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Autoresponder Software: Purchase Or Service?
Deliverability
I bet that you would like your emails to reach the recipients… This is a huge criteria when picking an auto-responder software. If you install a software on your computer, you are using your Internet connection and your provider to dispatch your mails. Depending on the software it will use the providers mail server (smtp server) exactly the same way as Outlook does or it will have its own smtp server built in, in which case it will use the computer as the mail server. If the computer is used as the smtp server, mail will very likely only reach part of the recipients, because spam filters will recognize the non public nature of your “mail server” and simply refuse acceptance. If the software forwards mails to your provider’s mail server, you will likely reach the provider’s limit for sending out mails very quickly. Because providers want to avoid that their clients send spam, the number of mails that can be sent within a certain period of time can be quite low (50 or 100 mails per day).
If on the other hand you are using a auto-responder software service and that service is doing a good job, then you can count on the largest possible deliverability rate, because that is how these services can distinguish themselves.
Sending Spam
Using your own auto-responder software installed on your computer, you can – within the restrictions mentioned - send anything you like (also spam). If you do send spam you will very likely be caught rather quickly and either the smtp server will be blocked for you or even the Internet connection. The reason for that is that the provider simply does not want to be considered accepting spam coming from his network.
Using the hosted service you will not be allowed to send spam at all. The restrictions and online tests are quite rigorous. If you send spam you will get caught and banned from the service.
Functions
Both types of auto-responder software can provide a host of functions such as:
- using templates for graphical html mails
- automatic conversion in text mails
- managing users (adding, editing, sorting, selecting)
- creating mailings where newsletter and recipient get combined
- personalized content (where names and other information gets pasted into the text of the mail)
- creating follow up campaigns (automated dispatch of series of mails in predefined time intervals)
There is a bias towards hosted auto-responder services for these tasks, as the server has more direct access to the information
- tracking (statistics as to the performance of mailings)
- bounce management (what happens to mails that don’t reach the recipient)
Cost
Locally installable auto-responder software is usually sold as a licence for a number of computers or servers. The upfront amount is charged only once.
Hosted server side autoresponders charge a monthly fee that varies with the number of contacts you are holding in their data base.
Speed
A hosted service takes the message and mixes in the recipients data (mail address, etc.). Once you have initiated the task, it is out of your hands and out of your computer. The server sends the mails into the Internet directly. Delivery is much faster than when dispatched from your computer, which has to send each mail individually through a relatively slow upstream to your provider.
Gathering contact information
To efficiently do that you need a webform that you place on your website or squeeze page. A subscriber fills in the form and gets stored in the data base. If you use a hosted service the webform can interact with the service directly and trigger responses instantly. Working with an autoresponder software from your computer requires your computer to be on to react. The setup of your own network is also much more complicated as it requires often times dynamic DNS settings (much more complicated than using the hosted autoresponder.)
Conclusion
If you want to be a serious Internet Marketer you will have to pick a hosted Autoresponder Software, anything else is not really an alternative.
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About the Author
Urs has been running a successful online and offline business for over 10 years. He is willing to share, tutor and help. www.cash-in.us is a hot ressource for beginners and advanced online marketers.Look up honest product reviews and post yours.
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