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Single AutoResponder

A Single AutoResponder is a one-time automatic e-mail message that is sent to your visitor upon submission of its matching "Submit" form.

A single AutoResponder message generally has one of two purposes...

• Receipt -- Use the body of your message to quickly refresh your visitor's memory as to why s/he is receiving this e-mail, before providing a copy of the submitted information for his or her own records.
• Special "Thank you" -- Send a brief message to thank your visitor for his or her participation. You may want to include an invitation to return to your site again.

FBI! uses the Thank You page as a template. You can change any or all of its message to suit your particular situation.

Here's the process...

1) Set up your basic L&F.

2) Review/change three mail settings.

3) Build the main body of the AutoResponder.

4) Set up a receipt of information for the customer.

Tips

• If you use Windows, use Firefox to build your AutoResponder. Some SBIers have noted issues when trying to build an AR with Internet Explorer.
• Creating a Single AutoResponder message is very similar to building an e-zine in SBI!'s Mailout Manager. So if you're already publishing your own newsletter, the learning curve will be minimal.
• Identify your Most Wanted Response before you begin so that you know what and how you want to communicate.
• Keep the communication as brief and professional as possible.

Design the Look & Feel of Your Message

The Look & Feel section sets up the way your AutoResponder e-mail will look when it arrives in HTML format. Your e-mail, looking more like "mail" and less like your regular Web page, will have a sort of "paper-on-a-background" style.

The net effect of the L&F should be one of "professional corporate stationery."

Tips

• If you're not sure what the "paper" and the background will look like, select a white foreground and a black background and then click on the "Preview Look and Feel of this E-mail" button. Change the colors until you find a combination you like.

• The logo of your AutoResponder message will appear at the top of your e-mail. Keep it simple and conservative, 500 pixels wide exactly. There are two building options...

  1) Use your own software (ex., PhotoShop). There's no Upload button here because the graphic will be uploaded automatically when you finish creating this e-mail. Just click the "Browse" button ("Choose File" in Safari) and navigate to your AutoResponder's logo in your computer. Then click "OK" ("Choose" in Safari) to confirm your selection.

  2) Use FBI!'s logo tool. Enter the text you want on your logo and then style it according to your preferences.

• If you do both of the above building options, your typed logo text will take precedence over your uploaded graphic.

Check/Change Three Mail Settings

These settings are important communication components...

• Subject -- Enter the subject of this AutoResponder message. Keep a consistent format for all of your AutoResponder messages (whether these are follow up messages or messages for a different campaign).

  A good e-mail subject identifies the message and coaxes your subscriber into opening and reading... instead of deleting.

• Reply-to Address -- Enter the address that should appear as the reply-to address for this AutoResponder. When people click on the "Reply to" button for this e-mail, replies will go to this address. Enter whatever you like.

  You must have a reply-to. If you do not enter one, the name of this AutoResponder will automatically be inserted.

  The reply-to must end in "@" your domain name. This is to keep spammers from "spoofing" addresses.

• Salutation -- In general, salutations are best used if you're writing a letter. They're not generally used in AutoResponders. However, if you have a good reason for using one, do so, provided that you've obtained your visitor's first name in the form that's associated with this message.

Tip

• Personalize your message by inserting this tag...

  <<FIRSTNAME>>

  The <<FIRSTNAME>> tag allows you to customize each e-mail for each specific subscriber. It's a great way to build rapport/familiarity with your visitors and increase the e-mail's open rate.

  Whenever you paste the <<FIRSTNAME>> tag into a text entry box (ex., subject, salutation, text block or a text link block), AutoResponder Builder replaces that tag with a subscriber's first name.

  However, in order to use this tag effectively, you must first collect each visitor's first name through your form (i.e., your form has the "Use" and "Req." checkboxes selected for the First Name field). If you use the <<FIRSTNAME>> tag without having a visitor's first name, the AutoResponder Builder replaces it with a blank.

Build the Main Body of Your AutoResponder

Now that you have the "big picture," it's time to stack blocks. Ready to begin? Let's go...

AutoResponder Headline Block

Always start your AutoResponder e-mail with a headline. Your "top-of-the-e-mail" headline is the first thing that people will see as they preview your message in their mail software. So make it good! Draw them into the rest of your e-mail... and into what you have to say!

Tips

• Your AutoResponder message isn't archived, so there's no need to worry about pleasing the Search Engine spiders.
• If your headline is longer than one line, "break it" so that the two (or more) lines are about equal length, especially if you choose the "centered" alignment. You cannot do this with a Line Break block; it has to be done with HTML code. Insert a single line break by typing in the <br> tag wherever you want to break the headline.

AutoResponder Text Block

Provide your visitor with the relevant information as efficiently as possible... short and sweet. Unless your visitors are expecting a lengthy discourse from you, it's best not to impose upon their time. So...

Thank your visitor, provide expected information, and "say good-bye."

• For example..."Thank you very much for your reservation request. We look forward to greeting you at our bed & breakfast."
• Or... "Thank you very much for participating in our online poll. Here are the results tallied so far."
• You can also encourage visitors to return to your site, or to subscribe to your e-zine.
• Use active words to form short sentences.
• Use two or three sentences to build a short paragraph.

AutoResponder Text Link Block

Links belong right in the flow of the copy. Text links to other pages, other sites, your order page, etc., must flow naturally within the context of your e-mail.

