Any serious online entrepreneur will understand the importance of email marketing. The ability to reach targeted leads and customers at any time is priceless for marketers, enabling strong relationships to be built. In order to make your email marketing work efficiently, though, it is vital you choose a quality autoresponder service. There are numerous services available, all offering different features and benefits. So what are the main features you should be looking for when purchasing an email autoresponder service?
Deliverability
Deliverability can make or break your email campaigns. If messages go straight into the spam folder, you can risk damaging your list, reducing your perceived integrity, and lowering your profit levels. Individual services will usually discuss their deliverability, but look for independent reviews to get a clear view of the industry.
List Sizes
A major goal for email marketers is naturally to grow their list. You may start using a service with no subscribers, but gradually you will add people to the list. A quality service will recognize the requirements of their clients, enabling them to grow as required. Most of the popular services allow businesses to start with a small account and increase their package when necessary.
Scheduling
There will be occasions when you want to send an immediate broadcast to your list. However, it is likely that you will frequently need to schedule messages to be sent at specific times. You may have worked out the optimum time to reach the maximum number of people, so you can set up messages in advance. Additionally, scheduling a series of proven messages to appear at certain intervals can be used to maximize results from new subscribers.
Automation
Along with scheduling, there are other automation requirements that successful marketers have. The ability to segment an audience based on their decisions can separate successful businesses from struggling ones. Quality autoresponders include a tagging feature that lets you pinpoint a specific action each subscriber takes. Depending on various decisions, you can then set up a funnel that optimizes outcomes based on particular actions.
Customer Service
An autoresponder will become a central feature of an online business, allowing direct communication with leads and customers. Therefore, any problems could potentially damage your reputation and ability to reach your most targeted audience. A quality service will prioritize customer service, offering quick response times and a knowledgeable staff. Live chat, an effective support desk, and a clear knowledge base are all features to look out for.
Analytics
Data has become increasingly important for email marketing, providing the chance to optimize campaigns and messages. The best autoresponder services give accurate data about open rates, click-through rates, important demographics, and plenty more. The more basic services offer limited analytics, so you may find yourself struggling to understand why you are getting certain positive or negative results.
Templates
Quality templates can be created by a designer, but it is far quicker when you can access them directly from your email marketing dashboard. Many autoresponders include various templates, graphics, landing pages, and opt-in forms, but quality can vary. Look at the designs on offer, ensuring they are good enough for the campaigns you are creating. If there is little attention to detail, you may find this problem occurs with other features in the service.
There are many autoresponder services catering to different audiences. Solo entrepreneurs might want a simple tool that is cost-effective, while larger businesses will need something more sophisticated and robust. Changing an autoresponder can be a frustrating experience, though, so it is worth making a decision based on long-term goals. Using the important features as a guide, try to find a service that offers the attributes you want right now, but also can help you expand as your marketing strategies start to produce results.
