All entrepreneurs should want SUCCESS!

If you aim for success, you must do everything within your means to achieve that. You just don’t go on sitting there in your house complaining about not getting as much profit as you expect. You have to keep moving. You have to pour in and invest enough time, money and effort to have profitable results.

If you're doing an online business, you must aim just the same. You should maximize all of your internet marketing strategies, given the wide market that your business will be exposed to. Imagine the whole online community as potential clients!

One of the best marketing tools that you can use in your online business is building a list. But not just any list, a responsive one. An opt-in list is the best, most effective and smartest option that you can make to make it big. It is one thing to stay in business and it is another thing to have a profitable business. So if you will be allowed to choose, make use of the building list to ensure that profits will keep coming in.

What is an opt-in list?

The opt-in list basically is just a list or a database of names and email ads of people who have visited your website or made a purchase through your website. The listing will allow the owner to send updates, emails or promotions to those who are subscribed.

It is like an ordinary membership or mailing list in an ordinary shop or club, only in this instance, the opt-in list is done online.

Why should I choose to put an opt-in list?

All visitor that come to your web site are potential clients. Potential clients mean there are potential sales and that potential sales are potential profits. Now, let’s say that you’ve made a good internet marketing strategy as a result all these potential things have been translated to actual client, sale and profit.

The next prudent thing to do is to not let all these productive efforts be wasted. The next best thing to do is to get the email addresses and other contact details of your clients because your present buyers can still be your clients in the future.

Building a list will definitely work for your benefit. This will ensure that you can maintain close contact and a good relationship with your clients, especially the frequent visitors. This way you will have a regular dialogue with them.

This will also save you money, time and effort because once you come up with a new product or new information, you know exactly who you will send updates to because you have a definite market. This is one aspect that you will have to maintain to have a steady source of income at the least. Then the rest of your efforts will be to make the number of your regular clients grow.

Some ideas for building your opt-in list are:

1. You should put a ‘subscribe link’ or ‘subscribe box’ on the home page of your web site OR have your url pointed to your lead capture page. This way, the first thing your prospective client sees is your lead capture page (squeezpage). It is NOT advisable to put it on all the pages. If you put it on your home page, make sure that it is strategically positioned, meaning it has to be easily located by the visitors. The upper left or right hand corner of the page would be a good position.

2. Develop contests or give away freebies and goodies that will require visitors to give out their email ads to be able to join.

3. Promote your website and promote it even more to make give it more exposure and to get more subscribers.

4. Give out information, articles and updates to your clients with your links in it. Make sure that the information will be relevant to the client.

5. Offer free advice to your visitors. This will also help maintain a good relationship with your subscribers.

6. Use your signature also to make your opt-in list expand. Every time you send out messages the link information should be included.

7. Do some networking too. Join some forums or discussions and build relationships with the people there. This way will also be a good way for you to get more contacts and clients.

At the same time you should also know what you should avoid in building an opt-in list. There is one thing that you should keep in mind as the don't's of building a list.

Don't ever spam your subscribers. It is best that you get permission from your subscribers, or else you might end up with a bad reputation.

Avoid pop-ups too. They can sometimes annoy the visitors. There are also pop-up blockers now. Your effort here might end up futile.

The benefits of having many regular subscribers are undeniable. They will definitely keep your business going and you will definitely enjoy the profits that will come in. Just remember that things don’t end there.

You should also refrain from flooding your subscribers with information. You might end up as an annoyance that you might not get a favorable result. There may be times that you'll give relevant information, but your clients may just dismiss it.

Once you’ve build up on a substantial opt-in list, make sure that you maintain it well. Keep in contact with your subscribers. Send them updates. Give out special offers and helpful tips. Freebies will be helpful too.

Just follow this and you’ll see, things can only get better.