Are you doing enough to encourage site visitors to add their names to your list building endeavors? Most visitors would not respond favorably to an offer that read, “Please sign up now – I've got all kinds of emails I want to bother you with.” No one would register unless they were very lonely.



Obviously the above example is an extreme example. It is also an example of poor marketing. Not so much because the idea is brazen and uncomplimentary to your business, but because it represents a very selfish motivation.

The greatest marketing strategy in today's online business world is to make your customer top priority. Find out what they want and give it to them. This is likely in the form of information first. As site visitors become more familiar with your business they will be more inclined to trust the information you provide. These visitors will also be more inclined to consider a purchase.

Linden Wood once said, “People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care.” Your customers understand this principle except they do want to know how much you know AND how much you care.

It's true online customers may be less loyal and more discriminating than ever before, but this should be viewed as a unique challenge rather than an unfair disadvantage.

The hardest work is actually setting up your site to cater to the needs of the most discerning consumer.

There is an aspect of list building that is routinely omitted from the site development plan. As an online business you want visitors to sign up for content, but many businesses don't want to needlessly offend customers so they place a sign up page in one location on the web. Interestingly site visitors that may wish to sign up for your information may not know how to get to that page.

If you were to provide a link on every web page to your sign up details you would likely see a greater number of new members.

Make sure you present information on sign up in such a way that your visitors come away with an understanding that you are interested in providing quality information and that you know what you're talking about. Don't apply heavy pressure – your site visitor can back click faster than they can hang up on a telemarketer.

Comprehensive list building techniques don't have to be intrusive to be effective. Give your visitor every reason to sign up and never make them hunt for an elusive sign up form.