Marketing – Anatomy Of A Successful Affiliate Campaign
[Reply]
August 28, 2010 at 4:48 am
Hi Craig. Automated emails are indeed a huge resource saver and a way to communicate with your growing tribe. GetResponse has been great for my online business and I can see how email marketing services will just expand over time. And the investment is so minimal. I’m only paying $10/month with GR. Super affordable!
Lauren Lionheart recently posted..Top 7 Ways Cruises Are Superior to Flights
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 12:35 am
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for stopping by. Good to see that you use Getresponse. I think you may be the first who has left a comment that uses Getresponse. I was certainly stuck between Aweber and Getresponse when I was first making a decision on using autoresponders.
[Reply]
August 28, 2010 at 8:54 am
Well Craig, Great post but I have to admit that I ditched Aweber purely on the cost basis, I agree that they are by far the most popular BUT for those on a budget you can’t go far wrong with using Randy’s autoresponder system at http://www.wizardresponderpro.com
It has never let me down yet and the reliability so far is 100% and best of all it’s a fraction of the price of aweber/getresponse
If you approach Randy personally he may be able to strike you a better deal as a MC student (hope you don’t mind me saying this Randy lol).
For those on a really tight budget you could go for http://www.listwire.com – this is a fully functioning autoresponder system with the exception being it is FREE! (the downside is a listwire ad is added to each mailing but you can upgrade to have those omitted. Anyway, thats my thoughts so keep up the great blogging Craig
Keith
Keith Alston recently posted..Holiday Time Again!
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 12:37 am
Hi Keith,
I have found that so many people use Randy’s autoresponder service. So with so many recommendations I should really give it a thought
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August 28, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Hi Craig,
I don’t know what I would do without my autoresponder aka aweber.
I actually tried a cheaper option when I first started online and it was a complete waste of time.
An autoresponder is the very first thing I would recommend anyone adds to their online business marketing tools.
Fab post, catch ya soon, Sally
Sally recently posted..Writing Testimonials Benefit You Too
[Reply]
August 28, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Hi, Craig,
This is vital info for us newbies. I just signed up with Aweber last week. I will sit down with it tonite and hook it up. Wish me luck. I have to figure out how to add a free report too. Hope it doesn’t take too long. I joined the challenge late and have a few more blogs to visit by Mon.
TTFN,
Fran T
Fran T recently posted..Nopalea and My Knee
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 12:40 am
Hi Fran,
Good to see that you have started to progress on your Online Marketing. An autoresponder is vital for us Marketers to keep in touch with our subscribers. If you come unstuck or hit any problems with setting your Aweber account up then just drop me an email and I will try and help.
[Reply]
August 28, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Hi Craig,
I’m new to internet marketing but totally agree with the importance of having an autoresponder.
I have an Aweber account I’m just learning all about the functions (of which there are many) at the moment.
Enjoy the challenge, great post
Michelle
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Hi Michelle,
Good to see you have chosen Aweber. They have been invaluable since I have been using them. They also have uploaded far more web forms recently. If you need a hand just send me an email and if I can help I will.
[Reply]
August 29, 2010 at 7:07 pm
Hi Craig
Yes, an autoresponder is a must for any serious business to build a relationship with their customers.
Aweber seems to be the most popular one but is a bit on the expensive side for anyone just starting out. Well done to Randy and Pete for coming up with the WizardResponder to give new marketers a chance without breaking the bank.
Warm Regards
Lynn
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 12:45 am
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for the comment. Randy and Pete are helping new marketers to break into the online world with their autoresponder service. I do not have any experience with there service, but from all the comments I would think they are top notch.
[Reply]
Cool information on autoresponders. I’ve been using aweber and I notice they are really good about coming up with excellent updates to the service. I havent checked GR in a few years, but I’m sure they are just as good as well – like you said, it’s all a matter of taste.
Thanks!
Gwen
via 100 Comment Challenge
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 12:47 am
Hi Gwen,
Thanks for stopping by. Since I have been on this 100 blog comment challenge I have found out there are so many other autoresponder services out there. Yeah it all depends on your own circumstances on which service will fit in with your business.
