The List Is The Thing

Many companies begin their online sales ventures with the wrong strategy to build long term success. Thinking that a website is the core of their business leads them to focus on getting website visitors.

Making the site "sticky", by using a member-only area or a community feature such as chat or a forum, may get some of your visitors to come back for more. Unfortunately, the large part of your viewers may not use these features, and being in a hurry, they are just a click away from another new and interesting website. Many of your "hits" are just that, a quick click, and they're gone forever.

The visitor that clicked away likely found your site by using a search engine. They were interested in the search term that was one of your site's keywords. That means that they may be your "target customer".

Isn't it a shame that you only had one chance to sell this visitor on your product or service? Don't you wish that you could follow-up on that "lead" at a later time? With a better offer or a different related product?

You can.

The focus of your online sales business "has" to be capturing lead information (email addresses) and building a database of prospects and previous customers. This "house list" enables you to keep in touch with your leads, building a relationship and your credibility over time. The website is an important part of the sales "machine", but is not the primary focus, building your house list is.

Many people might think that the value of a house list is determined by the number of leads it contains. This is true, to a point. Affecting the value even more is the quality of the leads, or subscribers. A small list that is highly targeted, with responsive leads, is more valuable than a large list that is not targeted.

Quality comes from the methods used to build the house list. You want leads to opt-in, or subscribe, to your list. These people are interested in your niche, or they wouldn't have joined the list. Using emails from one of those " One Million Email Addresses For $10" CDs will get little or no response. You will also be labeled as a spammer. Buying subscribers from list brokers is another option, but you have to be certain that the leads opted-in to the list. If not, they are practically worthless.

Build "your" house list, do it properly using opt-in methods, and reap the rewards of a responsive and loyal group of contacts. Follow-up with your leads on a regular basis, and you'll have it made.

About The Author

How do YOU get results online with little or no business experience? Get Ken Leonard Jr.'s new mini-course, "7 Ways To Beat The Competition", a smart first step for YOUR small business. End your frustration, get going in the right direction!

mailto:7waystobeattherest@kljonline.com

http://www.kenleonardjr.com

---

Just Write an Email

How did you sell your last product? Imagine that I... Read More

How To Use a Message Sequence to Increase Your Sales

If there's one thing I've learnt in over 3 years... Read More

Signature Files: The Easy Way To Create More Business

If you do business as an affiliate, then you're constantly... Read More

Lesson #3: Capitalize on Your Captures!

One of the underlying benefits of smart autoresponders is that... Read More

The 12 Most Common Newsletter Design Mistakes

Your newsletter's success depends on its design. An attractive, easy... Read More

Lesson #7: Three Extra Tricks That Can Boost Your Bottom-Line!

Let's recap what you've learned so far...In the first lesson,... Read More

Harnessing the Power of Email Marketing

Given the inherent problems with traditional marketing techniques, it`s important... Read More

Success Guaranteed With Your Opt In List

Some time ago I was thinking about the best and... Read More

7 Ways Email Can End Your Business Relationships Before They Start

Too often, people forget they're anonymous in the internet world.... Read More

Build Your Opt-In List Today

There are many services available to help your with building... Read More

To Get Your Email To Stand Out From All The Junk

We know that email marketing is a cheap method to... Read More

Three Steps To Building A 50K Email List In Less Than 90 Days

One major asset that every internet or affiliate marketer needs... Read More

The Lowdown: How To Create And Send HTML Email

I am frequently asked how to create and send HTML... Read More

Guarantee Recipients Opening Your Emails With These Secrets To Successful Subject Lines!

You've done the hardest part; you've captured your prospect's email... Read More

E-mail Whitelist Etiquette

A big-time dilemma is brewing online. In an understandable attempt... Read More

3 Essential Tools for Email Marketers

Marketing your business with email is an art.It's very easy... Read More

Creating A Newsletter And Making Your Website Magnetic

Creating a newsletter is an ideal way to drive repeat... Read More

Email Etiquette: How To Send Emails People Will Read

You may remember a time before there was email?a time... Read More

Creative and Profitable Ways to Use Autoreponders

An interested visitor who has been strolling through your site... Read More

Summary of Adestras Presentation on Best Practice EZines at the July NEPA Conference

At the recent Online Marketing Show, Adestra ran an email... Read More

Online Marketing Through Newsletters

So you want to start publishing an online newsletter? Why?... Read More

Save Time By Creating Email Signature Templates

If you're like me, there are certain types of email... Read More

What is Email Marketing?

There are many avenues available for marketing online products. Radios,... Read More

Website Promotion Through Newsletters

Website promotion is certainly a main focus of all business... Read More

Internet Tip of the Week: Mistakes Count Against You

Before the advent of email most of us, other than... Read More

Ways to Use Autoreponders To Increase Your Profits

When I was first introduced to an autoresponder I thought... Read More

Masterful E-mail Marketing

There are more than 100 million e-mail users in the... Read More

Dont Use FFAs To Build Your Newsletter Subscriber

For those of you who aren't familiar with the term,... Read More

RSS vs Email: Its Not An Either-Or Question

If you've been getting caught up in all this talk... Read More

Email Marketing and Web Communication: Ten Key Tips to Get Your Messages Read

There's an old saying 'Manners maketh the man (or woman)'... Read More

Should You Publish a PAID E-zine?

Many of my clients ask me whether they should publish... Read More

The Benefits of Interactive Online Characters

This Stanford University study surveyed the leading research on virtual... Read More

How To Avoid Having Filters Eat Your Emails

You've probably read 1000 times that "the money's in the... Read More