In order to build an e-mail list you need an autoresponder to handle the sending of e-mails to your list.
Do-it-yourself solutions
There are some do-it-yourself scripts out there but I don’t recommend them. When your e-mail list gets past a certain size, usually between 300 and 1,000, your web host may not allow you to send more e-mails.
You also need to make sure that your e-mails get delivered which can be a problem with some of the do-it-yourself scripts depending on your web host configuration.
You also want to insulate yourself from can-spam problems. (Learn more about can-spam)
Why I use Aweber
Aweber takes care of all of these issues for you.
They guarantee that 99% of your messages will be delivered. They have the server capability to handle lists sizes in the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands.
They allow you to track how many people are clicking on different links in your e-mail.
I understand that some of you feel that Aweber is too expensive.
How much money are you planning on making?
Before you run off and look for a free solution I want to ask, “How much money are you planning on making?”
Is your long-term goal $10 a month? Or $100 a month?
Or is your goal something like $10,000 a month?
This is a very important question because if your goal is only $10 a month then you better stop wasting your time and go find a hobby instead.
If your goal is $10,000 a month then building an e-mail list and letting Aweber be your autoresponder for $20 a month is a great way to go.
I don’t recommend that you pay for many things. In fact the only things to you should pay for are a good domain, web hosting, and an autoresponder.
The total cost for these 3 things works out to be about $30 a month.
If you want to make $10,000 a month then you need to be able to invest $30 a month to start your business.
A restaurant franchise will cost between $100,000 and $1,000,000
If you want to start a restaurant franchise (i.e. McDonald’s, Burger King, etc.) it will cost you between $100,000 and $1,000,000.
For most people this is an insane amount of money and not attainable.
But for $30 a month you can start an online business. I believe that almost everyone should be able to do this.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Nick, did you forget to put in the affiliate link? Or do I need new glasses?
Perhaps I should put an affiliate link in the post to Aweber. Thanks for reminding me.
I have used Mailchimp autoresponder and has been very good!! I would recommend it.
.-= Evelio 's last blog ..5 Alternatives to Dealing with a Collection on Your Credit Report =-.
Like Evelio, I use MailChimp as well. I once was a member of Aweber (and move all of my Aweber subscribers here), however, I'm of the belief that if you aren't: 1.) producing any income yet to cover the cost, 2.) your focus isn't to build a list or your list is relatively small, and 3.) you don't like to waste money, then going for free alternatives until you truly see the need for a more comprehensive autoresponder is certainly the way to go.
Too many IM newcomers complain of not breaking even, yet if you look at their expenses, they're paying for things they don't even know how to use yet (or have a use for), yet they don't even make $100 per month.
I agree that people should not spend money unnecessarily especially when they're starting out. But starting a business does take a little bit of money up front. I don't think $30 a month is asking too much to start a business that could make thousands or tens of thousand dollars every month.
If people cannot afford $30 a month they should just stop eating junk food. It really isn't that hard to save $30 a month and if you are building your list the right way you should be making that $30 back pretty quickly. I use and recommend Aweber as well.
.-= Cheap SEO's last blog ..Cheap SEO: Yes It Is Possible! =-.
Good point. $30 a month translates to $1 a day.
I've been playing with both MailChimp and Aweber. The former lest you get started for free with < 500 email addresses. I think one of these is the way to go, but finding formating the emails and creating nice templates the hardest job. I'm not inspired by MailChimps as yet frankly.
The main selling points for me are not getting listed as a spammer, and hence dealing with bounces or unsubscribes
Vote: Aweber
I started out with an old CGI script years ago, the NoMoDoMo E-Mail Subscription System
from bignosebird.com Just checked. it is still available.
More difficult to install than Aweber, but it is free and suitable for those who have to figure out if their project will earn money before they invest into an ESPs solution.
OTOH, I second Cheap SEOs opinion that it should be easy to save 1$ a day. It all depends on if you see a site as hobby or as a business.
I agree that an autoresponder is important in starting an online business. I always believe that to make money I have to spend money. Not necessarily a large amount but free things just won't cut it if I'm serious with my business.
.-= Self Help For Women's last blog ..The Linden Method Review =-.
Very true. It will take a small investment.
{ 2 trackbacks }