10 Quick and easy steps to build a highly targeted and responsive opt in list

We've all heard it that in order to stay in business online you need to build a Targeted 'Opt-In' list. Well... I truly have to agree with that simply because this is where you'll always have a consistent source of FREE Targeted traffic(also referred to as 'Sticky Traffic') to promote your offers or related information to for years to come.

It just makes sense, wouldn't you say? And, we all know that 'Email' is where the $MONEY$ is truly made when it comes to marketing your business online because it gives You the ability to Follow-Up your potential customers until they decide to buy from You. But, the problem that usually takes place is that people don't know where to start when it comes to building there own targeted Opt-In list.

Now, for those of you that are new Internet marketing and don't know what a 'Opt-In' list is, here's a quick definition: An 'Opt-In' list is simply a database of peoples Names and Email Addresses that have subscribed to an email list via a web form giving that list owner permission to send them periodic emails on the topic they are interested in. Notice how I said, "giving that list owner permission to send them email".

When they subscribe to your Opt-In list they are giving You permission to send them offers or related information on the topic they are interested in, this is known as 'Permission Email Marketing'. This is the ABSOLUTE safest form of email marketing where You won't get accused of 'SPAM'. This is very important that You understand this from the beginning.

So, now that you have a clear idea in your mind of what an Opt-In list is and how it will benefit You and your business, I guess it's time to share with you the simple 'Ten Step Process' that I have put together for you on How-To build your own targeted Opt-In list that you can email your offers to at any given time for $Profit$.

Step #1. Pick your Target market or Niche. This is a very important step because this is where you need to figure out who your target market is going to be for the Product or Service your going to offer. So, for example, if I was interested in selling a book related to Internet Marketing, well then, my target market would be Internet Marketing related.

Step #2. Can your Target market or Niche be reach online? This step is where you need to do a little research on whether or not your particular target market can be reached online. In order to do this you need to do some keyword research using keywords related to your target market. You can do this by using the Overture keyword research tool located at the URL I've provided below. http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/ Simply type in the keywords related to your target market in the form provided. This will give you a detailed history of how many searches have been made in the last 30 days on the keywords related to your target market. As a general rule, if your targeted keywords aren't pulling in 15,000 or more searches per month, then this is a market I wouldn't pursue simply because there isn't much demand for it.

Step #3. Are they making money in this Niche? This is where you need to do some research on your competition to see if people are spending any money in this Niche. You can do this by going to Google at http://www.google.com and type in your targeted keywords related to your Niche in the form provided. This will give you a list of search results. Those results are your competition, but even more important, to the right you'll notice little ads. These are paid ads offered through Google Adwords. This means that somebody is willing to pay to advertise and is paying attention to this particular Niche and must be making money if they're willing to pay for advertising. That's good news for you.

Step #4. Use Forums to find your Target markets problems. Forums are a great place to find out exactly what your potential customers TOP problems are by simply scanning there posts and looking for the most common threads. By doing this you'll be able to know right away what your target markets TOP problems are and how you can help solve there problem. To find Forums related to your Niche simply visit Google http://www.google.com and type in your targeted keywords with '+ forums' after your keyword.(ex. internet marketing + forums)

Step #5. What's keeping them from getting what they want? This is where you have to figure out whats keeping them from getting what they want in order to fix the problems they are dealing with, meaning, this is where you need to work with them to find a solution to there problems. Whether its a Product they need or a Service of some sort.

Step #6. What can you offer them to solve there problems? This is where the money is being spent. Now, the only thing you need in order to receive your share of the revenue is a Product or Service that will solve your potential customers problem. If you don't have a Product or Service of your own don't get discouraged. I'm going to give you two resources where you can find products or services that You can become an affiliate for that are related to any Niche that will pay you a commission for every sale you make by simply referring your traffic to there website. The two websites to visit are http://www.clickbank.com and http://www.associateprograms.com

Step #7. Set-Up a simple direct response mini-site. Here is where you Set-Up your lead generating website with a Follow-Up System that your potential customers will come to and Opt-In to your list to start receiving offers or related information on the topic or problem they are having. This is a very simple process to do and you can view my website as an example of how one would look. http://www.internetwondersezine.com If you don't know how to build your own website you can always hire someone to do it for you by going to... http://www.elance.com

Step #8. Get an Auto-Responder account. This is where you'll be laying the foundation down for your list. You MUST have an Auto-Responder account Set-Up before you make your mini-site go live because this is where your potential customers are going to come and submit there Name and Email Address so that you can start building a list to send your offers or related information to. So, do not miss this important step.

Step #9. You need to figure out what 'Bait' to use. What I mean by 'Bait' is... what are you going to offer them for FREE to get them to subscribe to your Opt-In list. Here are some examples of what you can use as 'Bait': ebooks, special reports, mini-courses, coupons, etc. These are the most common. It really depends on who you are targeting, so be creative.

