What to Look for in an Auto Responder Service?

An auto responder service can make your marketing life a whole lot easier. When you have the right service, you’ll be able to send out spam-free emails to customers and prospects. A visitor’s one time stop by your site can turn into a long term relationship that can lead to more sales, referrals and a better presence in your niche.

It all starts with finding the right auto responder service. There are two basic types of services, online subscription sites and auto responder programs that you download and install on your server. Although some people claim that owning an auto responder on your server lets you control your email messages, it’s actually more hassle than it’s worth.

There are many different rules when it comes to email marketing. When you have to handle your own auto responder program, you’re solely responsible for meeting all of the requirements. If you can’t adhere to the ever changing rules, you could be facing high fines.

When you choose an online auto responder service, the service is responsible for making sure your messages are getting through correctly. You won’t have to worry about meeting the changing needs of the Can-Spam rules and individual ISP requirements.

Once you’ve decided to use an online service, there are several other factors you should consider before subscribing to a service. You should look for the following features in a quality auto responder service:

*Unlimited Auto Responders

An auto responder service should allow you to create as many different lists that you’d like. This way you can have a separate list for all of your different sites, separate lists for customers and prospects and separate lists for different products or services.

*Timed Messages

Part of the beauty of email marketing with an auto responder service is that you can set up a series of messages and let them “drip feed” to your customers over time. You should be able to set up your messages so that they are delivered at specific intervals.

*Unlimited Text

There’s no point in using a service if it limits the length of messages you can send. Make sure your service allows you to have unlimited text in your messages. Double check that they allow HTML and text messages as well.

*Automatic Responder Management

When you’re running an online business, you don’t have time to worry about clearing out bounced e-mail addresses from your list or move people from your prospects list to your buyers list. Look for a service that takes care of all these tiny details for you.

*Web Form Customization

Web forms are the sign in boxes that appear on your website and allow you to capture new e-mail members. This should be fully customizable so you can encourage sign ups with a custom message.

There are many choices for online based auto responder services and these are just a few of the factors you should consider. Read through the services’ descriptions and evaluate the options carefully. The success of your business relies on your auto responder program.