The exploding online marketplace has created an entire new class of entrepreneurs. They work on their websites to fine tune factors such as traffic flow and conversion rates. In internet marketing, success is measured in tiny increments of percentage points.
Because their virtual marketplace contains millions of potential customers, small improvements in marketing can result in major increases in income.
To handle such huge volumes of website visitors, a new internet utility called an autoresponder has become increasingly popular - and necessary.
What is an Autoresponder?
An autoresponder is a computer program that performs two main functions. First, it automates the growth and management of an email list (a database). It enables websites to invite new people to join the list, and provides the method needed to harvest visitors' names and email addresses. These people are called "contacts."
Secondly, the autoresponder manages email campaigns that target the contacts in the email list. Once a campaign has been defined, the autoresponder goes to work sending out predefined emails to members of the email list on a specific schedule.
How Can an Autoresponder Help Me?
If you sell something on the internet and get any amount of traffic on your website, an autoresponder can help you increase sales dramatically. Without a mailing list, visitors come, they look, and they leave. Some buy, but most don't. Those that leave without making a purchase are lost, probably forever.
With an autoresponder, you can build an email list from the visitors that come to your site. Then, they are emailed later to remind them how great your product is, or to alert them to a new product or service that might interest them. And the best part of all is that the autoresponder manages the email list and sends the emails automatically. All you have to do is create your predefined emails and specify a schedule for their dispatch.
How Do I Set It Up?
Since you wish to enroll your website visitors into the mailing list, some code must be added into your web page. This is typically a small snippet of "javascript", provided by the autoresponder company. It creates a simple form in your page. That form, requesting a visitor's name and email address, is the main entry point into the email list database. The code snippet is generated for you on the autoresponder's website. You simply copy and paste it into the .html of your web page. It is a very simple process, but if tweaking code is not one of your strong points, someone else can do it for you in less than five minutes.
Now Go Make Some Money!
In today's internet marketplace, email campaigns are a central part of a website success strategy. Since most site visitors will leave without taking the action that you hoped for, having the ability to email them later provides you with a second opportunity.
A variety of companies offer autoresponders. Most will charge a fee based on the size of your mailing list, or possibly the number of emails you send. A search of the internet will return dozens of sources. Some autoresponders may be free. Because of the importance of using a stable and trouble-free service, be prepared to examine potential candidates closely. Internet marketing success revolves around the use of effective automated tools that leverage your own abilities. Choose them wisely.
You can learn more about techniques that improve your internet marketing at http://www.SixSecondSales.com - Take our FREE multimedia marketing course.
Use our free SEO tool to improve traffic to your website: http://www.SiteToolz.net
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russell_Still
