The answer is...you are asking the wrong question. Why? Because products come and go, but the people you are marketing to remain forever. Meaning, the product you are selling this year may not be the same product you are selling next year, but you will be selling to the same people. That is, if you are collecting their name and email on your web site.
Start by collecting basic information on your customers, just their name and e-mail addresses to start. Get an autoresponder, a program which will quickly and easily capture this information from incoming e-mails. These auto responders can also be used to send e-mails to customers, selling your product or service even while you sleep.
For example, if Bob joins your email list (via your email capture form at the top of your home page) on Monday, he will begin receiving an email every 7 days about who you are, what your credentials are, what you are selling, why they should buy from you as opposed to the other guy, and so on. If Sally joins a month later, she will start receiving your messages in the order she needs to receive them.
A month later, Sally decides to join. Your auto responders send the same messages, in the same sequence. Bob, meanwhile, receives continuing e-mails advertising your products or services. Sending sequential e-mails through an autoresponder is a great way to save time, and your business will build itself.
Isn't that amazing? Sequential e-mails can help build your business effectively. Send amazing sales letters, educating your clients and encouraging sales. Advise your valued customers of special offers or promotions, product information, and more.
No matter when your customers join the list, they will get each e-mail in sequence. Re-capture lost sales - even after a promotion is over, offer it to new customers through your sequential e-mails. This will help you build customer loyalty and succeed in your online business.
So, get an email capture form and place it front and center on your home page or most popular page. Offer something really valuable in exchange for their first name and email. I offer mini-COURSES FOR MARKETING ONLINE. It doesn't have to be expensive, a downloadable report, mini-course via email or a link to a video will do, but it should be something that your customer really wants to entice him to give you his most prized possession: his email address!
Take time to build your list carefully, and you will build a valuable client base which will ensure the lasting success of your online business. Whatever you do, don't neglect this important step. Protect yourself from changing fads and fashions, and you will build a productive online business. Auto responders make it easy, so go to it!
One of the lessons I learned from being on the internet is the fact that it doesn't have to take much to make money. I had been spending my time trying to develop high ticket products that no one wanted but I hoped would sell for close to a thousand dollars. My internet marketing life changed when I learned how to make money using low cost and easy ways. The problem came when I ran out of money, I had maxed out my credit cards and I was ready to give up because trying to stay in internet marketing was costing me too much, not only in finances but also in time and energy. I looked back over all the products I had bought, all the information I had and everything I had been taught. It was the lessons I learned at the very beginning and had ignored that were to come back and help me finally start making money online easily. I had found myself joining a number of free eCourses and learning from them and then I joined an eCourse that was teaching people how to run and profit from their own eCourses. At the same time a product had been launched that showed people how to offer free access to membership sites with a one time offer upgrade. With the information I had I now realized that I could easily put together eCourses that were delivered by email and using membership sites. It was an exciting time. I had been unable to sell access to a membership site and yet when I offered free access with an upgrade people bought the upgrade. It was a perfect internet business for newbies and as I didn't have my own product I used affiliate products and sold those instead. As time went by I began to create my own free short reports and then moved onto selling reports before creating my own information products. The learning system I gained access to also provided me with a structure that showed me how to put together information with ongoing value to those who signed up, which is extremely important. It took me about 10 days to put together my first free eCourse because I had never done it before and by the time I was writing my fourth one it was only taking me a few days. Now within 48 hours I can have an eCourse up and ready to attract new subscribers. Suddenly after months of not knowing how to build a list I was doing it and after months of never making any money I was finally receiving those wonderful emails that alert you to a sale. Plus it was easy to start and maintain which really did fit into what I wanted from my business at the beginning. There are plenty of easy and low cost ways to make money online without having to spend a lot of money. I will caution you not to confuse low cost or easy to start up with no work because they will always need the commitment from you to drive traffic to it and ensure you continually have people signing up.
Both Steve Beck & Diane Corriette are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Diane Corriette has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Credit Cards and Your Online Business. Diane Corriette shares the mistakes she made when she first started online business building along with 5 other marketers at My Internet Marketing Mistakes