Autoresponder types
There are three different types of Autoresponders depending on where they are hosted ie hosted on your desktop, hosted on your server (locally hosted), or hosted remotely (someone else’s server or website). The first two remain under your control but if remotely hosted it is usually via an autoresponder service to which you subscribe.
Remotely hosted autoresponders are web based programs whilst desktop or locally hosted autoresponders tend to be scripts or programs that run through your computer or personal server.
A primary function of autoresponders is as an automatic responder to incoming emails. They are useful for both new contacts and existing clients.
For new contacts, you decide what information you would like to get from visitors, subscribers etc on your web site and design an autoresponder form with the relevant information which goes onto your website. When someone fills in the form it triggers an email to your autoresponder which can then perform various functions depending on how it is set up.
The simplest response is a single email. Alternatively it could respond with a sequence of messages at scheduled intervals. These are known as sequential autoresponders.
With existing contacts there is often a need to send out a variety of pre determined messages through email to subscribers on your mailing list. You might have a specific need for a type of autoresponder that can use a future date (eg an upcoming event date) as the base point for scheduling emails. You might want to prepare the autoresponder scripts now but schedule the messaging to start some time in the future.
With remotely hosted autoresponders access is online via a control panel from any computer connected to the internet. Your autoresponder address is given to you and will resemble the providers link rather than your domain name. There is no initial software or script installation required at your end or basic database maintenance. Subscription fees are ongoing and normally based on volume. You rent the service rather than own the software. As with any service you are at the discretion of the provider whose terms and conditions can change. Changing providers once you have a significant client database can be a major headache with opt-in requirements for permission marketing. Re-asking permission from your contacts whom you have already asked first to subscribe and then to confirm their subscriptions is a sure way to lose a large number of them.
Locally Hosted Autoresponders and Desktop Based Autoresponder require local installation of the script or software. While both require some technical knowledge to set up, PC based autoresponder software is generally simpler to install. If you have set up email accounts in eg Outlook Express or with your web hosting service you should have no problems setting up a desktop based autoresponder. If the autoresponder is script based there might be some customizing of the script required to meet your needs. There could also be some limitations to the number of domains that can be included or the number of computers on which the software can be installed.
Auto responder services may have greater mail server
capability than locally hosted autoresponders but cost far more
and the costs grow as you mailing list grows.
The only possible limitations with the stand-alone email marketing software, beyond the software’s limitation are your e-mail server rules concerning e.g. batch volume.