FAQ
Autoresponder and E-Mail Marketing FAQ
When you have your own online business, a great way to promote it is with e-mail marketing. Autoresponder programs can make e-mail marketing easier, more productive, and get better responses. Here is a list of frequently asked questions, and their answers, to help business owners understand the ins and outs of e-mail marketing and how autoresponder programs can help.
Q: What is an autoresponder?
A: When companies have many different clients and prospective customers to e-mail, it becomes very difficult to make sure that every e-mail is answered. An autoresponder program is computer software that is specifically designed to send an automated response to customers who have initiated contact with the company. Autoresponder response e-mails are written by the merchant, so they can contain any information at all that the business owner feels is relevant for a new customer to know about.
Q: How does e-mail marketing work?
A: E-mail marketing campaigns use autoresponders to send e-mails to customers who have shown interest in your company, and they can send followup emails to keep interest as well. Newsletters tell customers about the weekly or monthly happenings with your business, and keep them involved so they think of you first when they need to make a purchase.
Q: How do autoresponder programs get e-mail addresses?
A: When a prospective customer visits your company’s website for the first time, they will see a section of the page that allows them to enter their name, e-mail address, and ask questions or send comments. This is called an “opt-in” page, and it can contain any information you want to provide. When the customer adds their e-mail address, it is added to a list for the autoresponder.
Q: If my customers do not want to receive e-mails any longer, is this a problem?
A: No. They can simply click on a link at the bottom of the e-mails they receive, and it will take them to an “opt-out” page, where they can remove their address from your list. This page can contain information about your company that customers may find interesting, since you likely want to keep them on your lists, though.
Q: How often will the autoresponder send messages to my customers?
A: As often as you want it to. You can set up the program to simply contact customers one time and inform them about your company, or you can set it up to send reminder messages, newsletters, and updates at frequent intervals. You can also let your customers decide how often they want to be contacted as well.
Q: How do I enroll in an e-mail marketing program?
A: There are many sites dedicated to helping business owners with e-mail marketing programs. Aweber and Getresponse are a few good and recommended ones.
