There is one other way of doing autoresponders, and that is having a dedicated software autoresponder that operates from your own server. Though I haven’t used this software, I must admit the concept appeals to me enormously because it frees you from the “monthly subscriptions” syndrome.
The package I am thinking of is called BizPacks Pro and you can check it out HERE. It is a fully-featured autoresponder package, allowing you to run unlimited campaigns. It offers free installation and topquality lifetime support, and has a 30 day money-back guarantee.
Features of BizPacks Pro
BizPacks Pro allows unlimited campaigns and unlimited subscribers. It comes with 3 bonus modules – Tell-a-Friend, Contact Forms Generator, and Articles Manager. Two at least of these are services that you would pay for elsewhere. Considering the very reasonable cost of this software and the excellent testimonials, I am looking seriously at this one, and I recommend you check it out too:
The whole purpose of a landing page is to capture at least the name and email of a prospective client, so you can send them out a series of messages telling them about your products or opportunity.
The Role of the Autoresponder
Once the visitor inputs their name and email address on your landing page, the information is saved in an autoresponder, which you program with a series of email messages and a timeline for them to be sent out. So, for example, the first message might be sent out on the day of sign-up, the second 2 days later and the third 3 days after that, and so on.
Though the concept of using autoresponders does have an impersonal feel and there are times when we all groan to see an autoresponder answering us, the fact is that once your business gains momentum of any kind you just cannot do without this tool. Follow-up is absolutely vital.
Types of Autoresponder
For people who are in MLM, most of the programs have their own autoresponders built into the program’s control panel, usually with a series of pre-written emails ready to go. There are also some good generic recruiting systems which provide you with an autoresponder as part of your membership deal.
Whether or not you’re in MLM, there are good reasons to have your own stand-alone autoresponder though, and you’ll find a number being advertised. Just beware that some systems promoting autoresponders have them set up to market THEIR system, not yours!
Many of the autoresponder providers have both paid and free versions. The practical difference between the two usually lies in advertising – the free version has either the company‘s advert or paid 3rd party advertising inserted at the top of your messages – and the number of options or features available. For example, the number of campaigns available on a free autoresponder is usually only one. If you have several different businesses, you may want more options than this.
Your very first email contact with the client should be an opt-in request, to ensure that your follow-up emails cannot be regarded as spam. Most of the autoresponder providers set this email up automatically, and the visitor’s information isn’t registered until they click the confirmation link in that email.
Setting Up an Autoresponder
If you are planning on creating your own capture pages and autoresponder campaigns, you need to either use websites that create pages for you, or else you must have a little knowledge of HTML. If you don’t have the knowledge to create your own pages, then sign up for the free onlineservice at Instant Squeeze Page Generator.
Once you have your page, you need to insert the lead capture form. Your autoresponder provider will generate the code for this form for you, already programmed to feed your leads into your account with their system. You copy and paste this code into your page, run a few tests, set up a series of emails, and you’re ready to go. Follow the steps provided for you inside the autoresponder account to set up your emails and their timing – and sign yourself up to make sure everything works!
It’s also a good idea, on your leadcapture page, to insert just below the form an assurance that the visitor’s name and email will not be sold or divulged to 3rd parties. This reassures people when signing up and helps to increase conversion rates.You can use something like this: NOTE: We respect your Privacy. Your information will not be sold or divulged to any other person, period.
Choosing an Autoresponder
There are two autoresponders of professional quality out there – GetResponse and Aweber. GetResponse has free and paid versions and I recommend it for the following reasons:
If you start off with the free version and later decide you need more bells and whistles, you can simply upgrade without having to move your subscribers.
There is no limit on the number of subscribers you can have. But with Aweber, the cost goes up the more subscribers you bring in. Sure, having more subscribers increases your income, but I think it would be rather irksome to be watching subscriber numbers every time a price hike looms.
GetResponse is a sight more intuitive to operate than some of the systems I’ve tried – and I’m talking paid systems, here. I exited from one paid system because the website just was not up to my standards of customer usability. In short, it got me angry. (The trials of being a webdesigner!)
After years of trying everything out there, I strongly recommend you to get an account with GetResponse. It’s a professional system and free or paid, it’s just the best deal there is.
If people are coming to your site and leaving again without you gathering any contact information from them, you are missing a big opportunity to create yourself a list of potential customers.
