If you are doing any Internet Marketing at all, you have probably heard about how an autoresponder can help you improve your business. However if you are new to email marketing and using autoresponders you may not be sure what to look for.

Before you make a choice in which autoresponder to use, you should probably consider the following: a) are you going to install autoresponder software on your server, or b) are you going to use an autoresponder service.

There is a great difference between autoresponder software and an autoresponder service.The main difference being that autoresponder software normally needs to be installed on your server, whereas an autoresponder service is normally hosted on its own domain.

To purchase autoresponder software will normally be a once off amount and after purchasing the software you will have to install it on your own server. This could be a daunting task if you know nothing about installing scripts and you would probably have to hire someone to do the installation for you.

However, if you are au fait with installing scripts, it would probably be worth your while to buy the software. Owning the autoresponder software means that you have full control over it. You will also not have to pay monthly fees as is the case with autoresponder services.

Before you buy any autoresponder software, you should make sure that it has all the qualities that you will need. For instance does it track responses, will it tell you who opened and read the email, how many messages were sent out etc.

If you are new to the Internet though it would probably be a better choice to go with a quality autoresponder company. These services are normally quite easy to set up and understand and you don't need any technical know-how. They normally charge a monthly fee but a quality autoresponder service is really worth it. They offer a reliable service and many facilities that you won't find in a cheap service or software.

Of course, there are also free autoresponder services available if one does not have the budget for a paid service. However, the free services normally make their money by inserting advertisements in every mail that you send from their autoresponder. Your subscribers might find this annoying. The free services in all probability also might not have the facilities that you would have with a paid provider. It could be a good idea to try sign up for a free account just to familiarise yourself with how it works. That way you don't have to fork out any money, and you can learn how an autoresponder works without making to many mistakes.

If you are unsure of what kind of autoresponder to use, look for companies that offer a trial. By using the trial period, you will then be able to establish whether you like the service or not.