[Reply]
August 29, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Hi Crag,
Great post! Autoresponders are instrumental to the success of an online business. Great way of explaining the importance.
It’s important that value is given to your subscribers. An autoresponder is a wonderful tool in assisting anyone to do just that. Thanks for sharing!
Much Success,
Lorina Noble
Miss Mindset Makeover
Millionaire Mindset
Lorina Noble recently posted..Mobile Marketing is Huge! 18 year old Changes the Game!
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 12:50 am
Hi Lorina,
Thanks for your kind words. We would not get anywhere with out our auto responders. I would still be email now to each and everyone of my subscribers. Or be in hospital with RSS. Repetitive Strain Syndrome!
[Reply]
August 30, 2010 at 2:15 am
Hi Craig – I’ve always been a bit hit and miss with autoresponders. One of those things that requires work up front to get them to work properly. At the moment I’m focusing on getting subscribers to my RSS feed instead and then blogging regularly.
Clare recently posted..How to plan the perfect Walt Disney World vacation
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 12:21 am
Hi Claire,
It is an industry standard, so I think you should really consider investing into an auto responder. If you are not capturing potential customers from your blog or other marketing methods you are leaving a lot of leads on the table. Many things in the Internet World will be a new learning curve. We will all be out of comfort zone more than we like but to progress forward we just have too.
[Reply]
August 30, 2010 at 7:36 am
Craig, I have used AWeber for a while now and find it to be as much as I need. Maybe I am not pushing it to its limits. When I do I guess I will be able to come back here and add some more insight to this post and thread.
Michael Pedzotti recently posted..Guess who is guest posting
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 12:22 am
Hi Michael,
Thanks for stopping by. I am still finding new things that I am not really utilizing with Aweber. If the good features are there we should try and use them.
[Reply]
August 30, 2010 at 8:06 am
Hi Craig
I use Aweber too, but hadn’t realised the price escalates at 500 subscribers-but there you go we live an learn.
Best of luck with the challenge.
Regards
Mike
Mike Calmot recently posted..Blog Comments Challenge- Using the “Power of Six”…to drive traffic!
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 12:23 am
Hi Mike,
Well spotted as I did not realize either. DOHH!!
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August 30, 2010 at 11:36 am
Hi Craig,
That’s a very helpful summary. I’ve been looking around the auroresponder scene and it seems that if want to integrate into other systems, then Aweber has the lead.
But who knows, tomorrow I have a meeting to talk about running a list for an external client with an offline business … that could crystalise my thinking
John
Author of ‘Sticky Memory’
http://johnedler.com/blog/sticky-memory-have-i-coined-a-new-term-/?/html
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 12:24 am
Hi John,
I hope the post and many comments will help you if you decide to go down the auto responder route.
[Reply]
August 30, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Hi Craig
I started to use aweber more by luck than judgement, it is reasuring to read your recomendation. I am not very good with it at the moment but will learn, they certainly are an essential part of the business. I think it would be almost impossible to funtion without them
Interesting your comment on department stores,
All the best
Vince
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 12:26 am
Hi Vince,
Thanks for dropping by. It would be very hard work with out them. All we would do all day is be sending emails to our subscribers.
[Reply]
August 30, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Hi Craig,
An autoresponder is indeed a great help. I personally like AWeber.
It’shard to believe that there are still people that would want to use their own autoresponder instead of using a reputable services like AWeber or Get Response.
Vance
Vance recently posted..John Chow’s Last Dot Com Pho In Vancouver- Live Event Networking
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 12:28 am
Hi Vance,
Nice to see you here. They are the leading services in the market and are very good at what they do so why compromise on a lesser service.
[Reply]
August 30, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Hi Craig,
I’ve been hopping my heart out trying to get to all these blogs to honor my commitment to this challenge. I still have a lot of ground to cover so I can leave a comment. There is a lot of interesting blogs out there.
Have a good one.
Enjoy the Challenge.
Mike
Mike Fleming recently posted..100 Blog Comments Challenge
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 12:30 am
Hi Mike,
Glad you managed to make it. It has been a great challenge and something I will be doing in the future.
