Why Automation is the Key to Online Wealth
A few weeks ago I received an email from a young lady. In this email she asked me what I considered to be the most important part of my business, and what specifically enabled me to make as much money as I did, as easily as I did...
Now this was an interesting email and it got me thinking...
What was the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT factor in my business that enabled me to make the huge sums of money that I did?
Was it down to the market that I chose to enter? Was this the most important aspect of my business?
Or what about advertising and marketing; was this the most important factor in my ability to make money online?
I considered every single part of my business and discounted them one by one...
My websites... my sales letters... my joint venture partners... Yes, they were all hugely important, but could any of these individual components be described as the most important aspect of my business, and the main reason why I was able to make so much money online?
The answer was no, they were not.
So what was?
Well, to be completely honest with you, it didnt take me very long to realise what the answer to this question was, and no doubt youve probably worked it out yourself by now as well.
Thats right, youve got it!
The single most important aspect of my entire business is AUTOMATION...
Without doubt, the use of auto-responders is absolutely crucial to the success and income potential of any online business.
Essentially, they enable you to promote your product to hundreds and thousands of customers in an instant... and then deliver it immediately, without having to do ANYTHING yourself.
They can also function as your secretary, answering emails and confirming orders, enabling you to get on with the job of expanding your business and making more money!
You see, once you have a product at your disposal and a list of customers to promote it to, everything else can be done by your auto-responders...
Here are some of the many ways in which auto-responders can boost your business:
1) Email Marketing Campaign
Using auto-responders as part of an email marketing campaign is one of the most efficient methods of building a list and selling products.
Let me explain how this works...
Once your prospects have visited your squeeze page (data capture page) and signed up for your free email course, e-book, newsletter etc, you can then start promoting your product to every single email address that youve managed to collect...
This is whats known as an email marketing campaign, and its the AUTO-RESPONDER that will allow you to deliver this content quickly, easily and effectively...
Studies have shown that it takes between 6-7 follow-up emails before a customer actually makes a purchase, so auto-responders are absolutely crucial to your business.
You obviously cant send all of these emails manually, to each and every prospect that gives you their contact details. That would be incredibly time-consuming and virtually impossible. Instead, an auto-responder service enables you to write something once and then program its delivery, so its sent out to prospects whenever you want it to be, without you actually having to do anything further.
There are a variety of auto-responder services available online and Id recommend that you have a good look around before you sign up to any single provider...
However, through my experience Ive found the following three providers to be the best:
* aweber.com
* getresponse.com
* 1shoppingcart.com
So, once youve started collecting leads via your squeeze pages, its time to send out your free email course, newsletter, e-book etc, using one of the above auto-responder services.
All you need to do is program the time-scale and then set up the automated first-name field which personalizes each email, such as Hello [Brian], for example (your auto-responder service will show you how to do this).
Therefore, when someone signs up for your course through your squeeze page, your auto-responder is programmed to send out the first email immediately, and automatically plug-in the first name of the prospect that has signed up.
The first piece of correspondence would normally be a welcome email, thanking the prospect for subscribing.
Your second email could then be programmed to arrive in their inbox one or two days afterwards, your third email two days after that and so on.
All the while youre giving these people helpful information and consequently building a positive relationship, increasing the chances of an eventual sale.
2) Customer Service
Another huge benefit of using auto-responders is that they can literally deal with ALL of your customer service issues!
When I first started my business back in 2005 I replied to virtually every email that was sent to me. I answered questions, confirmed orders, informed the customer when to expect their delivery, etc. But thanks to auto-responders, all of this is now done for me!
i) Order Confirmation
Due to the increase in online fraud, customers nowadays appreciate (and even expect) confirmation of their order almost immediately, as it reassures them that everything is fine.
To achieve this end you can set up an auto-responder email that immediately confirms youve received a customers order and lets them know that its being dealt with. All of the major auto-responder services will have this facility.
Not only does this practice make your business appear reliable and professional, it also limits the potential for follow-up emails or phone calls from customers worried about their order.
ii) Shipping Confirmation
This is important for the same reasons as above, but naturally it would only be required when selling physical products...
If a customer hears nothing about their order and are unsure when they will receive it, theyre more likely to pick up the phone or send an email to check up on it, subsequently INCREASING the amount of administrative work for you.
To reduce the potential for this, you can set up an auto-responder that emails the customer as soon as their order has been shipped. Again, any of the major auto-responder services will possess this facility.
iii) Order Fulfilment
If your business sells downloadable products such as e-books or computer software for example, you can again set up an auto-responder to fulfil the orders.
As soon as a customers order has been confirmed, an email can be sent immediately (and automatically) to the email address they have given, providing a link from where they can download their purchase.
Alternatively, an auto-responder could send a website address and login details that allows the buyer to access exclusive content. This is what I do for my own membership sites, like the AIS Home Study Course.
Hows that for easy money?!
Once the customer purchases the product, the auto-responders kick-in and deliver everything they need to get started.
And whats more, I have a rebilling system in place with 1shoppingcart which automatically debits the customers account each month and unlocks the next months reports. I dont have to do anything at all!
iv) FAQ Page
If you dont want to be bogged down answering customers queries about your products all day long (and believe me, you dont!) its vital that you set up an FAQ page (Frequently Asked Questions).
When I first started out, I would spend hours of my day sat at my desk replying to email queries, and it didnt take me long to figure out that the same queries would be repeated over and over again...
