Automatic response email can help you reply quickly to prospects interested in your products or services. Improve customer relationships with a sequence of automatically delivered emails. Welcome new subscribers and drive business to your website with unlimited messages packages. Response to queries promptly and build subscriber trust and brand image.

Set up an autoresponder to keep your brand and message in front of your prospects and customers. Look for tracking features to monitor the performance of email campaigns in real time and follow up on customer service initiatives. Email automatic response software or web-based subscription can improve your email marketing campaigns and save you time and money.

1. Pay monthly for email autorepsonders.

2. Look for autoresponse software and make only a one-time payment.

3. Consider enterprise email marketing services to manage a large volume of auto-reply emails.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get web-based email autoreply services

Respond to email automatically with a web-based service for enterprise features at a flexible monthly price.

I recommend: Use iContact to sell to customers on with auto emails and iContact's Email Marketing System. AWeber helps small businesses automate email follow up and newsletter delivery for website visitors at a modest price.

Buy email auto-responders software

Automatic responder software systems reply to email automatically with email marketing management tools. Look for smart software for relevant email automatic response to improve customer service and brand creditably.

I recommend: Exclaimer Mail Utilities is a rules-based emailware tool for managing your email system with features like email disclaimers, email branding, email signatures, auto-responding, forwarding, email blocking, anti-spam and anti-virus. With Dynamic Mail Communicator autoresponder software, you set the parameters for email auto-reply, forward, delete, run mailing list campaigns and external programs.

Subscribe to enterprise solutions for automatic response email

Use a paid autoresponder service for enterprise level solutions for professional e-mail marketing with more options. Send out several automatic responses out over time for e-courses, newsletters or a marketing campaign. Look for a fully managed server solution with unlimited bandwidth and large volume plans for best value.

I recommend: Email2DB parses and processes automatically to databases, sends auto responses and email follow ups and can process ecommerce orders, support enquiries and web response forms with a one-time payment or monthly subscription. StreamSend provides software for marketers featuring sequential autoresponder emails for preset intervals at predetermined times with response management settings for first contacts, days later and customer follow-ups with full tracking options.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Prepare quality content for your email marketing campaigns with precise copywriting and a personalized call-to-action. Sloppy, generalized text is a dead giveaway of a careless automated response program, and nothing will turn the customer away faster.
• •  Always include a link in every email for the opt-out option.
• •  Test your autoresponder to confirm sending time by signing up for your own autoresponder series.

An email autoresponder automatically, immediately responds to customers who request information via email or via a form on your site. You see autoresponders at work when you get an "away from the office" message in response to an email, but you can also use them to, say, send a pre-written packet of information to potential customers. An email autoresponder:

1. Lets you easily stay in touch with interested prospects.
2. Can be an effective part of your marketing plan.
3. Helps you serve your customers more quickly and efficiently.
4. Reduces the cost of your marketing communications.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Set up an autoresponder through your ISP

Many ISPs include autoresponders in their hosting packages.

I recommend: Try one of these three national ISPs for autoresponder service: Hostway, BestWebHost.com, or iPowerWeb. Alternatively, search for an ISP that meets your technical and budgetary needs on Web Host Magazine. Then check the Web sites of the ISPs of your choice to find out more about their autoresponder offerings.

Use a paid autoresponder service

Autoresponder services are pricier than using the version offered by your ISP but they often offer more options, such as allowing you to send out several responses spaced out over time (for example, for an e-course, newsletter, or marketing campaign).

I recommend: GetResponse and Aweber are leaders in this space. See AutoresponderVendor for a list of other vendors.

Try a free autoresponder service

Short on cash? Free email autoresponders are, well, free, but some restrict the number of messages you can send or subscribers you can add, and some run a third-party ad in your outgoing autoresponder messages.

I recommend: Check out the list of free autoresponders at EmailAddresses.com.

Bring in more sales by offering free information

Offering free information through an e-course, newsletter, tips booklets, or even a 'tip-a-day' service helps you build valuable relationships with your prospects.

I recommend: TipsBooklets.com provides – you guessed it! – information on how to write tips booklets that you can offer via autoresponder. Learn how to create an e-course on How The Heck Do I... For other ideas on marketing via autoresponder, read these articles on EzineArticles and Devicode Technology.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Remember to follow the basics of good copywriting when creating the text for your autoresponder: Focus on the benefit to your customer, make it personal when possible (some services will let you personalize your outgoing message), and include a call-to-action.
• •  Don't spam! Let the customer know what he'll be getting when he writes to your autoresponder, and don't add his address to any other lists. Always include an opt-out option to let people unsubscribe from your messages.
• •  Be creative in your autoresponder offerings. For example, if you own a winery, you can offer a course on wine-tasting. Run a PR firm? Try daily or weekly tips on working with the media, such as how to handle yourself in media interviews and how to dress for TV appearances.
• •  Use an autoresponder to improve customer service by offering FAQs, price lists, and other information customers frequently request.