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The Cost of an Autoresponder

by Mike Hill
11 replies
Let me pose a question to you...

Do you think the cost of running a private autoresponder script on your own server is cheaper in the long run than using aWeber or any other professional autoresponder service?

Well, some might think so but here's some food for thought if you are considering one option or the other.

NOTE: I have used both ways and at the end I'll share with you which one I prefer from my own experiences!

The first and most obvious advantage of having your own autoresponder software is that you don't have to pay those pesky monthly fees.

Secondly, you can do whatever you want with the data, import users at will and choose not to use double opt-in.

Of course there are disadvantages to hosting your own autoresponder which include keeping up with all the bounced emails and spam complaints as well as keeping off those "Black Lists"...

If your sending emails at any great volume then your web host may not like the fact you are sending so many and decide to shut you down and possibly consider you a potential spammer.

The advantages of using a monthly autoresponder service is that all of the maintenance is done for you like bounced emails. Sending emails list-wide are no problem and you won't have to worry about your own server going down due to volume.

Personally, I will always use a monthly paid-for service because the low cost every month is nothing compared to me having to maintain my lists if it were on my own server.

At the end of the day hosting your own autoresponder on your own server just to get away from monthly fees is actually costing you more money in the long run because of all the maintenance you'll have to do as your lists grow.

You don't want your domain "Black Listed" as a potential spam location so keeping on top of bounced emails and spam complaints (everyone gets them) is almost a full time gig when your lists get into the thousands...

Just some food for thought...

Mike Hill
#aweber #cost
  • Profile picture of the author Brad Spencer
    Honestly,

    I can't see why anyone would ever run their own. Wasted work and effort and the "freedom" isn't worth it. You can run Single Opt-in on aweber now and they are always improving things.

    Their customer support is great in my opinion so I can't knock them at all

    Cheers,

    Brad Spencer
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  • Profile picture of the author James Foster
    $20 a month is a steal compared to the time and headaches you are avoiding.
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  • Profile picture of the author Neil Morgan
    I'm biased of course, but threads like this often infer that practises which would get your own domain blacklisted somehow don't matter when you use a hosted service.

    Or that hosted services somehow magically make issues about spam complaints disappear so that you don't have to worry about them.

    Hosted services monitor spam complaints from your mailings VERY carefully. They have to - they have tens of thousands of users to worry about.

    Which of course is not always going to help you because a hosted service can terminate your account as quickly as any webhost, for example, if you fall foul of their complaints limits. Hopefully they'll let you download your data first!

    There are many reasons for using a hosted service and many reasons for using your own. I could list a huge number of web business that host their own autoresponder and have none of the problems that are often mentioned just as a hosted service could do exactly the same.

    Like everything in life, it's horses for courses. There's simply no such thing as "one size fits all" when it comes to email marketing.

    Cheers,

    Neil
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    Easy email marketing automation without moving your lists.

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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
      Originally Posted by Neil Morgan View Post

      I'm biased of course, but threads like this often infer that practises which would get your own domain blacklisted somehow don't matter when you use a hosted service.

      Or that hosted services somehow magically make issues about spam complaints disappear so that you don't have to worry about them.
      I didn't infer using a service would let people totally off the hook but it does save you time from having to call the SERP's yourself if one of your domains happens to get on a blacklist.

      Incidentally, just because you get on a blacklist doesn't necessarily mean you did anything wrong. All I'm saying is for $20 a month let someone else handle that.

      Of course you still have to be a responsible email marketer no matter what...


      Hosted services monitor spam complaints from your mailings VERY carefully. They have to - they have tens of thousands of users to worry about.

      Which of course is not always going to help you because a hosted service can terminate your account as quickly as any webhost, for example, if you fall foul of their complaints limits. Hopefully they'll let you download your data first!
      Nice scare tactic... Although it would take quite a few complaints and a ton of warnings before this would happen at a professional company. Again, you have to be responsible as well and that's why it's so important to build a highly targeted list.

      When you do that they are less likely to fire off complaints for no good reason.

