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Choosing a good autoresponder service will help you streamline your business—saving you energy and time in the long run. But how do you define good? And how will you know if an autoresponder service will meet your business needs? Below I've outlined five tips that will help you not only get a good autoresponder service but get the right service for your business needs.
Ease of Use
Every autoresponder service will have a control panel where you'll manage your campaigns. Check the look and feel of each autoresponder's control panel. Can you demo it before signing up?
If they don't have a demo account, look for detailed control panel screenshots and descriptions in the help section. Either way, you should be comfortable with learning their control panel interface.
Trial Account
As with any service, you want to know you're getting a return on your financial investment—before you spend money. Trial accounts allow you to signup for a live account and test the service.
If you've never used an autoresponder service, look at providers with longer trial periods. The longer the trial period, the more time you'll have to get comfortable with all the features.
Multiple Responders
Having more than one autoresponder allows you to design campaigns for different products and services. You might have a responder for visitors who sign up for your newsletter. You might have another for those who buy your product and want to be added to your promotional list.
Even if you only have a single product or service, you may want to add products and services later. Having the option to use multiple responders will allow you to expand later, without having to invest more money for an upgraded account.
Unlimited Messages
Remember that it can take up to 7 impressions before someone will buy from you. If you average 2 new signups per day, that's 14 messages—on average—before either one of those prospects will buy.
If you have several hundred people on your list, your monthly message total will add up fast. You don't want to have to worry about exceeding a monthly limit and having to pay a premium for additional messages.
Personalized Messages
You should be able to send a message to someone by their first name. The key to this is learning—and using—the autoresponder's personalization options. This is especially important if you have more than one business. You should be able to add multiple "from" email addresses, company names, addresses, and phone numbers. Estimates show that you can increase response rates as much as 70% by simply personalizing your message.
A good autoresponder will offer all these features as well as good support. Getting quality support in a timely manner is essential, especially if you're new. Take your time and do the research. You'll be rewarded with more sales and less stress.
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