There are benefits to either approach. And there are also clear disadvantages. Ultimately whether to host your own autoresponder software or to use a good third party service is a choice based on your individual objectives and situation.
Hosting Autoresponder Software On Your Domain
There are many autoresponder software programs you can purchase and then install on your site. Here a few pros and cons to consider with this approach.
The main benefits involved with hosting your own autoresponder software are control and freedom. You won’t have to abide by anyone else’s terms of service, and you’ll have complete flexibility in how you manage your software and the mailings lists you build.
As long as you’re using a dedicated server with no other sites, you won’t have to worry about being blacklisted for spam committed by other parties. And because you own the autoresponder software you can choose to import bulk leads and/or run single opt in campaigns, both of which are against the rules imposed by many third party autoresponder services.
On the downside, managing autoresponder software is no walk in the park. It’s important that you either have the technical know how to set up and maintain the program, or you are able to hire someone who does.
Since your autoresponder will be the backbone of your email marketing campaign, the last thing you want is for a problem to come up that you don’t know how to fix. And you should note that technical issues with the script are only one possible problem…
There is also the technical side of getting your emails past the spam filters of your recipients. And certainly the very real problem of being blacklisted after a false spam complaint should also be considered.
If a major ISP bans you, will you know how to talk to their representative and get back on the whitelist? And do you have a good working knowledge of how to get your email delivery system past the over aggressive filters used by AOL and other companies?
Third Party Autoresponder Software
There are a few good autoresponder services you can use a paid customer. These services use their own server networks to store your list and deliver your emails.
The upside of these services begins where the downside of hosting your own autoresponder software left off. When you leverage a qualified third party you not only get to rely on experienced professionals for managing your software and getting your messages past the spam filters, you also have a qualified team standing by to get you off the hook when someone files a false spam complaint against you!
In my opinion this is plenty of reason to go with a third party autoresponder service. But to be fair here is the downside of doing so:
Using any third party service binds you by someone else’s rules and terms. An autoresponder service might not allow you to import bulk leads, and may insist that you double opt all subscribers.
There may even be limitations placed on the kind of content you promote. However in most cases such limits only restrict things like drugs, porn, hate groups, etc.
Ultimately you will need to make your own decision based on which route will best serve your email marketing objectives. Whether you decide to host your own autoresponder software or rely on a good third party autoresponder service, the important thing is that have the key facts in front of you.
This article has presented you with the main considerations. Whatever you choose, I wish you profitable email marketing for many years to come.