One of the main functions of a squeeze page that you use in your traffic exchange program is generate leads. This process is automatically done with autoresponders like those in the popular programs Aweber.com, 1Shoppingcart.com and GetResponse.com, when website visitors enter their names and email address into your autoresponder form that's encoded or linked in your squeeze page.

The idea behind capturing this basic information is so that you can follow up in a regular manner with more marketing, once your website visitors click away from your page. Studies show that the average prospect needs to review or otherwise learn about your product or service seven times before they buy. Some people need less info; some need more. So your autoresponders will work for you, sending out your messages that you pre-load.

Autoresponders actually have a lot of functionality. Popular features and benefits of using them follow.

Email Features

Basic autoresponder features include the capability to personalize many fields like the customer name, email and physical address, telephone number and other designated fields. For example, you can set it up so that your emails will arrive personalized, using the name that was entered on the autoresponder form initially.

A good autoresponder service can handle subscription issues where emails bounce, alerting you on a regular basis to the ones that bounce so you can delete them or call to find out correction info. The service also automatically handles unsubscribes, including an unsubscribe link in each and every email that goes out, plus purging deleted from the list and system, so it's hands free work for you.

Autoresponder services generally have their own templates you can use, too, for creating your emailings. You'll simply enter your content in text or use html code or tools to customize your messages that are sent out by your autoresponders.

You can also establish multiple autoresponder series of messages and invite subscribers of one list to subscribe to another, say more targeted list. For example, if you sell pet products, you can add a small ad to the messages for your main autoresponder's subscribers, say the ones using autoresponder #1, inviting those with dogs to subscribe to your Hot Dogs ezine (electronic newsletter) via a link to your autoresponder #2.

Broadcast Tool

Many autoresponder services also have the ability to do broadcasts; i.e. send out a message to everyone you choose to in your list(s). In a nutshell, you enter your message in the broadcast area, select the subscribers you'd like to send this to (usually by autoresponder #) and then schedule the date you'd like the broadcast completed. This will pre-load into the service's system with other broadcasts and your message will go out the day it's scheduled. This is great for vacation times so you don't have to be around to announce your own sales and other news.

Shopping Cart Tools

Some autoreponders like those with 1Shoppingcart.com can be a part of your chopping cart, ecommerce set up. For instance, you can set up a system whereas once a person purchases an item from you, they automatically receive a “Thank you!” message that's pre-loaded. They can also automatically then be added to one of your autoresponder series of pre-loaded messages. So you can follow up to ask for testimonials, back end sales, referrals and more.