      There are many reasons for using a hosted service and many reasons for using your own. I could list a huge number of web business that host their own autoresponder and have none of the problems that are often mentioned just as a hosted service could do exactly the same.
      Yes there are probably a lot of examples like that but that being said I'd rather pay my fees every month and let them handle all the little stuff I haven't got time to do. it would cost way more to hire a person to manage your own list for you.

      Like everything in life, it's horses for courses. There's simply no such thing as "one size fits all" when it comes to email marketing.
      Yes you're right about that... it all comes down to personal preference. I have tried both ways and I can't find an easier solution than a professional autoresponder service with monthly fees.

      Mike Hill
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  • Profile picture of the author AtomicFlipper
    I have run my own autoresponder for 3 years now, and have never spent more than 30 minutes in that time.

    I run it directly from the maintenance computer in the office, and it emails the recipients directly, so no limits.
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    • Profile picture of the author Rod Cortez
      Originally Posted by AtomicFlipper View Post

      I have run my own autoresponder for 3 years now, and have never spent more than 30 minutes in that time.

      I run it directly from the maintenance computer in the office, and it emails the recipients directly, so no limits.
      I'm curious how you track deliverability, especially over the long haul. I'm asking because in every single test I've conducted since 2002 when I used a professional service versus hosting my own, the self-hosted solution had less and less deliverability over time, simply because I'm not an autoresponder professional, nor do I know 1/2 of 1% of what it really takes to ensure high delivery rates.

      In one test, after sending out e-mails to a list of approx 25,000 opt-ins, after 6 months the self-hosted solution had a 68% delivery rate while the professional service had an 89%; the difference in profits were staggering. I can see in certain situations where a self-hosted solution might make sense, but generally speaking (and millions of e-mails later), going with a professional service is far superior in the long run. Of course, you should always back up your list and not depend on the service to do that for you.
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      • Profile picture of the author AtomicFlipper
        Originally Posted by Rod Cortez View Post

        I'm curious how you track deliverability, especially over the long haul. I'm asking because in every single test I've conducted since 2002 when I used a professional service versus hosting my own, the self-hosted solution had less and less deliverability over time, simply because I'm not an autoresponder professional, nor do I know 1/2 of 1% of what it really takes to ensure high delivery rates.

        In one test, after sending out e-mails to a list of approx 25,000 opt-ins, after 6 months the self-hosted solution had a 68% delivery rate while the professional service had an 89%; the difference in profits were staggering. I can see in certain situations where a self-hosted solution might make sense, but generally speaking (and millions of e-mails later), going with a professional service is far superior in the long run. Of course, you should always back up your list and not depend on the service to do that for you.
        The software tracks it all for me, if the email address does not exist then it is told straight away when it comes to direct delivery.

        Load balancing is the key.
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  • Profile picture of the author NerdBoySEO
    I run both our own autoresponder for a list of 60000 members and that is no real problem. We are whitelisted on all their servers so we get 100% inboxing for them. But for other normal 'opt-in' type mail lists I use things like aweber, because it is just easier for the $20.
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    • Profile picture of the author lharding
      I think for people starting out with a low budget, running your own may be cost effective. Speaking from personal experience, I run my own simply because I can't afford $20 per month (having just had to sell my wife's car to pay some money off the credit cards... yes, we're at that stage in the business where we've spent loads and got absolutely nothing back).

      Anyway sob story over, yes paying for the service is always better, who wants to faff with autoresponders every day, but some of us just don't have that luxury yet.

      By the way, I also use a free autoresponder that you install on your own server check out (infinite.ibasics.biz). It's not perfect, but it allows me to at least continue to explore the world of IM even though I'm broke.

      Cheers, Lee.
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      Lee Harding
      The Architect
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  • Profile picture of the author Neil Morgan
    Hi Lee

    Sent you a PM.

    Cheers,

    Neil
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    Easy email marketing automation without moving your lists.

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  • Profile picture of the author whseo99
    i got reading this thread and found phplist on my fantastico, does anyone use it? or what do you guys use?
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