Automate Your Online Business

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AUTOMATE YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS They say that the average net surfer will wait only 10 - 15 seconds for a page to download...then, they will move on. So, how long do you think your prospects will wait for information on your product or service before they lose all interest? One of the most important factors of operating a successful online business is speed. How many times have you contacted a company only to receive their information days later, or not at all? The web has created the means by which information can be transmitted at the speed of light - so you must gear your business to react in that same way. Moreover, the web never closes, so neither can you. You must be open for business "24-7". So, how do you set up your business to cope with such demands from your customers? There are, of course, a few basic rules that you can follow, which might be considered good practice: 1) Try to answer your emails within 24 hours. 2) Use filters to "weed out" non-urgent messages. 3) If you cannot give an immediate answer, at least send an interim reply. 4) Use standard replies or templates. 5) If you can't do it yourself, get someone to do it for you. In fact, the secret lies in rule no 5. However, you don't get someONE, but someTHING to do the work for you. The key is in automating your customer responses - and you do this by using autoresponders. These are simply programs that send out and immediate, automated reply to anyone who mails them. So, how do you go about setting up your automated system? It couldn't be easier. First of all, you need to examine your outgoing mail. If there are messages that you are sending out on a regular basis, then this process can be managed by autoresponders. Examples of typical autoresponder messages are: - requests for standard product information, - acknowledgements of orders, - welcome or thank you letters, - subscriptions to newsletters or clubs, - and so on. Once you have decided which of your messages you wish to automate, you can set up your autoresponders accordingly. Furthermore, by using several autoresponders in tandem, you can also automate requests for additional information. For example, the first message on your autoresponder might include general information on your product range. However, if your prospects wanted further details on a specific item, they could be directed to another autoresponder address (within the text of the original message), which would send them the additional information - automatically. By developing your use of autoresponders, your first message could lead to the second, which in turn could lead to the third, the fourth, the fifth, and so on. Another useful feature of autoresponders is that you have the facility to send additional messages to the same prospect at given intervals. This is extremely useful for sending follow-up messages, reminders, and chasing sales leads. But, the best part is that all this is happening WITHOUT any interaction on your part! So, how do you obtain your autoresponders? There are various sites that offer free autoresponders, such as SendFree, GetResponse and FreeAutobot. All of them have their various merits. Look out for those that have no advertising and offer an alert message every time you receive an enquiry. An automated system is one of the most valuable tools that you can use to run your online business. Not only does it guarantee an immediate response to your customers, every minute of every day, but it also frees up your time so that you can concentrate on other activities. If you are not currently using autoresponders for your business, you could be losing not only customers, but in terms of productivity, you could also be losing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Autoresponders are your "silent sales force", and the best part is that you do not even have to be there to see that they are producing sales and profits for you! *************************************** Cas Amato, Internet Marketer, weaves his bit of the web at: http://www.roibot.com/w.cgi?R22292_Articles My Success Center offers multiple income streams - all from ONE site. For more information, email: ca123@bestbiz4u.net