Autoresponders are impressive, sometimes complex programs that do much more than automatically reply to your emails. When properly utilized, your autoresponder can be an invaluable marketing tool. Internet statistics tell us that most internet users only stay on a website for an average of 45 seconds. This statistic can be a problem if your website sells products or services. Sometimes visitors may exit your website before they were able to finish browsing.

For example:

A potential customer is browsing your website. She is moments from making a purchase. There is a thunderstorm outside and lightning strikes a tree that causes a blackout in her area. She didn’t bookmark your website before nature took its toll. Your autoresponder was able to capture her email address. The next time she checks her e-mail, she will find a friendly thank you note from your website. She will likely visit your website again and make her purchase.

Within seconds, your potential customer is gone. Many times potential customers do not bookmark your website before accidentally closing the browser. If you had the foresight to install an autoresponder, the likelihood of them visiting again just increased. If the visitor input their e-mail address, you can follow-up with them with a friendly e-mail reminder to visit again.

Ten ways an autoresponder can add to your marketing strategy:

1. Create mailing lists for various user groups. Separate mailing lists for customers and affiliates will give you the ability to create a wider variety of personalized newsletters and other marketing texts designed for each group.

2. Create and e-mail a newsletter especially for your customers. A well-made newsletter can be a very valuable marketing tool. You can inform registered members of special offers or create a promotional code for those who receive your newsletter. You can also provide valuable information pertaining to your specific products.

3. Create a newsletter specifically for your affiliates and advertisers. Help keep them informed of special promotional advertising during certain seasons. Create and share new buttons and banners with special sale prices that they can use on their website to help increase their revenue.

4. Create a review sheet for your best selling products. Include reviews from actual customers.

5. Write and distribute articles about products your site offers. In addition to e-mailing your articles to members of your site, submit then to article submission sites for more exposure.

6. Write informative autorespond letters thanking your customers for their order or letting them know when their order will ship.

7. Use your autoresponder to let customers know your company received their e-mail and someone will contact them from the proper department.

8. Send automated reminders about your products or services. Include statements like “Others who bought this item also bought.”

9. Use your autoresponder to help create interactive games with your customers. Include quizzes or puzzles on your website and provide the answer in a newsletter.

10. Offer trial versions of your products or coupons for services you may offer. If your product can be delivered electronically, you can set your autoresponder to deliver the product to the customer immediately upon receipt of payment.

As you can see there are many ways to promote your company’s products and services via an autoresponder. This list was created to help jumpstart your own creativity. See how many other brilliant and creative ways you can use your autoresponder.

Ideally, when you perform customer service, it is done on a one-on-one basis with each of your customers. That works quite well in the offline world – but on the Internet, that simply will not do. Your customers are literally all over the world, and there is no way that you can really deal with each one of them personally. That is where an autoresponder comes in.

Customer service with autoresponders is quite simple. When an order is place, an autoresponder can send out the receipt for the sale, the information for accessing the product, and a ‘thank you’ email. This happens whether you are logged in to your computer or on vacation in an exotic location! But customer service doesn’t always end right there, and if you are away from your computer, you may be letting your customers down!

For instance, an elderly gentleman sees your product advertised and places an order. Everything goes through just fine, and he receives the receipt, the download information, and your ‘thank you’ email. Your product is an ebook, compiled into a PDF file. This particular gentleman doesn’t understand what a PDF file is, and he has no idea what you mean by ‘right click to download.’ He needs additional customer service for the product that he has purchased, and there is nobody available to help him – nobody but an autoresponder.

Set up an additional autoresponder that will send out a list of frequently asked questions or problems that deal with customer service or how to access the product. Also set up a support autoresponder. If he sends a message to support, he should get an instant message back letting him know that his message has been received, and how soon it will be addressed. This will give him some measure of comfort, and in most cases, he will wait that specified period of time for assistance.

However, if he doesn’t know how to download the product, and he sends a message to support, and nothing happens, he will most likely become very dissatisfied in a very short period of time. The difference between a patient customer and an irate customer is one simple autoresponder message that can and should be set up in under five minutes.

Really think your ordering process through, and consider the potential problems that may occur for your customers. Get an autoresponder set up to address those problems, and you will find that your customers are more satisfied with your products, and extremely satisfied with your customer service – all because your autoresponders handle their problems right away!

The use of auto responders is quickly becoming popular. Given the digital age we have come into at full speed, it is becoming more and more time-consuming to be checking voicemails and answering machines. The digital age is now allocating and advocating the use of these responders as a fax-on-demand-type of system. Read the rest of this entry »