Start collecting email addresses

One of the major attributes that our Traffic Snowball should possess is the ability to collect email addresses . By collecting email addresses of potential clients we are preparing the groundwork for growth.

I DO NOT mean harvesting the internet and collecting as many email addresses as possible !

What we are talking about here are optin email addresses.

The holders email address is added to our list only when we have the permission of the owner. We can then use these email addresses to send out our offers and promote our business.

So first of all we need a mechanism for collecting our visitors email addresses.

There are a number of different systems available but we should use one which has the following features:

1. Ability to collect email by using an online form or by sending an email
2. Abilty to host the list and serve to the list.
3. Capability of sending follow up messages
4. Personalization features

The second step is to make sure that there is there is the possibility of subscribing to the list on every page of the website using a form. There should also be plenty of incentives to join the list, such as free articles, free ebooks, discount purchases etc…

The third step is to provide a good series of letters indirectly promoting your website services. You can use related articles and free information as general lead to what you are promoting.

Basically, you are creating a relationship with your potential client and building trust so that they will visit your site and take you up on your offer.

Its a fact that a visitor very rarely takes up an offer on the first visit to the website. It usually takes at least 7 follow up promotions before a sale is completed.

This is why we must always follow-up with our leads.

If we don’t use the power of follow up then we will lose out. The potential client will go away and forget the website and the offer or move on to a competitor. We need to constantly remind him or her of the benefits of dealing with us. We can introduce time limited offers as incentives for closing the deal. (see Step 9 - Get Automated)

So how do we do all this?

Firstly, we need the software for providing our website visitors the option of submitting their email address. Once the email has been submitted there should be an automated response to confirm subscription that could include details of the bonus for subscribing. This could be links to bonus downloads, free ebooks etc….

The email addresses are automatically entered into a database that will include also the first and last name of the subscriber. We can then send future mailings to our database feeling safe in the knowledge that the recipient has opted to receive our messages and we cannot be accused of Spam. Additionally, there must be a publicized method for unsubscribing from our list.

There are 2 options regarding the method of administering our Optin Mailing list.

1) We can use software that is installed on our computer and uses our own server for sending out the messages.
2) We can use a remotely hosted online system that will use the server facilities for sending messages and managing our list.

There are advantages and disadvantages of both systems.

The main disadvantage of using a system that we install on our own computer is the issue of bandwidth.
If you are hosting mailing list with a company that is limited in terms of bandwidth then you may find that this could be a problem. However many will point out that if there is an issue of bandwidth, which is caused by the volume of emails sent out and received, then the cost can easily be absorbed by the benefits achieved from mailing to such an extensive list. In other words bandwidth is only an issue when your subscribers are in the 1000’s and the bigger the list the greater potential for profit and income.

One of the most effective tools for building an optin list of subscribers is provided by Optin Lightning. OptIn Lightning is a cutting-edge, database driven, extremely versatile stand alone application made for the sole purpose of assisting serious internet marketers to build their mailing lists fast, easy and hassle free.

The main disadvantage of a remotely hosted system is the cost (usually monthly) which over a longer a period can become expensive. However there is not a bandwidth consideration since the list is administered remotely. If you are going to use this method then you will need to consider a system that can provide follow-up and autores
ponders (see Step 9 - Get Automated)

Bamboobiz Online has an amazing array of features and is one of the best tools on the market for the management of optin lists and follow-up marketing that is remotely hosted.