[Reply]
August 31, 2010 at 2:15 am
Hi Craig,
I definitely agree that having an autoresponder is the way to go on the internet. This helps with residual income as well as building lasting relationships with folks who are genuinely interested in your products or ideas. Overall, I have yet to implement one on my site but it will be anytime now.
Thanks for sharing your insight!
See you on the 100th comments,
Thu
Thu Nguyen recently posted..The Complete Helium Report REVIEW by Bob Younce of The Writing Journey
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Hi Thu,
Thanks for the comment. Autoresponders are so important so the sooner you decide to get one the better.
[Reply]
August 31, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Thanks for sharing the information on email marketing. The great thing about my joining the 100 comment challenge is that I am gathering lots of great information for when I start developing my blog into a potential business… Thanks again! Stopped by on my 11th hour visit for the 100 comment challenge.
Best,
Elizabeth
ElizOF recently posted..Yoga Love- Learn to Add Balance to Your Life…
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Hi Elizabeth,
Yeah the challenge has been great for making us connect with other like minded marketers and we have all learnt so many new techniques
[Reply]
August 31, 2010 at 10:11 pm
I’ve never heard anyone complain about aweber. If you’re going to create a list, Aweber is one of the best choices to collect email addresses.
Cheryl from thatgirlisfunny recently posted..thatgirlisfunny celebrates first blogoversary – Year of the Bright Red Hat
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Hi Cheryl,
I have had no trouble with Aweber. If I do come unstuck there support team and video tutorials are a god send
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September 3, 2010 at 10:38 am
I’m just new with email marketing and I never use autoresponder until now. Though I’m planning to get one to speed up the process in my marketing campaign. They said Aweber is a good choice, is that true?
Thanks,
Chemae
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
September 3rd, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Hi Chemae,
I personally use Aweber and I am very happy with the service that they provide. There are many other other responder services like Get Response, Randy Smith’s Wizard Respond which many people who visit my blog use and highly recommend. Its all down to personal choice, cost and how there services will fit in with your business needs.
[Reply]
September 10, 2010 at 9:12 am
Hi Chemae,
I use Aweber as well. So far so good. I know there are lots of others out there but would steer clear of the free ones because it limits capabilities as you grow and lists are not easily transferred from one autoresponder to another.
All the best with the challenge!
Sally
Sally recently posted..Traffic is King- but this comes FIRST
[Reply]
September 22, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Hiya Craig,
I have used both Aweber and GetResponse and both seem to be about the same in terms of functionality.
I just switched because I had hardly any list and wanted a fresh start!
Now with Aweber.
Talk soon,
David
David Taylor recently posted..Sally Neill Reveals All!
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
September 22nd, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Hi David,
It really was a toss up between the two when I started out. I chose Aweber and have never looked back.
[Reply]
October 7, 2010 at 3:36 am
Hi
Congratulations on a very good article, it explains clearly the why’s and wherefores. I am currently writing a blog about Aweber too. As my blog is mainly about saving money setting up the business, I am recommending that readers don’t buy into Aweber too soon.
This will include a checklist to verify whether it’s the right time.
My personal experience is that if I had bought when I ‘felt’ I should, I would have been spending approx $39 every month that I didn’t have a requirement, that’s around $370 in total.
Great information here though, thank you.
Alan
[Reply]
Craig Reply:
October 7th, 2010 at 5:25 am
Hey Alan,
Thanks for dropping by. I have no problems with Aweber what so ever. Ok they are not the cheapest but the service you get and the deliverability to your subscribers is just what I need.
[Reply]
November 25, 2011 at 1:17 am
An autoresponder is great! It is a step towards passive income.
And I have to agree, aweber does give quality and reliable service.
I think Aweber is THE most used auto responder.
Danny recently posted..Black & Decker NPP2018 18-Volt Cordless Electric Pole Chain Saw
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December 28, 2011 at 8:25 am
Autoresponder is great. I agree but there are times that it won’t work of it send multiple times than the usual.
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