Tuesday, April 5

Pump Up Your Web Sales Using Auto-responders

A web site with no traffic is not a business asset; it's a liability. The cost in money and time to create and maintain a web site is just the beginning. There is the further investment of resources to get traffic. With the goal of profitability in mind, the central question a web site owner must address is how to maximize the value of visitors once you get them to visit the site. One important element of the strategy is to make use of an auto- responder.

A brief definition of an auto-responder: by email, an auto- responder sends an immediate reply when a person buys something online, sends to a specified email address, or fills out a website form. The content of the auto-response message could be information, an electronic receipt, an e- course, and so forth. When people go online, they are often searching for information, and auto-responders gratify them with instant delivery of material they've requested.

When the visitor requests information, they give their email address for its delivery (by auto-responder). You have thus been given permission to follow-up with the prospect, and that is what makes auto-responders an essential marketing tool.

How can an auto-responder facilitate follow-up with prospects? You can automatically contact the prospect after the initial reply if you have properly set up an opt-in and an auto-responder series. The messages in the series are all pre-written, and pre-programmed to be sent out at intervals that you've determined~. so that the auto- responder in effect is a sales force working for you round the clock, on auto-pilot. You set it up one time, and it works for you over and again.

What is the best content to present in an auto-responder series? Each set-up would contain messages relating to the initial request for information made by the prospect.
Example: a visitor at a site about dieting fills out a form requesting a special report (a page or two in length) describing some effective foods and food combinations that inhibit blood sugar from turning into fat. The prospect gives their email address to receive the report, and the auto-responder tied to the form sends the fr~ee information immediately. Furthermore, the visitor learned at the site that in addition to the special report, they will receive further weight loss suggestions and encouragement in a series over the next few days or weeks, whatever time frame is suitable for the type of products in question.

How are sales boosted by an e-course or auto-responder series? The email component of online marketing is very important, and sending only one email message to your prospects is simply not sufficient. Conventional wisdom about marketing in any area is that the majority of people don't take action on a new advertising message unless it has been put before them from five to seven times. They need repetition, and any business that hasn't got a system for timely and consistent follow up from five to seven times is losing money.

What is the recommended ratio of information and marketing in the auto-responder series? Always keep in mind that the visitor isn't interested in your objectives. They only want to know what is in it for them. They've given their email address mainly because they want to get information, not so they can read your advertisements.
So give them what they want:
  • Accurate and useful information on a particular subject.
  • Earn their trust. Then, you can tell about how your products and services could benefit them.
  • Keep the ratio of information to marketing at a maximum of 75% to 25%.
  • If you don't give good content, prospects won't keep opening the emails in your series.
  • Make it a win-win.
They get good information and you get a well qualified prospect thanks to your auto-responder messages.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home