How to Boost Web Sales with an Auto-responder

Author: Loren Beckart

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.

Auto-responders - a definition: an auto-responder sends an
instant response via email when somebody makes a purchase
on-line, sends an email to a particular address, or fills
out a web site form. The auto-response might contain an
electronic receipt, an e-course, or information. Prospects
are gratified by immediately being given the information
they have asked for at a web site.

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 a good balance of information and marketing in the
auto-responder series? Depending on how the form is worded,
the visitors usually give their email address because they
want to receive targeted information, not advertisements.
First, earn their trust by delivering information that is
useful, specific, and interesting to read. Then, let them
know how your products and services might be of benefit to
them. A ratio of 75% information to 25% marketing is the
maximum, if you want people to keep opening the subsequent
emails in the series. Always remember, the visitor isn't
interested in what you want, but in what is in it for them.

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About the author :
Loren Beckart
http://www.ClickTracs.com
Consultant and author Loren Beckart, VP of Marketing at ClickTracs Advertising, offers additional articles and resources to help you promote your internet business.

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