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Not Skimping On an Autoresponder

by Trivum
16 replies
I have a client that wants to skimp on his autoresponder and go with some free version that might work through WordPress.

Every time I get him on board with something (like developing an email list and sending content to his list), he throws a wrench in it by coming up with some hair-brained idea. I then spend the next two or three days talking him out of his hair-brained idea.

He's now done this with the idea of an autoresponder email service like GetResponse or Aweber. As I said, he wants to try to go the free route.

So I'm wondering if anyone knows of a good blog article or something else that makes a good case for not going the free route. I'm getting tired of writing him long emails trying to talk him off the latest ledge he's gotten himself on, and I'd like to just point him to a well-reasoned, authoritative argument against it. (Maybe even with a nice disaster story included.)

Anyone know of something like that?

*Please don't suggest dropping him as a client. For various reasons too complicated to go into here, that's not an option.
#autoresponder #skimping
  • Profile picture of the author discrat
    Originally Posted by Trivum View Post

    I have a client that wants to skimp on his autoresponder and go with some free version that might work through WordPress.

    Every time I get him on board with something (like developing an email list and sending content to his list), he throws a wrench in it by coming up with some hair-brained idea. I then spend the next two or three days talking him out of his hair-brained idea.

    He's now done this with the idea of an autoresponder email service like GetResponse or Aweber. As I said, he wants to try to go the free route.

    So I'm wondering if anyone knows of a good blog article or something else that makes a good case for not going the free route. I'm getting tired of writing him long emails trying to talk him off the latest ledge he's gotten himself on, and I'd like to just point him to a well-reasoned, authoritative argument against it. (Maybe even with a nice disaster story included.)

    Anyone know of something like that?

    *Please don't suggest dropping him as a client. For various reasons too complicated to go into here, that's not an option.
    Tell him the Professionals over there yonder at the World renown Warrior Forum demand that he quit this silly nonsense and pony up the measly monthly fee with a Service like Aweber or Getresponse that will take his business to the next level

    You can personally let him know that one of it's esteem members, discrat, sent you :>)



    - Robert Andrew
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by discrat View Post

      Tell him the Professionals over there yonder at the World renown Warrior Forum demand that he quit this silly nonsense and pony up the measly monthly fee with a Service like Aweber or Getresponse that will take his business to the next level

      You can personally let him know that one of it's esteem members, discrat, sent you :>)
      This.

      And you can tell him that "that Lexy" thinks that "that Discrat" and "that Teravel" and "that Michael" (at least two of whom make parts of their living giving respected professional advice on this exact subject) have even understated the downside, if anything.

      My take on this is that it causes a long-term problem in terms of "opportunity-cost", as it were: he'll be left with a list that, in reality, he'll never effectively be able to import into a "proper autoresponder" without losing a large proportion of the subscibers, and it's just a long-term problem he doesn't need, and one which is really easy to avoid! I think his suggestion is a really bad idea.

      Or show him the thread?


      .
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      • Profile picture of the author Ron C Farrow
        Here's a different view.

        I know nothing of the specific circumstances surrounding this client but from a personal perspective I have a problem with Aweber and Getresponse. Its nothing to do with the level of service or their platform.

        Its been discussed here on the forum before, the above only accept credit card payment. Some of us don't have a credit card, nor can we get one.

        I tried all the free autoresponders and, as to be expected, they were not much good.

        I have recently discovered Trafficwave which allows the user to pay by Paypal, so thanks to Jens Steyert's WSO I now have a workable Autoresponder.

        I might be way wide of the mark in this case but not being able to get a credit card is a big deal to some. Personally I'm too old to care what people think.
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        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by Ron C Farrow View Post

          not being able to get a credit card is a big deal to some.
          If you live in the UK, and can prove just your identity and your address, can you not get a pre-paid credit-card, without any credit checks at all (because they wouldn't be relevant) from one of the places listed on Uswitch? Prepaid cards - the facts about UK prepaid credit cards

          Originally Posted by Ron C Farrow View Post

          I'm too old to care what people think.
          And I'm perhaps too young.
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          • Profile picture of the author Ron C Farrow
            Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

            If you live in the UK, and can prove just your identity and your address, can you not get a pre-paid credit-card, without any credit checks at all (because they wouldn't be relevant) from one of the places listed on Uswitch? Prepaid cards - the facts about UK prepaid credit cards



            And I'm perhaps too young.
            Been there, tried that Alexa, unfortunately hardly anyone accepts prepaids for recurring payments.
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            • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
              Banned
              Originally Posted by Ron C Farrow View Post

              unfortunately hardly anyone accepts prepaids for recurring payments.
              Sorry, Ron. Thanks. There's a kind of logic, there. Yes, I've heard that said before, and had forgotten it.

