In this article, we will look at the following issues: 1. What is a remotely-hosted autoresponder?
2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a remotely-hosted autoresponder.
3. Leading brandnames in the market. A Remotely-Hosted Autoresponder A remotely hosted autoresponder means that your autoresponder will be hosted on and work from someone else's website rather than your own. These are web-based subscription services and the provider usually provides you with a HTML form and an email address (usually the provider's) for you to receive emails and to send follow-up messages. These autoresponders are usually written in Perl, PHP or ASP scripts and are installed on and run from a web server. The programs often require a database backend as well e.g., mySQL, SQL2000 or Postgres. This option is suitable for you if you do not have your own web space. This is ideal for beginners who has a fairly small subscriber list and do not require multiple autoresponders. Advantages & Disadvantages of Remotely-Hosted Autoresponders The main advantage of this type of service is they are very easy to set up and can be fairly reliable. There are many good services to choose from, some of them have been around for a number of years. The user does not need a script, a database or a web server. In other words, the services are host-independent i.e., there is no need to seek the permission of your web host to allow you to run any particular services on your site e.g., cgi access or mySQL. Users of these autoresponders are charged a monthly subscription fee (currently around $20 each month for each account). There is usually no initial cost involved. So the initial cost of using such a service may be lower than locally-hosted ones which require the purchase of a script or program up front. But if you need to run multiple autoresponders, the cost will add up quickly and soon exceed the cost of the locally-hosted ones. Another drawback is that they can be a bit inflexible with little room for customization. This is because the programs are not hosted on your site and you do not have access to them. However, remotely-hosted autoresponders usually have more features than the other types of autoresponders e.g., spam checker and list builder. So if you really need these features, you should consider using them. Leading Remotely-Hosted Autoresponders in the Market There are many of them currently available in the market. But not all of them have an established track record. Below are four remotely-hosted autoresponders. The first three are leading brandnames in the market, while the last is showing good potential. 1. Get Response
2. Aweber
3. Royal Responder
4. Email Aces It is important for you to compare their features and licensing conditions carefully as not all of them provide unlimited use of their autoresponders, or allow you to send unlimited follow-up messages and to have unlimited number of subscribers. |