Step #10. Reach out to your target market. This is the part where you send traffic to your website in order to get subscribers. I'm going to mention only two methods. These methods are the most POWERFUL and for good reason, they work. The first method is Writing Articles. By Writing Articles your showing your target market that You are someone who knows how to help solve there problem and may have a possible solution for them. This is the quickest way to build INSTANT credibility in your Niche. The second method is to send targeted traffic to your mini-site through Pay-Per-Click search engines. Pay-Per-Click search engines are where you bid on the keywords terms related to your target market and are listed according to the highest bid for that keyword term. By using PPC search engines, it will get you infront of your target market Instantly. Writing articles gives you INSTANT credibility and will put you infront of thousands of readers, and Pay-Per-Click search engines send you HIGHLY targeted traffic to your website within minutes depending on which PPC search engine you are using. The More traffic you send to your website, the More subscribers you'll receive. It's simply a numbers game. Well... there you have it, "10 Quick and Easy Steps To Building A HIGHLY Targeted And Responsive Opt-In List".

Now... it's up to you to take the neccessary Action in order to get started with your own targeted Opt-In list. If you already have an existing web business online simply implement the steps outlined above to your existing website. These are the 10 basic steps required in order to get your Opt-In listing building started in the Right direction. Simply follow them and you'll be on your way to receiving your first subscriber in No Time.

3 Ways To Build A Quick Profitable Opt In List

The following paragraphs summarize the work of opt-in list experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of opt-in lists. Heed their advice to avoid any opt-in list surprises.

You finally realize that you need a good opt-in list. After reading countless articles and sought expert advices and have read many success stories of people creating a small fortune with opt-in lists you finally decide to have one of your own. Then it happens, you think you have known everything there is to know about opt-in lists and have followed their advices to the T and you still weren’t able to make a profit.

In fact, you may be losing money. You maybe hiring writers to help you out, or there are some expenses incurred, even if you have a big list, but only a very small percentage actually buys from you, your still losing profit. You’ll realize that after a few months when you see your statistics and sales figures.

So what could have gone wrong? Why have others succeeded where you have failed? The most common mistake is that you dived straight right in. You chose a topic where you think could be quite popular and would earn you money. This just not the case. Just because you wrote people from the list doesn’t mean they are going to buy instantly.

Here I will offer more advice, for those who have started an opt-in list and have failed, you can rejuvenate your failed venture. For those who are starting, here are three quick and easy ways to build a profitable opt-in list.

1) Get your customers to trust you and your products first. Just launching your opt-in list would not make you an expert and a believable seller. Put many articles first before you start an opt-in list. Write about the topic you know and have started and used for your site. Try to put forums first to gain knowledge about your customers about their wants and needs and target those wants and needs.

Join forums from other sites as well. Provide expert advices and recommendations. When you feel that people trust you already, you will be able to start your own opt-in list. You can build a base as well with other forum users. You can ask them to join your list. Friends are always good customers. Put up a link to your site so that they may be able to see what you're business is all about.

If you find yourself confused by what you've read to this point, don't despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

The certain truth is, the money will only come in when the consumers and subscribers believe and trust in you. They want a product or service that could be a good exchange for their money. People are not going to buy something out of your recommendation if they don’t know you.

2) Find a product or service that people want and need. Although it may not be your forte, if you provide a service and product that you have researched and learned about well, you can carry it on forward. Invest your time, effort and money that you could sell as well as the buyers or subscribers of your opt-in list can use.

While it is true that it is best to sell something that you have interest in, there are not many people who have the same interest as you if you decide to sell something that is not entirely popular or profitable. Do your research well and you would see the profits come in. Also provide your subscribers with promotional material that they could actually use and spread around.

3) Make friends with other opt-in list users. This is basically beneficial especially if it is someone who has already launched a successful opt-in list. These are people that have the experience in this venture and experience is still the best teacher. While there are many articles available for you in the internet to use, there is nothing like getting a first hand account from someone you trust.

Experienced opt-in list users will be able to tell you what to do and what not to do because they have gone through it. While different situations occur for different people, the general concept can still be very helpful. There are many things to avoid and these people will be able to tell you which ones.

Building a profitable opt-in list don’t just happen overnight. There are many preparations and effort to do. Opt-in lists are built from scratch, as your list grows, you should also maintain the quality of your list. Keep it organized and manageable. Get or hire help if need be, just make sure that your subscribers are happy and satisfied and they will be willing to buy from you.

Now you can understand why there's a growing interest in opt-in list. When people start looking for more information about opt-in lists, you'll be in a position to meet their needs.