The Autoresponder....

Autoresponder---as defined in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia....
"An autoresponder is a program that automatically answers e-mails sent to it. Autoresponders can be very simple or quite complex. The first autoresponders were created within mail transfer agents that found they could not deliver an e-mail to a given address. These create bounce messages such as "your e-mail could not be delivered because...". Today's autoresponders need to be careful to not generate e-mail backscatter, which can result in the autoresponses being considered E-mail spam.
Autoresponders are often used as e-mail marketing tools, to immediately provide information to their prospective customers and then follow-up with them at preset time intervals. Such follow-up autoresponders can be divided into two categories:
* Outsourced ASP model — these autoresponders operate on the provider's infrastructure and are usually configurable via a web-based control panel. The customer pays a monthly usage fee. This is easiest to implement for the end-user.
* Server-side — enables users to install the autoresponder system on their own server. This requires technical skills.
Autoresponders are also incorporated into electronic mailing list software, to confirm subscriptions, unsubscriptions, posts, and other list activities."

If you use email, have a website or run an online business then you are probably familiar with autoresponders. Once you reach the point of trying to keep up with the mountains of email you receive, then you're ready to get an autoresponder to deal with it all for you. Put it all on autopilot!
Internet marketers use autoresponders to automate there business. It is a big part of the internet marketing 'arsenal'. They provide information that your prospective customer wants. People rarely buy on there first visit to a website. The autoresponder will record the Email addresses of every contact who requests information, and follow up on those 'opt in leads' on a schedule that you set and with any personal message you create. Many marketers offer free email courses via autoresponders. They give the marketer the ability to guarantee that the 'backend' sale will be made.
Ondemand email newsletters, free email courses, tracking of inquiries from places you advertise,organizing your opt in email list, a temporary vacation message...these are just a few of the many uses of an autoresponder. How you use your autoresponder is basically only limited by your own imagination.
One consideration when choosing your autoresponder is that most 'free' services will include an ad with every message your autoresponder sends out. Hosting your own autoresponder at your own domain is most likely the best way to go. Do a little research. Find what best fits your needs. A few can be found by entering "autoresponder" in the search box at the bottom of this page.