As you start to evaluate which email autoresponder software is right for your business it can be confusing. From companies that charge by subscriber to those that limit your email usage it can be nearly so intimidating that you don’t even want to start!
While most businesses start off with a simple newsletter or emailing of promotions, we invite you to consider that email should play a much bigger role in your business. Email should be a cornerstone of communication where you develop lasting relationships of customers eager to see what their inbox holds from you.
To help you on your journey of engaging your prospects and customers through email we have reviewed top email autoresponder companies to help you decide. You won’t see every company on this list, because each one we have used ourselves. Each one has their niche and below you will find our thoughts to help you select the match for your goals.
Infusionsoft
While Infusionsoft started its life as an email autoresponder system it has graduated into a full blown CRM (customer relationship management) tool. It offers advanced campaign creation, segmentation, marketing automation and even E-commerce integration if you need it.
Who is this for?
Infusionsoft is designed for the business that has an existing database of prospects and customers. If you have a list of say 3,000+ customers who have been languishing in an excel file or in an Outlook group then this application can help you to re-engage and generate more sales.
Be aware this one is not for the faint of heart! With the advanced functionality it has a sharp learning curve. If you are considering this application you might want to consider a consultant to implement a plan (start with a single funnel or campaign) to help you get the most out of it. We don’t say this to scare, but we also don’t want you think that you if you invest in this solution that you will be up and running in minutes.
This has been the application we have used the most, continue to use and we love it, however we recognize it’s a bit more challenging to use than your average autoresponder.
GetResponse
In the world of email autoresponders GetResponse can get missed. We aren’t sure why it gets missed as we have found it one of the more straight forward autoresponders to use. In our world of real estate marketing we developed real estate websites that used GetResponse email autoresponders to send follow up email sequences to buyers and sellers. The agents that engaged in using GetResponse kept it for years as they found it a great way to build a pipeline of prospects.
GetResponse has grown a great deal over the years and the improvements are great. They have enhanced their product to support responsive email design (hey gotta look good on Mobile these days), A/B testing ability, and their form builder is really straight forward to use.
In a world where prices consistently seem to go up, GetResponse has maintained an affordable starting package at $15 a month. This is a great place to start if you have small list (let’s say less than 500 or so) and you want to get started with your email marketing efforts.
Aweber
Aweber is one of the more popular brands in email autoresponders. With a history dating back to 1998 (hey that’s old in internet years) they have been a leader in this space for quite some time. One of the attractive aspects of Aweber that has garnered them volumes of new users is the aspect that you can start out for free with them if you have less than 500 subscribers. Being able to start for $0 really means you have no excuse not to be in the list building business!
Similar to GetResponse they do make it easy to integrate with WordPress and they make it easy for mobile users to optin as well. A hidden benefit of Aweber is that there is a plugin that was developed named AW Pro Tools that you can use in conjunction with Aweber to perform tasks such as list segmentation, tag subscribers, move subscribers based on clicks and much more. It gives you near InfusionSoft like power by adding AW Pro Tools with Aweber.
Tips to Complete Before You Sign Up for an Email Autoresponder
It is exciting to start something new. Looking at the different features and envisioning reaching 1,000’s (let’s go big and say 10’s of 1,000’s at least) of people monthly is just plain fun. With that being said, the reason most people don’t get more out of their email autoresponders is because they don’t take enough time to plan. When you start with one of the solutions we share above (or even another one) we want you to keep building with it monthly to achieve your goals.
To help you get the most out of any solution, consider the following 5 steps:
- Decide what aspect of email marketing you are going to start with first (newsletter, free report download, past customer re-engagement, etc.)
- Identify the goals of what you would like to get out of this list and the metrics on which you will judge success (monthly growth goals, open rates, click through rates, sales back to your website, phone calls, appointments, etc)
- If it is a brand new list you are planning on building decide where on your website you are going to place the optin form
- Outline your email funnel – At least 5 emails, just the subject lines, no need to go too crazy.
- Write out 2 emails – Don’t worry about the design of the email, just write the copy. Write the email as if you were writing to a single person as those connect and engage.
- Put a plan in place on when you can write the other 3 emails you outlined
- Put your plan into action!
- Outline your next sequence of emails and repeat the process for each segment of customers and prospects you want to reach
The list might seem daunting at first, but remember you are likely writing emails every day! And if you aren’t, kudos to you, maybe you have figured out something the rest of us haven’t.
When you want a jump start on email creation, we recommend Perry Marshall’s “Look Over Perry’s Shoulder Email Training”. While we have written over 1,000 emails for autoresponders ourselves, our path started with Perry where we learned in person how to craft messages that engage over time and empower prospects to take action. His course on email is one we are confident will give you a shortcut to email marketing domination.
To your success,
Joey and James Bridges