Two decade ago, autoresponders were mainly a stand-alone software program. This was also back in the days when websites were primarily an online catalog with very little interactivity. Today, the autoresponder functionality is usually built into the website structure itself. We include this discussion on autoresponders because the same marketing principles apply to today's digital version.
A Little Marketing History
Three decades ago, the marketing community was using this same principles with fax-on-demand. You would call a certain number from a fax machine, enter a code, and it would fax you back the information that you wanted. It saved countless hours for customer support and technical support departments, because their customers and prospective clients could easily retrieve the information they needed 24 hours a day -- automatically. (Today, companies just include a Question and Answer section on their websites.)
When so many people started using email, it was a natural transition that this system of sending automated information would also be used. Email autoresponders evolved beyond simple information dissemination, however. Used properly, they provided the equivalent of an entire sales force out there marketing products and supporting customers.
Autoresponders were one of the main tools that provided the small businessman working in his home office the capability of building a customer base than extended around the entire world. But like anything else, this tool had to be used properly or you'd just be wasting your time and you can actually do more harm than good.
Basic Autoresponders
There are two types of autoresponders. The first is the basic autoresponder. When you send an e-mail to a certain e-mail address, it will instantly send you back a response that you have pre-written.
Basic Autoresponders were used in two primary ways. The first is built into most of the current e-mail server programs. It is used primarily to let the person who sent you an e-mail know that someone has changes, such as you no longer accept e-mail at this address, your e-mail address has changed, or maybe you are currently out on vacation and will get back to them when you return.
The other use for using a basic autoresponder is for very simple marketing. If your business puts out press releases or specific specification sheets for your products, this would be a great way to do it. It allows people to get the information they want without you answering every request.