I was trolling around the net today looking at what information is out there on choosing an autoresponder.
The results were disappointing, some articles were boring and long and others were too technical.
So I decided I’d write this short post for you and explain a fun simple way to pick out an AR.
If you’ve been dreading or putting off the decision I hope this will get you going and make the process much easier than you thought.
First, make sure you pick out a web based autoresponder. The reasons to do so are many, but in short it will save you a tremendous amount of time, frustration and the possibility of breaking spam laws that you may not even know exist.
How in the world can choosing an autoresponder be fun though?
Do you like free stuff?
I sure do. Especially free trials.
Free trials are awesome, you are kind of like a VIP special guest. You get to try out everything with no commitments.
www.aweber.com www.icontact.com www.constantcontact.com and www.1shoppingcart.com all have free or dirt cheap trials. Go ahead and sign up for all of them today. Just keep track of when your trial runs out so you can be sure to cancel the services you don’t want.
This is the fun part. Jump in and take a tour of each system. You aren’t paying much so there isn’t any pressure. Create some test lists and sign up to them yourself. Try unsubscribing from each service. Do some make it easier than others?
Send yourself some email broadcasts to see how they come through. Research each autoresponder’s deliverability.
You’ll feel like a kid in a candy shop. The best part is once you’ve figured out which service you prefer all you have to do is cancel the others and focus on the one you like.
Here at the Listbuilding Club we recommend and use Aweber. They have great deliverability, superior support and an easy to use system that they are always improving. You may like them the best too, but check out the other options before you make your final decision.
You don’t want to be in the middle of building your first 20,000 person list and decide you have to switch autoresponders because something sucks about the one you are using. It’s a lot of work and will cost you in unsubscribes. Better to know what works best for you before you start anything.
All that said I can assure you that you’ll love your new autoresponder. It’s such a powerful tool. The ability to contact large numbers of people instantly with the click of a mouse. It’s reasurring to know that your autoresponder has your back. They’ll take care of unsubscribes and keeping the deliverability high. Leaving you to focus on your marketing and bonding with your list.
Victor Grosser
Webmaster for Overcome Everything Inc.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Victor, great post! However, I’ve used many of the autoresponders you listed but my favorite is MailChimp hands down. They have a free account for up to 500 subscribers and their web interface is awesome! They even have a wordpress plugin that integrates with their software and google analytics that actually shows you how people respond to your blog posts versus your emails. It’s definitely worth trying.