Most internet marketers today agree about the need to develop a list in order to make money by being online. In the old days, it was a "mailing list", but now with the internet, e-mails, instant messaging, and so on, it seems adequate to just use the term "list". If you are marketing online, you should have a form on each of your web pages to try to capture new subscribers. What will you do with them? Well, for starters, it is highly worthwhile to have an autoresponder working for you to e-mail your list automatically. Of course, you will need to set up the content of the autoresponder series yourself, or have some one do it for you. The reason for sending a series of e-mails to your prospects is that most customers need to see an offer more than once before they make a buying decision. Your autoresponder takes care of that necessity.

Sometimes new prospects are reluctant to send you their name and e-mail (or other details) simply out of fear or suspicion. To get around any reluctance, many online business types will offer a free item such as an e-book or special report, in exchange for their contact information. Did you know that many prospects may actually want to be on your list simply because they are interested in the type of products you have? Certainly, if you have a specialized product line and a customer has purchased from you before or expressed interest in a previous offer, they are likely to continue to be interested in similar offerings, another way you can make money by being online.

Therefore, while you may not actually be personally acquainted the prospects on your "list", they have developed a familiarity with you and feel comfortable with you because of your past dealings with them. If they did not feel that level of comfort, they would simply unsubscribe, as this is simple to do with most autoresponders these days. Most have a link in each e-mail should the recipient wish to unsubscribe.

It may surprise you to learn that prospects on my mailing list have actually contacted me to thank me for the information provided in my own e-mail series. And why not? It was carefully constructed with the intent of bringing value to my subscribers, in order to help them to make money by being online. (It is gratifying, though, to have those efforts recognized.)

Once you have developed a mailing list, be sure to continue to add value for your subscribers. Make them an offer of free reports or useful services. Find a way to make their lives easier. If you are marketing to opportunity seekers, find a way to help them achieve their goal of attaining a profitable opportunity which will work for them.

There is an old rule of sales that I strongly believe in. It goes like this, "To get what you want, help others to get what they want."

Once you have developed a list of subscribers, you are free to send them any offer you would like. If your list is made up of of targeted prospects, they may be very anxious to buy the type of products or services you are offering them. Sending good offers to a large, targeted mailing list is one secret that longtime successful entreprenuers have used for years to make money by being online with their home based business.