It is beyond doubt that the ever reliable autoresponder has proven to be an essential piece of equipment within the toolbox of marketers and it look as if this is likely to remain the case. Nevertheless caution needs to be demonstrated when using this powerful tool especially in the Spam conscious market place of this day and age.



Autoresponders offer many degrees of product choices in various forms, the most simple of which can be found in the cPanel. In this instance it really only performs the basic task of answering an incoming email, by sending an automatic return communication which is easy to set up and proves to be a very useful tool.

Much more multifaceted adaptations can be found in what are known as paid third party autoresponder businesses. These companies present complex systems which carry out many more operations than just simply responding.

For example, they can save information to put together wide-ranging mailing lists. In connection with opt in forms on websites they provide form code software to allow a choice of single or double opt in registration to numerous lists.

Any number of delayed follow up messages whether to a full list or to a portion of a list can be sent in either text or html or both. They permit a specific list to be achieved or activated upon request. These are just some of the many features available right now with any autoresponder company of repute.

Another version of autoresponder comes in the form of software programs, bought outright and then set up on a domain. By using this method you can run a completely owned and controlled autoresponder.

The final form of autoresponder is the kind which is provided by some hosting companies as part and parcel of their hosting packages. These are usually full featured autoresponders competent in carrying out the most sophisticated functions.

The most potential danger to your wealth, as mentioned in the title of this article is found in either of the latter two types of autoresponders detailed above. Without doubt you will be aware of the main problems which have arisen in recent years due to Spam issues and you will surely be conscious of the fact that just one complaint or objection against you is likely to result in your internet service provider or your hosting account cancelled with immediate effect due to the fact that such hosting companies and ISP's have zero tolerance with regard to Spam complaints. Remember, you are guilty until proven otherwise in the majority of cases and more often than not the burden of proof will ultimately lie with you. This stance has to be taken because an objection to an individual will also affect several other people. How is this so, you may well ask?

The public in general do not know that these companies host accounts on servers. In simple terms, these servers literally bring up the websites that you browse for on your laptop or computer. Each server will normally have many hundreds of accounts and a dedicated IP address. The IP for that server will be blocked if a single complaint from any one of the accounts is received, and will shut down the server thus affecting all associated accounts.

When this happens the company then has to contact the official authorities to convince them that the offending account has been removed to enable the server IP to resume operating as before. This is time consuming and costs money.

Another fact not known to the general public is that many ISP's will block emails originating from companies with IP addresses which are suspected to be sending out huge amounts of email. This can be a substantial loss to your business if your autoresponder account is held on one of these IP addresses, as your mail will not be being delivered as you think, but will be simply bouncing.

However the third party paid autoresponder companies mentioned earlier exist solely to supply a reliable and problem free environment for your email lists. The personnel of these companies are extremely well trained in order to respond briskly and professionally to any complaints and get them dealt with as soon as possible. They are good at ensuring your emails are sent on time and they have the greatest rate of success at delivery.

So, in the worst case set of circumstances whilst using these services, if a complaint is received and your account is suspended as a result of the complaint, you would only lose your autoresponder account and not your valuable ISP or hosting account.

Consideration should be given to the loss of money incurred by your business by utilizing the wrong tools. By paying a low monthly amount to the paid autoresponder services you can have your emails delivered efficiently and also enjoy the benefits of peace of mind.