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Use your own autoresponder

by Leatherman
12 replies
My small contribution to the warrior community.

In case you don't want to start out immediately with an autoresponder like Aweber etc., you can make your own small "responder" for free. Just paste this script into your website (I have put it in a widget).

<img src="http://www.xxxxxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/AGL_ebook_medium.jpg" />
<form action="http://www.bluehost.com/bluemail" enctype="multipart/form-data" method="POST">
Name: <input type="text" name="Name"><br>
Email: <input type="text" name="mailfrom"><br>
<input type="hidden" name="sendtoemail" value="ag@xxxxxxxx.com"><br>
<input type="submit" value="Send Email">
<input type="hidden" name="redirect" value="http://www.xxxxxxxx.com/files/Ebook.pdfl"
<input type="hidden" name="subject" value="ebook link">

</form>

Put your website name into the script and you will be able to collect email addresses.
It will look like this:

Your BlueMail form has been completed, following are the results:
Field Value
Name KatyWarriner
mailfrom katywarriner@xxx.com
subject ebook link
I'm in a small niche, where I collect some 50 addresses a month, for me this sill works and of course it's free. Maybe for the start or testing this might be helpful to somebody
Regards
Andre
#autoresponder
  • Profile picture of the author nmwf
    I'm sorry, but I don't think that would work for anyone. Looking at the code, I don't understand how it works even for you!
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    • Profile picture of the author unifiedac
      Originally Posted by nmwf View Post

      I'm sorry, but I don't think that would work for anyone. Looking at the code, I don't understand how it works even for you!
      This in fact would work. It's not really a true "autoresponder" but it does get the job done. Essentially someone completes the form and the results are sent to an email address. Once the form is submitted, the website redirects the user to the redirect URL, in this case a PDF file.

      Of course, this only works if you have a BlueMail account.

      Great little hack!
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      • Profile picture of the author Leatherman
        Originally Posted by unifiedac View Post

        This in fact would work. It's not really a true "autoresponder" but it does get the job done. Essentially someone completes the form and the results are sent to an email address. Once the form is submitted, the website redirects the user to the redirect URL, in this case a PDF file.

        Of course, this only works if you have a BlueMail account.

        Great little hack!
        Correct, I guess it should work with some other servers as well, even have not tried it out
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        • Profile picture of the author unifiedac
          Originally Posted by Leatherman View Post

          Correct, I guess it should work with some other servers as well, even have not tried it out
          It will only work with BlueMail since you are sending the form results to a BlueMail script. They most likely only allow internal users to use such a script. It may be better to use a basic mail script that works on any server. However, it's still a great idea.
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          • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
            Neat trick until your page lands on a few blackhat SEO spam lists.

            I landed on a few about 8 years ago, and I was getting over 100k emails per day. My host had to shut me down. I did manage to get my site back up, but that email address was useless.
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            • Profile picture of the author Leatherman
              Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

              Neat trick until your page lands on a few blackhat SEO spam lists.

              I landed on a few about 8 years ago, and I was getting over 100k emails per day. My host had to shut me down. I did manage to get my site back up, but that email address was useless.
              Sorry to hear that. Actually you can change the script to following:
              Instead of
              <input type="hidden" name="redirect" value="http://www.xxxxxxxx.com/files/Ebook.pdf"
              which know is directing automatically to the free ebook.pdf;
              change to
              <input type="hidden" name="redirect" value="http://www.xxxxxxxx.com/files/Ebook.html"
              <a href="http://www.xxx.com">Please click here for download</a>
              which now opens a new page and now you have manually to click and download (physical action is required, otherwise nothing will happen)

              I had it this way all the years and I recently only changed it. After your advice I think I will change it back.
              Anyhow, this is a free script given by bluemail and there a limitations to it. I'm not 100% sure, but bluemail allows only something like 100 mails a day and that in a certain time frame like so many mails per hours, minutes ectc. I'm not really not up to date, because I don't face any spam problems the last five years now.
              Like I said, it's a free script, it's certainly not truly professional, but it works and its free. I don't know other servers have the same service than bluemail, I guess their should, but who likes to try it out, it's certainly on your own risk
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  • Profile picture of the author selfdisciplineacademy
    You can get autoresponders for very cheap, and some are even..

    For FREE up until 1000 contacts.
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisBa
    IMO it's probably just better to start with the $1 aweber trial
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  • Profile picture of the author Mvalerie79
    I have looked into this as well and have not found any self hosted solutions that are dependable. Thank you for sharing the script
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  • Profile picture of the author icoachu
    Leatherman, thanks for this great suggestion.

    This is definitely a great way for new list builders to get started without spending money.

    With that said, I have some basic questions I'd like you to address.

    First, I'd like to know how easy it is to port or otherwise transfer emails from this system to an erover account.

    I'm sure a lot of people here would like to start out for free.

    However, once they start enjoying some sort of success with their websites, they'd like to move out to a more formal and specialized system.

    My second question is whether this approach will work with other hosts.

    You used a bluehost as an example.

    Will this work with hostgator or other hosting systems?

    If it only works with bluehost, its usefulness might be quite limited indeed.

    Once again, thanks for sharing this tip.

    I really like that you could included pictures of the ebook cover with this email collection box.
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    • Profile picture of the author Leatherman
      I have no idea if this works with attaching the image, but I will give it trial. The image below shows my wordpress widget in the left sidebar with the same script as above. No idea how this will look now, anyhow I can send you my site address via PM.

      SORRY I HAD TO DELETE THE IMAGE, IT WAS LOOKING HORRIBLE. SENT ME A PM, I WILL GIVE MY SITE!

      Now, actually I'm thinking it should work with other hosts as well. In Bluehost you can find this script in cpanel/ CGI -Center and I think that is in hostgator as well available. The script is much bigger in fact, you can add pin code, place, telephone, etc. I guess you just need to try out with some other hosts.
      Of course you need an email account for this script from the hoster, but since a few years I collect all my email accounts in gmail, because I feel more comfortable for my smartphone this way. In gmail, I do a search for "ebook" and there I will have them all listed up. After that you can put them in circles etc. as you like.
      What I really like about is that these emails are mine and I can do with that what I like. I don't need to do double opt in, no selling viagra, porn or weapons etc., I can do what I like with them. May be today it has changed, but a few years back, I guess it was Mailchimp - what a trouble of commitment for some shitty emails.
      Leatherman
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      • Profile picture of the author Leatherman
        SORRY, that image is total crape. Who likes, send me a PM, I will give you my site.
        Leatherman
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