How to use auto-responders to improve your online business
An auto-responder is an automated mailing feature where one can setup to send a fix response to the recipient. This feature was created as we humans have to sleep and as the internet boomed, 24 hours service response became standard procedure. The core need auto-responders fulfill is to help save time and automate certain functions like customer support, Signup/Unsubscribe procedures, automated product delivery and timely delivery of scheduled emails.
At least that’s the original functions of auto-responders, however in the course of the internet things has changed with many marketers and webmasters coming up with creative ways to use auto-responders for their business. Here’s a few ways you can use an auto-responder to help your online business.
eZine delivery – If you have monthly or weekly ezines, keeping track of which subscribers received which issue could be troublesome. Using an auto-responder to send your publication out to your subscribers would help remove this issue, as it would automatically send your first issue to any new subscribers. In that case no one will get left out.
Promotional Sales – Using auto-responders to inform your members of monthly or weekly promotions that you have running. If you are selling something on your site, you could preset seasonal sales period like winter or summer sale and send the email out when the start dates for the season arrives.
eCourse delivery – If you sell information products and run ecourses, you could use auto-responders to deliver the course for you. This would free you up to add new course materials and capture new subscribers for your course.
Drive traffic to your site – Send teaser articles available on your site through your auto-responder system. The articles should entice the user to click for more content so that they drive traffic to your website directly.
Upsell products – If your subscriber purchased something from you before, use the auto-responder system to upsell complementary products that would be of use or you could simply run a special member rate on the following items to increase your conversion rates.
Last Minute Ditch – When your subscriber unsubscribe from your list, your auto-responder could be try to save him from leaving your list by maybe offering him a discount if you run a membership site or ask them for the reason that he is leaving in exchange for a gift.
I hope the above list helps provide some ideas on how marketers can tap into the power of auto-responders. Do you have other methods in using auto-responders to help run your internet business, why not share it with us!