A Beginners Guide to The Different Types of Autoresponders

Using an autoresponder is a great way to build your business. This type of service can be viewed as part of your sales team, it can work for you around the clock!

An autoresponder service is an easy way to send out your emails, newsletters, promotional material and more to your customers. It is a crucial part of any business and if you are just starting out it should be one of your first purchases.

When choosing your service you will find that there are several different types to choose from. Let's take a look at what these are, then you can decide which one would best suit your business needs.

Self Hosted Autoresponders

This type of autoresponder is set up on your own hosting account. The main advantages of this is that it is a one time cost and you can import your own leads. The main disadvantage is that you may run into delivery issues, your emails may end up in your customer's junk or you may run into bandwidth issues with your hosting company.

Many companies that use this method end up with their own private servers within their hosting company. This can be an additional cost each month as well.

Third Party Autoresponders

These are the ones where you pay a monthly fee to use their services. The most well known ones include Aweber and GetResponse. The advantage to using this type of service is that you will experience good delivery rates.

Other benefits include being able to create as many lists as you need. Plus the company provides you with ready to use templates and sign up forms. These give your emails a professional appearance.

The biggest disadvantage can be the high cost associated with them. The larger your list the higher your monthly cost will be.

Free Autoresponders

With this type of autoresponder service there are no fees attached. While this may sound like a good option there can be several disadvantages to using them.

First because the service is free the company will send out promotional items or text attached to your emails. This really does not present a professional feel and look to your emails.

You will also face delivery and reliability issues and there is usually no way for you to download your database of leads. If the company goes out of business your entire mailing list will be lost.

Most small business owners find that a third party autoresponder service is their best choice. They are fairly easy to set up and use and present a professional image for any business.