One thing I've learned and that I'd like to share with you is the importance of having a mailing list. What sort of mailing list am I talking about? In this case it's a list of names and email addresses. That list can also include home addresses. This 'list' forms your database of customers who have opted in which is crucial for online success. Many take the view that you can have a profitable internet business without a list. That's almost like saying you can have a profitable candy store with no customers. If no one buys from you then you will not make money, period! Consider your list as being the most important aspect to your business because it is your customer base. Treat your customers well; Let me say that again... Treat your customers well!! I can't emphasise this enough. Give them solutions to their problems and they will come back to you over and over again and give you repeat business. Did you know that people do business with people that they like and then they tell their friends too. So how do you find out what sorts of solutions people are looking for? Well one of the ways to do this is to browse the many online forums that are out there, you may already be a member of a few yourself. There are forums that cater for all tastes and interests, and the vast majority of posts to these forums are of the "I need help/info" variety. Taking the time to do just a little research will give you an idea of how you can provide help in a particular area and pay dividends in the long run. If you get stuck then ask yourself this question. "What do I know allot about?" As an example, you may have a strong interest in baking cakes and over the years have acquired recipes for delicious homemade cakes just like grandma used to make. Guess what, somebody out there might need one of your recipes to make a special cake for a birthday or other celebration. What you can do next is create a simple step by step mini course on how to bake one of your special cakes using one of your recipes. You can include things that only you know about, for example use four eggs instead of two, bake for an extra 5 minutes to get that extra special lightness. You get the idea. You can create a simple webpage around cakes and recipes and offer your mini course in exchange for a valid email address. Your potential customers are giving you permission to email them with information of value and you get to capture an email address, because in order to receive your mini course they need to supply a working email address. To monetise your website you can put your recipes and techniques into an electronic book or eBook which you can then be instantly delivered to the desktops of your customers, who will glady pay for your unique information. In my next article we'll talk about you how you can bring targeted traffic to your website. By targeted traffic, I mean visitors to your site looking for solutions to their specific problems. Till next time! Irving Austin |
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