Use links primarily to...

1) Entice contacts to return to your Web site for more information, related offers, a free download, or whatever is most relevant to this discussion.

2) Provide a click-through directly to an appropriate partner's products or services that you believe will deliver great value.

3) Encourage visitors to contact you directly for more information about the service or product you provide.

Tips

• Be tactful. And focus on your visitor's needs first. Monetization comes second.
• Since this e-mail is not archived, there's no need to worry about including your keywords in your link text. Just make sure your link text describes the final destination clearly.

AutoResponder E-mail Link Block

Want to encourage your new visitor to contact you? Add an e-mail link. Depending upon your business, this may be your #1 Most Wanted Response.

Suppose, for instance, you're using this e-mail to deliver more detailed information about the specialty service you offer. Provide some great information, and encourage them to take advantage of a one-on-one telephone consultation.

Anyone who supplies a phone number is a "warm" (pre-sold) prospect, interested in your service. Phone them back! Bingo -- the beginnings of a new client.

AutoResponder Graphics Block

Graphics do have their place in your messages. But use them sparingly -- graphics will increase the load-up time in your client's mail software. You don't want people to hit the delete button. Keep in mind...

Before you add a graphic, make sure it fits these specifications...

• It's small (under 20KB; 10KB is better).
• It adds to the content; it's not gratuitous.
• And it looks high-quality.

AutoResponder Divider Block

Dividers are useful for giving your e-mail's content some structure. They break it up into blocks, making a longer e-mail seem more "digestible" for your visitor.

Add a Headline block after a Divider Block if the e-mail is especially long -- it will introduce the major thought shift, and pull the reader ever more deeply into your page.

Tip

• Organize groups of paragraphs by Divider Blocks for maximum readability.

AutoResponder Line Break Block

Line breaks allow you to change the length of a line while keeping a paragraph together. Or use them to add more white space before a headline.

General Building Tips for the Main Body

• Try to put your most compelling info at the top of the message so you'll capture your visitor's interest even if she's only scrolling through her e-mail.
• When you have to write more than a few words, it's best to do it first in a plain text editor. Then copy-and-paste the content into the appropriate block. See this Tips and Techniques article for more on this.
• You can add HTML elements, such as bold or italics, to your AutoResponder message if you want. If you're not familiar with HTML, review this Tips and Techniques article for some simple formatting tags you can use.
• To prevent typos, copy-and-paste the URL when you enter a new URL. When you preview, test the link to make sure it goes where you want it to go.
• You can wrap text around graphics, both on the left and right. See the SiteBuilder section of DAY 6 of the Action Guide for details.
• The divider line that's created is rather plain. If you prefer to have a line with more character, create one using a graphics program or download from a clipart site (review the Design section of SBI! Resources). Upload that line-graphic into your Graphic Library. Then use the Graphic Block rather than the Divider Block.
• Use as few blocks as possible, especially if your bandwidth is slow or computer RAM or CPU is a bit low.
• As you build your page by adding blocks, the block-stacking page automatically loads to the bottom, showing you the last block, since that's usually where a new block would go. So if you inserted a block higher up on the page, scroll up to find it.

Special Additional Tips

• Do not add attachments to your e-mails. Viruses make them too dangerous. Most people do not open attachments they did not request, and many do not open the e-mails that carry them.
• If your AutoResponder message includes a link back to your Web site, or to some other promotion, measure the response to the link by creating a tracking link in the Tracker Library. Then use that link in your AutoResponder message.
• There is no "Analyze It!" button. AutoResponder messages are not archived or submitted to the Search Engines, so there's no need to optimize them.

Use Your AutoResponder as a Receipt

If your visitor submitted a registration, reservation or intent to order form, provide a receipt for his or her records.

Clicking "Yes" will insert all of your form data into this e-mail. Here is an example of how it looks...

If it's not important that your visitor have a receipt, select "No."

Preview and Test Your AutoResponder

Preview your e-mail at any time by clicking on the Preview and Test It! button. This will show you both the HTML version and the "text translation" (for those who still have mail software that cannot read HTML).

On that same page, send both the HTML and Text versions to yourself, as a test, before doing the full mailing. Be sure everything works as it should.

Review the two messages you receive. Check for typos, broken links, and readability. Everything OK? It's time to check its spam score.

SpamCheck It!

E-mail is a vital communication link between you and your visitor. SBI!'s SpamCheck It! module ensures you will never inadvertently be "flagged" as a spammer.

View your SpamCheck It! score. If your score is too high, edit your e-mail message until the score is low enough to be acceptable.

Then click on the Build It! button to do exactly that. This action saves your e-mail. When a visitor submits the form, it sets the sequence into motion.

Tips

• SBI! lends a helping hand by structuring the ending of each of your e-zines in such a way that you won't get "blacklisted."
• Avoid any of the "telltale" triggers such as excessive use of ALL CAPS in the subject line and message body of your e-mail, the use of words like "free," "sex," "XXX," "spam," "$$$," "checks," "money orders," etc., and excessive use of punctuation ("!!!").
• Include good triggers in the subject line by using words like "news," "newsletter," or "list," giving an indication of publishing frequency (weekly, daily, monthly, issue #1, etc.), and adding the date.
• Use your own common sense. You know what spam looks like. Do not make your AutoResponder e-mails look like spam.

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