If you don't already have a newsletter for your website, then it's time to get on the ball and create one! Why can you not live without one? Because a newsletter is one of the major ways to drive traffic to your site and build a strong customer base! It is your means of providing valuable information to your potential customers and website visitors. Here's what you can do with a newsletter or ezine:

For one thing, you can generate an opt-in, targeted list of subscribers to build your business. By offering your newsletter for free as long as your customer provides their name and email address, you and your customers are both benefiting. You can contact your subscribers whenever you want with special products or promotions, in addition to an auto-responder that sends out automatic emails. This will help establish and build trust, as your customers will get to know you over time and trust the information you provide, which may lead to a sale for you down the road.

A newsletter, because it is sent out regularly, gives your customers several chances to see your information, and act upon it. Normally people don't buy something the first time they see it, and this allows them to think about making a purchase over time, with repeated exposures to your message and how they can benefit from your product or service being offered.

By providing links in your newsletters to what you have to offer, your customers can click on them for even further information about your products and services. If you submit your newsletter to newsletter directories, you can get quality one-way links pointing back to your website when other publishers are interested in reading or using your quality content. You can also provide links to your affiliate programs and products, and use your newsletter to promote your blog.

Once your subscriber base is large enough, you can profit by selling advertising space in your newsletter, or buying space in other people's newsletters. If you don't sell advertising space, you can trade ad space with other newsletters. If you run their ads, they will run your ads, and this will give your website more exposure.

What you want to be careful of though is not to over-advertise. Remember your bottom line, and that is that your newsletter's main focus is not to sell your product or service, but to build your relationships, in a friendly, courteous, helpful, and informative manner. It should satisfy your customer's needs and desires for more information, and should be an easier way for them to contact you directly with questions.