The primary decision you’ll make in terms of autoresponders is whether you will choose a subscription based service, or software that you will host on your own server. I’ll go over some benefits and problems with each option, then I’ll reveal my verdict on which option you should go with.

Self-hosted Autoresponder Scripts

Benefits

One time cost- this is obviously a good thing because in the long run it ends up being less expensive than subscription based services. The price ranges from free to several hundred dollars.

No restrictions on imports- if you have an email list from another program or service, you can import the entire list at will. If you are switching autoresponder programs this is a huge benefit because you don’t have to worry about losing subscribers through a reconfirmation process.

Problems

Complex to install- If you are tech savvy, then maybe this isn’t an issue. But if you are like me and are not that comfortable with technology, installing a self hosted script can be complicated. To be fair though, you can just hire someone to do it for you.

Limited deliverability- some web host servers will only allow you to end a limited amount of emails per hour, such as 500. If your list is really big, it might take a day or more to email your entire list. Most people only have a list of a few thousand people at most, so this wouldn’t be a huge problem for many people. But if there is a time sensitive email you need to send, it can be a big problem. And if your list is really big, it can be a huge problem. Who wants to wait days for all of their emails to be sent?

Domain Blacklist concerns- If your build a list and subscribers are too quick to press the spam button, your domain could be put on a blacklist for spamming. So you deliverability can become extremely poor because of this.

Subscription Based Autoresponder Services

Benefits

Easy to use- you don’t have to worry about complex installations. Obviously, this makes your life a whole lost easier.

Safe – you don’t have to worry about domain blacklisting because the email autoresponder services have personal relationships with Internet Service Providers to significantly increase the odds that blacklisting doesn’t happen.

Unlimited list size- you can deliver to a large list immediately, no matter how large the list.

Reliable ongoing customer service- assuming you have a reputable autoresponder company, you can count on having ongoing customer support as long as you subscribe for any issues you have. There is a learning curve with these autoresponders, so having dedicated customer support is a big plus that can’t be underestimated.

Problems

Restrictive- you will have problems with some services if you want to import a list from another source.

Expensive- sliding scale of costs, so for some, the bigger the list, the more the monthly costs

What’s the Final Verdict?

After weighing all of the negatives and positives, it is a no brainer to get a subscription service. Sure, it will cost you more money, but you can’t expect to run a business for free. If you can’t afford $20 bucks a month for an autoresponder service, that’s a problem. Most people can spare that much cash. And if you are serious about an Internet business, you absolutely need to.

The biggest benefit is the deliverability. If your emails aren’t getting delivered, you can’t make money from your list. So clearly, you need to maximize the odds that your email will be delivered.

There are a number of email autoresponder services available. The industry standards for Internet marketers are Aweber and Get Response. Both work fine. Aweber gets better reviews overall though from my experience. And the most successful email marketers typically use it. So there is no need to reinvent the wheel. You can get an Aweber subscription by clicking here, and start building your list today.

Unfortunately for those who want an easy way out, there isn’t one.  You absolutely need to invest in an email autoresponder service.  There isn’t any way around it.  You won’t find any successful Internet marketer who doesn’t have one.  If the money is in the list as they say (and they are right), then an auto-responder is essential to communicate with your list.

Now that you have decided to get an email autoresponder service, which should you use?  Most agree that the best on the market is Aweber.  Sure, there are others, but you should just stick with the industry standard and the one most trusted or its reliability.  It only costs $19 a month to get started.  If you aren’t willing to invest $19 a month to build your business, then quit while your ahead and just keep your day job.