Intelligent autoresponders? (Full Version)

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Tailslide -> Intelligent autoresponders? (4/2/2008 10:34:31)

Hi all -

I've got a client who wants to allow users to sign up for one or more email newsletters (the contents of which would be delivered in one shot).

The problem is that she wants the end-users to be able to then opt in or out of the various newsletters and give more information (such as birthdates) as they want, whenever they want.

I'm not remotely experienced in autoresponders - the ones I've used and looked at seem to only offer a simple opt-out-of-everything option via the opt out link at the bottom of the email.

Is there a hosted solution that allows this sort of complexity?

Or would it be easier if I just set the whole thing up as a database on the client's web server to take the information via a form - give the client a login so that they can in future change their information and options via a protected page and then export this database to the autoresponder as a .csv ?

Any suggestions welcomed.

(I've also posted this query on one other forum as I'm really stuck!)




rdouglass -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/2/2008 10:58:56)

quote:

The problem is that she wants the end-users to be able to then opt in or out of the various newsletters and give more information (such as birthdates) as they want, whenever they want.


So she wants to be able information specific to each news letter or just specific to the client? I understand being able to opt in/out of each letter clear enough, but how diverse would the varying newsletter specifics be?

To be able to keep the list of newsletters, that seems pretty straightforward; a one-to-many relationship in a DB should take care of that but I suspect that's not exactly where your issue is.

Personally, I see this as a roll-your-own DB kinda' thing but their may be stuff already in place to do this. Exporting to .CSV shouldn't be too much of an issue either.



Tailslide -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/2/2008 11:21:53)

Yeah that's sort of what I thought.

The idea is that the end-user would sign up to 1 of 3 possible newsletters. 1 and 2 are simple - no info but the email and name required for the newsletter that would go out with this. The complication is that the third option newsletter needs birthdates (however many they want to enter) as well as the other information so that tailored stuff can be sent out in the birth month.

She wants the end-user to be able to change their minds and change or add to their chosen newsletter options after initial sign up (for instance, add another birthdate). I don't think that there's an autoresponder system out there that would allow this but I'm not very experienced with them so may well have missed one.

Seems to me it'd have to be a database/login system to hold that sort of editable information - then she'd export the information to the autoresponder either automatically on each submission (hopefully if I can figure it) or weekly via csv upload.



jurgen -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/2/2008 11:46:38)

You might want to check out this link:
http://www.phplist.com

I use it on my site and it works pretty good.



Tailslide -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/2/2008 11:52:17)

Thanks Jurgen - I was specifically after a hosted solution (for sending the emails at least) just to avoid any possible blacklisting problems. You know what people are like - they hit the "spam" alarm because they're too lazy to unsubscribe to something!



jaybee -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/2/2008 13:17:40)

Eeeeeick! Stay away from phpList, I had nothing but problems with it.

Tail if it's something you're going to do yourself before you start all the work, check out your host's mail throttle policy. Mine would only allow 100 per hour so I had to set up all sorts of throttles and kick everything off with cron jobs which sometimes worked, sometimes didn't.

If you can find a hosted solution take it.

I don't know whether these guys offer that complexity but they are very good with my client who sends out 25k a month. You can imagine how long that took at 100 per hour using phpList.

YMLP



Tailslide -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/2/2008 14:13:15)

Thanks Jaybee - I've been speaking to YMLP and already signed the client up to their freebie account while we test there - I think you recommended them to me a while back if I remember rightly.

I'm examining their import/export facility as opposed to aweber which is slightly more expensive but apparently has a better rate of delivery.



jurgen -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/2/2008 15:43:52)


quote:


Eeeeeick! Stay away from phpList, I had nothing but problems with it.


Funny that different people have always different opinions. It works just fine on my end....

quote:

check out your host's mail throttle policy. Mine would only allow 100 per hour


If the outgoing mail is restricted I consider this as a host issue and has nothing to do with phplist. The program let you send what ever you want.



coreybryant -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/2/2008 17:12:34)

What about Constant Contact? It is a hosted solution and I think offer a variety of options



Tailslide -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/2/2008 17:51:27)

I looked briefly at it Corey - it looked more expensive than the others but I'll have a closer look tomorrow.



Tailslide -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/3/2008 3:52:19)

Ok so with help from you guys here and a little from another forum this seems to be the plan:

End-user joins up via a registration page selecting which of the 3 newsletters they want to receive and giving the extra required information if desired (such as birthdates). User redirected to thank you page. Users' information is stored on the website database.

End-user receives email newsletters periodically with links at the bottom (containing a personalised URL) which will, when clicked take them to a page where they can edit their preferences or the other link will just unsubscribe them from the lot. Again - information from the database. Using the URLS means that we can do away with the need for an actual login page and passwords etc.

On a weekly basis (for instance) the client would then export a .csv of the current database information over to an autoresponder and administrate the email messages from there.

Does that seem reasonable to you?



coreybryant -> RE: Intelligent autoresponders? (4/3/2008 16:57:23)

Take a look at Opt-in and Ezine Help. One of the members also recommended Aweber. I have heard of them, but most use Contact Contact.



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