Important lesson in marketing online::Building E-mail Lists

A successful online business requires a trusting relationship with your

customers. When your customers know that your online business is

reliable and honest they’re more likely to buy products or services from

you, rather than from your competition. But it’s up to you to let your

customers know that you’re a better choice than your competitor. One

way that you can get those important sales is by building up e-mail lists

so that you can communicate on a regular basis with your customers.

Never miss an opportunity at communicating with your customers. It’s

vital to your online company that you come into contact with as many

customers and potential customers as possible so that you increase your

contacts and eventually increase your sales.

There is so much competition on the Internet and this is why it’s

important that you stand out for your customers. When your customers

know that they can rely on you for dependable service, consistent

communication, and quality products or services, they will continue to

buy from you time and time again. Your repeat customers will become

the mainstay of your business since it’s these repeat customers that refer

you to their friends and family, thus bringing you more potential

customers.

Opt-in Lists: An opt-in list is list of people who have specifically asked

to receive more information from your business in the form of e-mail,

newsletters, or other types of communication. These people will

voluntarily give you their e-mail address to you so that you can

communicate with them in the future. Make sure that you build your list of opt-in e-mail addresses so that you can increase the number of

customers that you come into contact with.

Online marketing studies show that opt-in e-mailing lists are more

successful than other marketing techniques when it comes to sales. 

When a potential customers requests more information from your

business you know that they already have an interest in the product or

service that you’re selling. 

So how do you develop your opt-in e-mailing list? One way that you can

start building your e-mail list is by having a place on your website where

users can leave their e-mail address. 

When you have someone’s e-mail address it’s up to you to send them an

e-mail that is about the products or services that you’re selling. Some of

the e-mail that you might want to send to your e-mail customers include:

 Newsletters with information about the product or service you’re

selling, such as information about new products. Newsletters have

already been discussed in chapter 5.

 E-zines that have detailed information about what your company

sells.

 Discount offers that your send out to only those people on your

opt-in list.

The first e-mail that you send out to people on your opt-in list should let

them know that they asked to be included on your e-mail list so that they

don’t think that they are being spammed. As mentioned before, always

give people the option to take themselves off your e-mail list at any time. 

This way they feel that they are in control of all communication with

you.

Importance of Building Lists 

One of the most important rules of online marketing is the need to have a

list of opt-in e-mail addresses. The larger your e-mal list the more

successful your online business will be. The bottom line is, if you want

to have a successful online business you need to have an opt-in e-mail

list.

Many online businesses overlook the other benefits of an opt-in list

besides the bottom line of profit. Each time someone buys something

from you, you need to make the effort of obtaining their e-mail address. 

If you don’t get your customer’s contact information you lose all chance

of future communication with them. And this may prevent them from

buying from you in the future. 

Online marketing studies show that successful online businesses think of

their opt-in e-mailing list as their most valuable marketing strategy. 

Most online businesses keep a back up of their e-mail list so that there is

no chance of losing it. Without this e-mail opt-in list your business

would lose valuable customer communication which is the backbone of

their online success.

The more extensive your e-mail opt-in list is the more advertising you’ll

generate for your online business. You’ll have sales opportunities from

your e-mail opt-in list that you wouldn’t be able to obtain in any other

way. When you regularly stay in touch with your customers you ensure

that at least some of them will return to your website for a first purchase

or a repeat purchase. E-mail opt-in lists let you communicate with your

customers with little or no effort on your part.

Make sure that your online website has opt-in options on every web page. 

This way people who read your website have every opportunity to give

you their e-mail address for future contact with your company.