You need to arrange your site in such a way that when people visit, you can capture their information. This is done by using landing pages or squeeze pages.
A landing or squeeze page is basically a one page code of HTML with a capture form for you to capture leads for any businessonline. It’s very useful for network marketing (remember, using a replicated marketingpage is NOT the best way to go) and it will help you to find the best solutions when it comes to lead generation.
There are two kinds of landing pages – horizontal pages and vertical pages.
A vertical page contains a headline but it has a lot of key points listed out over a very long page. Normally, a vertical page requires the prospect to scroll all the way down to the bottom to opt-in. Sometimes, there might be two opt-in boxes, one near the top of the page and another after the explanation.
The advantage of using a vertical page is that you can elaborate in detail and put lots of information down, but the drawback is that it might minimize your opt-in or conversion rates because the reader has to scroll all the way down to the bottom. People tend to decide in a split second if they want the free report or if they want to scroll down, and our job is to make sure we get as many leads as we can for our business.
A horizontal landing page might be more favorable if you want to capture as many leads as you can. Here’s why…
(1) Horizontal pages do not require you to scroll down at all. In actual fact, the opt-in box is located in or very close to the top fold of the page, along with all the information designed to help your conversions. This will include key benefits, the attention-grabbing headline and other components designed to maximize your conversion rate.
(2) You must offer something for free to entice the visitor to leave his or her information. So you strategically place a free report or E-book right next to the list of your benefits.
Useful Techniques
Here are some different techniques that will help you to get more leads for your mailing list:
- Sometimes, you might consider leaving out the second name in the opt-in box. Your visitors might feel more comfortable just leaving their first name, and giving them too many options may reduce conversion rates as they ponder about all the hoops they need to jump through before they get your book.
- Always use a big flashing arrow in order to tell people where to opt-in. Similar to the word click here which is a common tool in copywriting, it increases the chances of people finding the opt-in box.(Don’t Make Me Think!)
- Always give your prospects an awareness that this report is scarce and it will be taken away any moment. People find last minute deals and offers irresistible.
The net is the worst of all places for losing whatever it was you thought you had in the first place. Information, URLs, Logins – there is so much to keep track of, and the trouble is, it’s all so easily acquired that you can soon become swamped under a tide of information. That is not good if you’re trying to run a business.
Records : URLs, Logins and Passwords
Don’t rely on your browser’s bookmarks or favorites OR your email client’s folders to keep you out of trouble – these nifty little storerooms soon become as untidy as the old attic in the roof, and you can waste a lot of time searching for the URL you need. What’s more, when you find it, you may not remember the login and password for that impassable Login box grinning at you from the page.
Of course, your browser may help you – though I find it’s hopeless for me to ask IE to remember anything. Or you may have Roboform (available HERE), and if you have the paid version, all is well. But the free version allows you to save only 10 passcards, which can be a big limitation …Either way, you still really need to have your information and important records saved in an organised manner and all in one place. It not only feels better – it IS better, especially when something unforseen happens.
For the past 5 years I’ve been using a free program that solves all my problems with keeping records. It’s called Treepad, and you can download it HERE – scroll about half way down the page for the freeware version download. The paid versions have some cool features, but I’m thinking “shoestring budget” here.
How to use Treepad
Some people create just one big file with Treepad, but I structure things to be easier to find by making a number of separate files. For example, you might create a file for “Advertising” or “Webmasters Apps”, or “Traffic Exchanges” – or even files for individual programs.
Say for example you’ve made a file and saved it as “Traffic Exchanges”. The main “node” of your file will have the same name. Highlight it in the left-hand column of the Treepad window and select Edit – Insert Node – Child Node. This will make a new branch to your tree. You can make as many as you need and you can call them “Autosurfs” or “Manual Surfs” or whatever is going to work for you, and list the login URLs and the login details, the referral URLs and the surfing URLs for the programs you join in the right-hand box. If a program has a selection of splash pages, you can even add them too.
NOW – the really cool thing about Treepad is that to open the URLs you save in it, all you have to do is put your cursor anywhere in the URL and hit Ctrl H and voila, the url opens in your default browser …
I use Treepad every day. It’s great for blogging, especially if you have several blogs, and you can keep your Technorati tag codes, your Feedburner details and everything else you need in there too. If you give it a try, you will soon get your own method of using it to suit your needs. Quite frankly, I don’t know what I’d do without it.
