“The money’s in the list.”

One of those cliches that’s actually true. Successful online businesses build lists of potential customers. By building lists of customers, you can market your business and opportunities directly to people, and not wait for them to return to your website. You can also build a list by targetting specific markets - “niche marketing” - or by casting a wide net and getting as many names as you can.

Niche marketing offers the most potential reward for the least investment of time or money. By focusing on a niche market, and by convincing those customers to sign up for your list, you already know 2 things about your customers: they are

interested in your business, and they are inclined to respond favorably to internet marketing. They have actually made movement toward your business, by signing up at your website. So how can you keep this momentum going?

The traditional answer is to send each new customer an autoresponder series of emails, usually 6 to 9, presenting your business to your new customer. Sometimes your series can focus on one opportunity, or one product, and use each email to educate the customer on the advantages of the product or service. Or, you can use the email series to introduce and explain your business to your customers. You can then use newsletters or mass emailings to present sales

opportunities to your list.

But this is old-fashioned. This method uses a fraction of the power of the Internet, which means your internet-based business is being run on last century’s technology. The Internet is the most powerful communicaitons tool in the history of the world. Use it to keep the momentum going after your customer joined your list.

The autoresponder follow-up is the most effective way for you to make contact with your customers. In your emailing, include a mechanism for your customers to give you feedback or ask questions. A great way to do this is to put an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page on your website, and a link to the FAQ page

in each of your emailings. You have shown your customers that you anticipate their questions, and proactively offered them assistance.

Another method you can use is to add a forum to your website. This requires more work on your end (to monitor the postings and make sure your forum isn’t spammed out ot the point that no one visits it), but it offers a very high degree of interaction with your customers and BETWEEN your customers. One of the best reputations your business can have is that your business steps out of the way of customers. By running a forum, and letting the customers interact with each other, your business will gain a favorable reputation as

putting the customers first.

Building your list is a must in internet marketing. Keeping in touch with your list is simple, with the mailing and newsletter capabilities of most autoresponders. But turning your LIST into a COMMUNITY takes advantage of the power of the Internet to keep the momentum going once a customer signs up for your list.

ERIK CARTER manages START YOUR LIFE NOW! ( http://www.startyourlifenow.com), a website focused on helping you achive EXCELLENCE in ALL areas of your life by helping you to achieve excellence in Business - Family - Fitness - Spirituality - Personal - and featuring EXCLUSIVELY the eBooks:

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