So I compiled a Frequently Asked Questions page to do the job that I didnt have time to do myself. If the question wasnt answered by the FAQs, I
Now this was an interesting email and it got me thinking...
What was the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT factor in my business that enabled me to make the huge sums of money that I did?
Was it down to the market that I chose to enter? Was this the most important aspect of my business?
Or what about advertising and marketing; was this the most important factor in my ability to make money online?
I considered every single part of my business and discounted them one by one...
My websites... my sales letters... my joint venture partners... Yes, they were all hugely important, but could any of these individual components be described as the most important aspect of my business, and the main reason why I was able to make so much money online?
The answer was no, they were not.
So what was?
Well, to be completely honest with you, it didnt take me very long to realise what the answer to this question was, and no doubt youve probably worked it out yourself by now as well.
Thats right, youve got it!
The single most important aspect of my entire business is AUTOMATION...
Without doubt, the use of auto-responders is absolutely crucial to the success and income potential of any online business.
Essentially, they enable you to promote your product to hundreds and thousands of customers in an instant... and then deliver it immediately, without having to do ANYTHING yourself.
They can also function as your secretary, answering emails and confirming orders, enabling you to get on with the job of expanding your business and making more money!
You see, once you have a product at your disposal and a list of customers to promote it to, everything else can be done by your auto-responders...
Here are some of the many ways in which auto-responders can boost your business:
1) Email Marketing Campaign
Using auto-responders as part of an email marketing campaign is one of the most efficient methods of building a list and selling products.
Let me explain how this works...
Once your prospects have visited your squeeze page (data capture page) and signed up for your free email course, e-book, newsletter etc, you can then start promoting your product to every single email address that youve managed to collect...
This is whats known as an email marketing campaign, and its the AUTO-RESPONDER that will allow you to deliver this content quickly, easily and effectively...
Studies have shown that it takes between 6-7 follow-up emails before a customer actually makes a purchase, so auto-responders are absolutely crucial to your business.
You obviously cant send all of these emails manually, to each and every prospect that gives you their contact details. That would be incredibly time-consuming and virtually impossible. Instead, an auto-responder service enables you to write something once and then program its delivery, so its sent out to prospects whenever you want it to be, without you actually having to do anything further.
There are a variety of auto-responder services available online and Id recommend that you have a good look around before you sign up to any single provider...
However, through my experience Ive found the following three providers to be the best:
* aweber.com
* getresponse.com
* 1shoppingcart.com
So, once youve started collecting leads via your squeeze pages, its time to send out your free email course, newsletter, e-book etc, using one of the above auto-responder services.
All you need to do is program the time-scale and then set up the automated first-name field which personalizes each email, such as Hello [Brian], for example (your auto-responder service will show you how to do this).
Therefore, when someone signs up for your course through your squeeze page, your auto-responder is programmed to send out the first email immediately, and automatically plug-in the first name of the prospect that has signed up.
The first piece of correspondence would normally be a welcome email, thanking the prospect for subscribing.
Your second email could then be programmed to arrive in their inbox one or two days afterwards, your third email two days after that and so on.
All the while youre giving these people helpful information and consequently building a positive relationship, increasing the chances of an eventual sale.
2) Customer Service
Another huge benefit of using auto-responders is that they can literally deal with ALL of your customer service issues!
When I first started my business back in 2005 I replied to virtually every email that was sent to me. I answered questions, confirmed orders, informed the customer when to expect their delivery, etc. But thanks to auto-responders, all of this is now done for me!
i) Order Confirmation
Due to the increase in online fraud, customers nowadays appreciate (and even expect) confirmation of their order almost immediately, as it reassures them that everything is fine.
To achieve this end you can set up an auto-responder email that immediately confirms youve received a customers order and lets them know that its being dealt with. All of the major auto-responder services will have this facility.
Not only does this practice make your business appear reliable and professional, it also limits the potential for follow-up emails or phone calls from customers worried about their order.
ii) Shipping Confirmation
This is important for the same reasons as above, but naturally it would only be required when selling physical products...
If a customer hears nothing about their order and are unsure when they will receive it, theyre more likely to pick up the phone or send an email to check up on it, subsequently INCREASING the amount of administrative work for you.
To reduce the potential for this, you can set up an auto-responder that emails the customer as soon as their order has been shipped. Again, any of the major auto-responder services will possess this facility.
iii) Order Fulfilment
If your business sells downloadable products such as e-books or computer software for example, you can again set up an auto-responder to fulfil the orders.
As soon as a customers order has been confirmed, an email can be sent immediately (and automatically) to the email address they have given, providing a link from where they can download their purchase.
Alternatively, an auto-responder could send a website address and login details that allows the buyer to access exclusive content. This is what I do for my own membership sites, like the AIS Home Study Course.
Hows that for easy money?!
Once the customer purchases the product, the auto-responders kick-in and deliver everything they need to get started.
And whats more, I have a rebilling system in place with 1shoppingcart which automatically debits the customers account each month and unlocks the next months reports. I dont have to do anything at all!
iv) FAQ Page
If you dont want to be bogged down answering customers queries about your products all day long (and believe me, you dont!) its vital that you set up an FAQ page (Frequently Asked Questions).
When I first started out, I would spend hours of my day sat at my desk replying to email queries, and it didnt take me long to figure out that the same queries would be repeated over and over again...
So I compiled a Frequently Asked Questions page to do the job that I didnt have time to do myself. If the question wasnt answered by the FAQs, I
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