Wednesday, July 30, 2008

An Opt-in list - your secret weapon to Building Internet Wealth

By Simon Whincop


Does this scenario sound familiar to you?

Having read countless articles, sought endless expert advice and heard numerous success stories of how people have built unimaginable wealth on the Internet using the power of opt-in lists, you finally decide to have one of your own. Presuming you know everything there is to know about opt-in lists you follow all the advice to the Tee. And you fail to make even a single dime.

You may in fact, be losing money. Maybe you hired writers to help out with your articles, or you blew hundreds of dollars in fruitless advertising. Perhaps you even got as far as building a big list, only to find that a tiny percentage actually converts to sales.

However you look at it, your quest to make even a tiny profit, has failed. After a few months of scrutinising your statistics and sales figures, you come to the conclusion that your dreams of Internet wealthbuilding are doomed.

You ask yourself what could possibly have gone wrong. You wonder why others have succeeded where you have failed. You begin to think you were too hasty, diving straight in like that. You begin to doubt the validity of your product, or worse, your own ability.

Have similar thoughts ever crossed your mind?

Take heart, however - just because you emailed people on your list does not mean they'll buy instantly. Patience is the key!

If you've already started an opt-in list and think you failed, or even if you're just starting out, here are three quick and easy steps that you should try and follow:

1) Make sure your product or service is one that people really need.

And get to know your product. Too many people forget this. How can you expect your subscribers to buy something you haven't bothered to research or learn about thoroughly? You carry it forward - knowledge and belief, or lack of it. Invest some time and effort to research your product properly.

2) Join forums. Providing expert advice and recommendations will build an aura of trust around you. You could then build a base around other forum users, inviting them to join your opt-in list. Friends make good customers. Placing a link to your site on your forum posts will enable them to see what your business is all about. They'll begin to believe in you and your products. Writing and submitting articles and posting blogs will further increase your credibility as well as building more potential subscribers and customers.

3) Find a mentor. Make friends with other opt-in list users (forums are an invaluable tool here, too). If you can find someone who has already launched a successful opt-in list, they will be able to tell you what to do and what not to do, because they have gone through it themselves. There are many pitfalls and mistakes to avoid - these people will be able to point them out to you. Experience is the best teacher, and there is nothing like getting it first hand. Learn from the mistakes of others!

Building a profitable opt-in list doesn't happen overnight. It takes great preparation and effort. Opt-in lists have to be built from scratch and, once built, take some maintenance. Keep yours organized and manageable. But use it to Keep your subscribers happy and they'll be willing to buy from you time and time again. Build your list, build Internet wealth!

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