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Any marketer worth his/her salt knows that an autoresponder is a must-have tool. This is non-negotiable. You could get by without social sharing tools or fancy software – but an autoresponder is CRUCIAL to developing a relationship with your audience, and ultimately, getting sales.
So it goes without saying that sooner or later you’ll need to get a reputable autoresponder that delivers on its promises. In this article, we’ll look at 8 factors that you should be aware of before signing up with any autoresponder company.
Does the company have a proven track record?
The best autoresponder companies have been around for years and even decades. Avoid choosing self-hosted autoresponders that require you to do all the work.
While you might save money, you’re better off with a major email marketing tool that manages relationships with the popular email service providers.
Look around and see which autoresponders your favorite marketers are using. Sign up for a free trial and play around with the software to get a feel for it. You’ll then get the hang of the interface and figure out the different features which will help with your email marketing.
Does the autoresponder company allow affiliate marketing?
Some auto responder companies have an explicit rule which states that affiliate marketing is NOT allowed on their platform. So you’ll want to check before signing up for one – if you’re an affiliate marketer who uses direct affiliate links in your emails.
Alternatively, you can create a bridge page and point your subscribers to it in your emails. But that’s an added hassle. So decide wisely before signing up.
Deliverability
This is probably one of the most important factors when using an autoresponder. Some companies have a better deliverability rate than others. That’s just the way it is.
You’ll want to join a few Facebook groups where online marketers hang out and ask people their opinions on the different email marketing software. You’ll find that some autoresponders are recommended for their excellent deliverability rate. These are the ones you should consider.
Automation
Basic auto responders have very limited automation capabilities. The good ones will allow you to move subscribers across lists automatically. Segmenting your list will be a breeze.
Some even have tagging features so that if a subscriber clicks on a link, they get tagged and you can email only those who were tagged because they showed interest in what you were promoting. This allows for very targeted promotions and will help to boost your conversions.
Ease of use
Most of the best auto responders are relatively easy to use and their interfaces are almost intuitive. Very often, they’ll have tutorial videos and if you still have problems, you can always contact their help desk. So make sure the autoresponder you’re signing up with has good support.
Integrations
The autoresponder you choose should integrate with major payment processors and also platforms like Woocommerce, Shopify, etc. You’ll want your customers to be automatically added on to your list.
If your autoresponder doesn’t integrate with the most commonly used platforms, it’ll seriously impede your progress because you don’t have much flexibility. So choose a versatile auto responder that integrates well.
Can you scale up?
As your business grows, the size of your list will grow. The reputable autoresponder companies will be able to handle your growth. You’ll pay more for a bigger list, but will not face any limitation when it comes to emailing them.
Less capable autoresponders may only be able to handle a certain number of subscribers before they’ve reached their limit. Check the pricing table of the autoresponder company and you’ll see how many subscribers are allowed and the tiered pricing.
Pricing
Last but not least, pricing is an issue to consider. Generally, you can expect to pay about $20 a month for a good auto responder if you have a list of about a 1000 people. If you market well to them, you’ll earn enough to cover the cost of your auto responder.
When you’re on a tight budget, paying monthly will make you feel the pinch. Nevertheless, this is a tool you can’t do without. So bite the bullet and pay for it… and once you have a sizeable list, the auto responder will pay for itself – if your email marketing is on point.
Take note of these 8 pointers and make sure the auto responder you choose meets these requirements. There are many reputable auto responder companies out there that are highly affordable. Choose one and make it work for your business.
