Your Opt-In List
Your subscribers are the basis for YOUR success.
Some basic facts about online business.
People don't always buy from a website on the first visit!
It's much easier to sell to people who've already bought from you once.
People will buy from someone they've come to trust.
People want to know more about you and your products or service.
People are looking for information, advise, expertise,
encouragement to help them make their lives, better, bigger, brighter.
They Want Relationship
Yes, despite or because of the faceless nature of Internet
transactions (and the world in general), people desire relationship.
Maybe, because it IS safe, in a way. You don't have to look
directly at a person's face and they can't look directly at yours.
Maybe, because the Internet has become the latest refuge of
scammers and manipulators.
Maybe, because this IS the information age and people know it,
feel overwhelmed by it and are intimidated by it.
And I suspect you feel some of this pressure as well.
YOU Want Relationship
Being a webmaster is an isolating experience. When was the last
time you talked to someone about your online business?
Chances are pretty great that no one within your circle of
friends and acquaintances understands the first thing about
what's involved in being a webmaster.
And what's worse, a lot of them have already perceived anyone
who's trying to develop an online presence as a get-rich-quick
fool, or a potion peddler or some sort of socially disadvantaged
geek.
They have no idea of the complexities and hurdles you have to
overcome in order to single-handedly manage a job that actually
belongs to 3-4 people.
You need people to interact with. You need someone to talk to. So
why not talk to your newsletter subscribers?
The Value Of An Opt-In List
Your focus should be on building your opt-in list. Yes, you need
great sales copy. Yes, you want a professional website. Yes, you
must have great content. Yes, yes, yes, you need all this - so
that people will want to opt-in.
But what's the real value of a list?
Probably, the most important benefit of your own list is the
opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in your field or
as someone who is interested in what your subscribers need to
succeed.
Let Your Personality Shine
We don't remember people who are bland, politically-correct,
middle-of-the-road. We remember folks who say what they think,
who have opinions derived from observation and serious thought,
who don't prefer the well-worn path.
I'm not advocating that you propose mass revolution, but, for
heaven's sake, be you! Your newsletter/ezine is your opportunity
to be you.
So many websites are cookie-cutter in design and look - mainly
because the design and look work, generating sales, enlisting
subscribers, getting traffic.
Okay, do what you have to, but shine in your communications with
your list.
The Bottom Line
You want to befriend your subscribers. You want to help them and
you want them to help you - long before you try to sell them
something.
This goes for ANY list you build, be it a newsletter list, a
tips-and-tricks list, an e-course list,
just-in-case-I-run-across-something-fabulous list - whatever!
Earn their trust and confidence. No matter how many new
subscribers you acquire, the key to keeping them is building
relationship with them.
This will be the major factor in your long term success. Building
quality relationships should always be your first priority.
Once you've developed trust with your subscribers, your own
personal recommendations will become solid gold. With that in
mind, then, it is vital that you only recommend a product or
service that you truly believe in.
The Bottom Bottom Line
Studies show that it takes multiple contacts with a potential
customer for them to feel comfortable in purchasing a product or
service from you.
By sending useful information, you are able to maintain contact,
build trust, and develop a relationship with potential customers.
All of which gets you that much closer to making a sale! And
that's what it's all really about.
Demand Concepts Copyright 2003
See Also:
Back To Article Index
Find More Related Articles
