How important to your Internet marketing are autoresponders and shopping cart intergration? I'm hear to tell you if you don't have one on your website, you're leaving big money on the table. In fact you may even be dooming your online web marketing site to total failure. Harsh words! Right? But it's true.

One of the most important things you want to do when a customer hits the buy button, on your site, is to let them know their purchase has gone through and thank them for shopping with you. This can be accomplished with a simple autoresponder e-mail almost faster than you can blink your eyes. However, that's not the end of your message or at least it shouldn't be. You have a golden opportunity to reach out to your customers and whisper in their ear about any specials you are running and other items you have in your store.

A very effective way to capitalize on the "thank you" message you send out is to mention related accessory items to the product they just purchased. An example of this would be if your customer purchased a name brand pair of shoes, you would want to offer them a matching hand bag by the same designer. To make the offer even more enticing to your customer be sure and mention a discount off the accessories.

Listen up! Whatever you do don't include this offer on their e-mail sales receipt. You want your customer to have a "Hallmark" moment with their purchase. They need to feel they are the most important person on your on line store and no one else matters but them. Take the time to have a very special message prepared for your autoresponder and shopping cart integration.

Frankly, if you're not a good writer, you should hire someone who is a professional writer. Make sure this particular writer is experienced in writing warm and fuzzy messages. Although it is an added expense it is a onetime expense only. Your ROI of the expense will be returned to you every time one of your customers responds to your follow up autoresponder message.

Now for a note of caution! Don't kill the golden goose that laid your golden egg. In effect don't overuse your autoresponder to bombard your customers with deal after deal. Remember, you want them to feel warm and fuzzy about you. You want them to feel they are special in your eyes and if your not careful you can wear out your welcome. Two or three messages a month wil keep your name in front of them and an occasional 4th or 5th time when you have a super deal for them.

Properly worded e-mails will work magic for your bottom line. Very simply it will allow you to form a long term relationship with every customer. With just a little customization of your e-mails, the importance of your autoresponder and shopping cart intergration will become apparent every time you look at your bottom line.