Automation is important to all businesses. The less time we have to spend doing small tasks, the more time we have to make more money - or we could spend that time doing something besides working. Putting an online business on auto pilot isn't difficult at all - and it is all done with the use of autoresponders!
Autoresponders can be used to get people to your website, or to promote products and services. Simply plug your sales message into the autoresponder, along with some valuable information that your potential may want or need, and advertise that autoresponders address.
Once the person arrives at your site, and goes through your ordering process, another autoresponder kicks in. This autoresponder should send out a receipt, as well as information that will grant the customer access to whatever it is that they have purchased. Another autoresponder message should be sent out after this, thanking the customer for their business, and letting them know about similar or related products or services that they may be interested in.
The beauty of this is that while all of this ordering is going on, and these important customer service emails are being sent, you can be off doing something else! The more automation you can integrate into your online business, the better off you will be.