              .
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  • Profile picture of the author Teravel
    Tell him the Professionals over there yonder at the World renown Warrior Forum demand that he quit this silly nonsense
    I don't think this would put you in a good position with your client, so I can't suggest it.

    As for realistic solutions, why not supply your client with a proper estimate. Sure, the paid service looks like a savings... But, since you have to spend hours setting up the framework before you can actually set up the responder emails, it means the client will have to pay for more labor.

    Instantly, that paid service for $10/month looks better than the $x,xxx initial setup cost of the free service.


    I'm getting tired of writing him long emails trying to talk him off the latest ledge he's gotten himself on
    If this is true, you may think about letting that client go. It's easier to get a new client than to spend countless unpaid hours trying to convince one client that something is or isn't good for their business.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Shook
      Just now, on my other screen, I am having a conversation with a website owner who wants me to guest post. He was trying to set me up a set of login credentials and then send them to me through WP.

      After 3 separate attempts to do this through WP and his host, he sent me my logins through Facebook IM.

      The deliverability rate is awful through WP. At least in my experience.
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  • Profile picture of the author DWaters
    As I started reading this thread my thought was that you should show your client this thread. I see it was mentioned above.

    Having one person after another saying it is a BAD idea to use a free autoresponder may help you. Of course Aweber and GetResponse are considered the best and there are some other good ones as well. I used to use Trafficewave and it was fine.
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  • Profile picture of the author gcbmark20
    Hi,

    Send him to this THREAD.

    Let him see all the comments and make him realize that YOU are here
    to HELP HIM.

    He has to see the light sooner or later or this is just going to COST
    dearly in the long run.
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  • Profile picture of the author onSubie
    What is his business and why don't you want to provide a free solution?

    There are many robust free solutions that are used by all different kinds of businesses.

    Most "free" services offer up to 1,000 or 5,000 contacts before fees kick in. If his funnel marketing grows to the point he needs to pay he should be getting enough leads/sales to justify the upgrade.

    Also, what ledge has he gotten himself onto?

    If we knew the problems he has it would be easier to suggest options.
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  • Profile picture of the author David Keith
    free solutions are not by themselves bad as long as their restrictions dont hamper your business.

    i use the free mailchimp plan with my bokeo account. Its rarely used and fine for that. And yes, I know the TOS of mailchimp.

    as far as wp self hosted solutions go, the biggest reason no go that route is cost and complexity odly enough.

    if you are just using the server to send the emails, you need atleast a vps or you will hit your email sending limits very very quickly with most any shared hosting account.

    getting a decent vps just to send email so you dont have to get a real AR account defeats the purpose pretty much. plus it complicates things.

    if you have a system where you can change the smtp then you are going to be paying far more per email sent than you would with aweber. the only exception would be if you have a huge list that you rarely email, but thats not likely.

    also, when you host the system, you are going to be spending all kinds of time, money,energy, and effort trying to increase your email marketing productivity only to realize the real thing thats costing you the most money is that your emails are not getting delivered because gmail and yahoo blocked your ip....good luck getting them on the phone to explain why they have made an error. lol
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    • Profile picture of the author mlpauling
      I use multiple paid services and I'm sure I am not the only one. I also have a self hosted auto responder that serves me well.


      Each has its pros and cons, but the most important thing is not putting "all your eggs in one basket." We can't control Aweber, GR or any other place that hosts are list. And they are.subject to all kinds of problems as we witnessed last year.


      Plus they can chose to shut you down for some reason. I for one prefer to be safe than sorry!
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  • Profile picture of the author AaronBurton
    At the wend of the day its up to the client. But if its going to mess with your workflow you probably want him to agree before you even start working.
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  • Profile picture of the author Trivum
    Thanks for the replies.

    Ended up explaining everything myself and convinced him to change his mind. (Again.)
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  • Profile picture of the author agoda73
    I have used a number of autoresponders in the past such as Aweber .. and they are good. The functionality works and that can't be disputed. Emails do end up in people's inbox. What gets my goat is the cost involved, especially when you have a larger list.
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