Build an opt in list, fast!

You need an opt in list, period.

Targeted traffic is all well and good to expose your products or services to as many people as possible. But, in every case, this is not enough. A visitor may not choose to be a customer today, but what if they decide to purchase your goods or contract your services tomorrow? Once they leave your pages, the chances are they'll be gone for good. See our lead capture page.

This is the reason why opt in lists were invented. Having a subscriber, opt-in list, is a way of capturing a lead so that you do some follow ups later on and hope that he’d convert to a sale eventually.

But first, what is an opt in list? An opt in list is more commonly known as a mailing list. It is a database of names and email addresses of user who have chosen, or opted, to subscribe to the list so that they may receive emails from the mailing list owner. By having your prospect opt-in to your list, you cannot be accused of delivering spam. See our autoresponder page for help.

• An informative eZine or newsletter that is regularly published and digitally distributed by email. 

• Free digital products like eBooks, special reports, templates, or programs.

• A free service like email accounts, web hosting and the likes. Among these types, an eZine is by far the most popular opt in list for the subscribers, and the most effective for the business owner. With an eZine, the business owner can continuously do their follow-ups on the subscribers through the ingenious use of educational content strategically populated with ads and ad links for their products or affiliate programs.

Permission from the subscriber is essential for an opt in list. This would assure that the emails you will send won’t be dismissed as spam, and won’t be left unread to collect dust in the subscriber’ s inbox. Most autoresponder systems allow you to choose between double opt in, or single opt in. It is generally known that double opt in results in fewer subscribers but a stronger audience, with less chance being accused of spamming.

To say that having an opt in list is a vital strategy for the success of your eCommerce venture would be an understatement. The fact of the matter is, an opt in list is a must for a sustainable online business. So if you’re selling a product or leasing out your services, or perhaps you are engaged in resale rights marketing or affiliate programs even, you need to have an opt in list, and fast!

Here are some steps to help you build a subscriber base in the soonest possible time:

• Target your market and know what they want. Opt in lists are vehicles primarily designed for follow-ups. You need to connect with your market so that you may be able to address their concerns more efficiently. Remember, the ultimate goal is to sell them something. Knowing what they need would help you provide something that they want.

• Use programs that would personalize your otherwise generic feeds. Referring to your subscribers by their name would go a long way in winning their trust.

• Generate traffic to your site. Before users can subscribe to your mailing list, they must first be able to go to your site. There have been many marketing campaigns that were designed to drive a large volume of traffic to a web site. These can be employed for the purpose of lead generation as well:

1. Use search engine optimization tactics like selecting the right keywords, integrating the same in your site, frequently updating your source code, and perhaps even engaging in a Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign.

2. Article marketing, by writing some articles relevant to the subject of your business, submitting them to the many free articles directories in the web, and including a resource box that contains a link to your site.

3. Links and ad exchange. You can exchange links and ads with other we site owners with similar sized opt in lists.

4. Advertising your site through non-conventional means, like forum marketing, placing ads on someone else’s eZine, and even trying offline advertising.

5. Offer a truly irresistible proposition. Being the business owner, determining an irresistible offer might easily escape you. The best test you could do is to ask yourself this simple question: would this proposition be something that I myself would enrol into an opt in mailing list for? If you answer yes, then you have the perfect freebie to offer.

6. You could also try exchanging leads with other webmasters, which would result in an increase to both of your subscriber base.

7. Build relationships. Though follow-ups are usually done through pre-set autoresponder feeds, try to send some individualized emails from time to time. This would make them feel special and give them the impression that you’re sincere in wanting to cater to their needs the best way you can.

Building an online business without an opt in list is like building a car with no wheels, great to look at but going nowhere.