Schewanick Computer Services

The whole reason email marketing is done: to drive clients to
your web site, where you can sell your products and services to
them. But in order to bring them to your site, you need to have
addresses to mail those exciting messages to.


You can always buy or rent email lists, but this isn't always
the best strategy. It's expensive, and there's no guarantee that
the company you choose got their addresses legitimately. Opt-in
email lists (people who ask you to send them information) are
always a better method for marketing purposes, and you have a
guaranteed target audience.

Increasing your opt-in list of targeted email clients is the most
important email marketing strategy you can use. Your email list
is actually a group of potential "sales leads" and you should
treat expanding your email list in the same manner you would your
leads offline: develop it, and develop it aggressively.

The more effort you put into developing it, the more potential
customers you will have. Conversely, if you fail to collect email
addresses, your online business growth will halt. It's that
simple.

Tip #1: Offer Them Content

People don't just like to give out their email addresses online
(and with good reason nowadays!) But if you offer them something
in return, such as an informative newsletter, a free ebook, or
free software, they will be much more likely to give you their
email address when subscribing.

Offering subscriptions, whether to a newsletter, ezine, ebook,
software, or online course, is the number one legitimate method
of increasing your email list (and is used by all of the largest
and most successful sites online). People have indicated that
they go online for a major, basic reason: to learn. Are you
meeting this need? You will be, if you offer them high-quality
information through one of the above methods.

Don't just send them ads (unless they have specifically requested
news on current specials); spice it up with information that they
can use. They will remember you, will pass your newsletters around
to their friends, and your name and company will get known.

Tip #2: Make It Easy For Them

It's amazing the number of sites that have subscription forms
tucked away deep within their site hierarchy, or don't even have
interactive subscription forms for signing up. Don't just rely on
the customer taking the initiative of sending you an email asking
to subscribe to your content; have a web designer create an
easy-to-use form that they can fill in and subscribe to.

Place your subscription box in a prominent area. Normally, the
left top side of a web site is the area that a visitor looks at
first. This is a natural area to place a small box that says,
"Subscribe to our informative newsletter" or "download our free
software" to increase your email list. Alternatively, you could
create a pop-under that appears before they leave, asking if they
would like to subscribe to your quality content. Don't let them
leave your site without offering them the chance, with an
attractive ad, to sign up - and give you their email address.

Be sure to have a link on each and every web page on your site,
offering visitors the chance to subscribe. Otherwise, they may go
to your site, click around, and by page four, forget that they
meant to sign up for your newsletter or ebook. Remind them
frequently with a tasteful link or box on each page, and watch
your subscriptions rise.

Tip #3: Assure Their Privacy

When a person visits a web site online, they often hesitate to
give out their email address. Since they don't know you, they
often fear the worst: that you could be an unscrupulous email
harvester, who will turn around and sell their information to
sleazy porn sites or lending companies charging high interest
rates.

Of course, you don't do this, and one way to overcome this
natural hesitation is to place a prominent privacy notice near
your subscription form that states: "Your privacy is important to
us. We will never sell or disclose the information that you
provide us with." You have just overcome the number one reason
that people don't give out their email address, and increased
greatly the chances that your opt-in list will grow.

Tip #4: Don't Use Force, and Don't Ask for Too Much Information

Nowadays, some sites have become quite aggressive in their
techniques for getting email addresses, to the point that they
won't allow you to enter their site without giving it. Most
people will click away from sites that use techniques that don't
offer choices. Instead, make subscription their choice, and never,
ever force the issue.

When asking for subscriptions, don't ask them their age, phone
number, and other demographic information, or you will frighten
them away. Your subscription box is not meant to be marketing
research and shouldn't be used this way. At this point, you are
creating an initial contact with potential clients. Simply ask
for their email address, and nothing more, and you'll see more
subscribers.

Down the road, when they know you better, you can always send out
surveys to find out more.

Tip #5: Give Them a Gift

Ever since we were small children, opening Christmas presents
underneath the tree, we have all found free gifts irresistible.
You can offer your site visitors extra incentive for subscribing
to your newsletter or email communications: let them know that
they will get a free gift when they sign up.

This free gift could be a white paper, a free ebook, or software
that they can use. Or, you can give them access to information
areas on your web site, that they couldn't get to otherwise, when
they sign up and register.

If you use this technique, you should see response rates to your
subscription requests go up tremendously. Don't know how to
write an ebook? This isn't a problem. There are plenty of sites
that offer free content, reports, and ebooks that you can
download, and offer to site visitors (example: just try typing
in "free content" into Google, and you will be deluged with links
from sites begging you to give away their content).

Tip #6: Ask Them to 'Pass It Along' (Viral Emailing)

In the lingo of online marketing, 'Viral emarketing' doesn't
describe teenaged hackers bent over their computer screens,
sending viruses to unsuspecting recipients. Instead, it's a
highly accepted and used method of increasing email lists.
Basically, you are asking those who receive your newsletter to
share it with their friends who might enjoy reading the great
information in it. Chances are, if they like it enough, they will
click on the "subscribe" link (you do have one, don't you, at the
bottom of your newsletters and/or ezines?), and you will have a
new address for your list.

If you really want to get the information passed along, offer
your readers a good incentive for sharing it with others. Some
sites offer product discounts, a free ebook, or points for
sharing it with others. The Internet is all about sharing
information, and we love to let others know about good places to
learn at.

Tip #7: Give Them More Choices

People have different needs when going online, and if you design
your site and subscriptions to meet those needs, your response
rates will climb. Offer your site visitors different options:
some may want to subscribe to a newsletter, others may want to
read your white paper, while yet others only want to hear about
special product updates. Create your subscription box to offer
different choices, then deliver them what they asked for.

This is called 'market segmentation': you are meeting the needs
of different sectors of your market, and is good, sound sales
practice that will cause your email list to expand.

Tip #8: Develop a Relationship With Your Clients

Who would you rather interact with and trust, someone you have
never heard of, or someone you have had a positive experience
with before? This same principle is doubly true online. You
should be emailing all of your current customers in response to
their questions, to confirm product orders, and other business
communications in a polite, friendly manner. They will be more
likely to sign up, subscribe, and ask for product updates if
they've heard from you before, and if you are professional in
all of your communications.

If your firm is active offline, be sure to give you customers
cards with your web address and email address printed on them,
and ask if they would like to be added to your email list for
product updates. Chances are good that they will say "yes" and
you will have a quickly growing email list.

By following the above tips and advice, you should see your
email list growing, with highly targeted customers who want to
hear from you.


About the Author
Philip Lim is the editor of NewbiesOnly.com which is dedicated to
teaching newbies or beginner marketers to internet marketing the
ropes. Enroll into our free 10 days intensive email course:
"Strategies for Internet Marketing Success". http://www.NewbiesOnly.com