What Kinds of Autoresponder Are There?

There are basically three kinds of sequential autoresponder you can use for email marketing:

1. Desktop software. This is software that runs on your computer, such as Mailloop. The big advantage of this kind of autoresponder is that it gives you complete control over how it’s used. The disadvantage is that any mail you send has to go through your ISP’s servers. ISPs get very nervous about bulk email, because they can have their IP addresses blacklisted if they’re suspected of allowing spammers to use their systems.

2. Server-based software. There are scripts available which you can install on your hosting company’s server. Examples are AutoResponse Plus and PHPList. You access the system through your web browser. This kind of software, again, gives you a lot of control over what you can do with it. Your hosting company may have rules about the maximium number of emails that can be sent per hour, and hosting companies can also be nervouse about spam complaints.

3. Third-party services. These are web-based services like AWeber. They place some restrictions on how you can use their services – for example, AWeber will let you upload a list of subscribers, but they insist on sending an opt-in request to each subscriber. The advantage is that they have established relationships with the large ISPs, and because they enforce their rules strictly they can offer high deliverability rates.

I highly recommend AWeber. They have been in the business for 10 years, and many Internet marketers rely on their services.

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