The question that Internet Businesses must answer.
How and when should you automate your business?
Every business is different and the need to automate simple tasks will vary depending on your business needs. You can take payments 24 hours a day, track and measure your business statistics, build a mailing list and deliver content with the push of a button.
These three tools can simplify a business owner’s day.
E-mail Auto-responders
Tracking software
Payment Processors
The Auto-responder is a tool that many Internet Marketers rely upon. Not only can you capture your visitor contact information by adding a small script to your web page, you can also set it up to send out messages at a pre-determined time. Affiliate Funnels, E-mail courses and E-zines become a snap when you are able to contact the entire group by only writing your copy once.
The con to this type of automation is that it removes the human element from the equation. In a recent online transaction, I sent 7 e-mails to an automated support line and received 0 replies from a human being. (Needless to say, I requested a refund.)
Tracking Software is a great way to monitor the traffic and opt-in statistics from your website. This allows the business owner to make changes to their site with an eye to improving their results. Small changes like the design of a web button or the color of a background can impact a web site’s performance and tracking will determine what works best for each company. Some software tracks results on an hourly basis, making improvements very time effective.
Payment Processors allow your visitors to make a purchase whether, you, the business owner are online or not. The Internet never closes, it is 24/7/365. Some digital products and e-books can be downloaded immediately with no human interaction at all.
The con to this type of automation is that most payment processors charge a fee. This can be a percentage or a set amount. Each sale that is made is reduced by the amount of the associated fees.
Automation can free up a business owner to manage their business.
Like all tools, they are only as good as the use to which they are put. Use your tools to build your business not as a wall to keep your customers away!
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