List-Building: The Essential Nuts and Bolts

List building is a critical skill that offers many benefits to marketers who adhere to proper online business practices and ethical conduct. Assuming you are convinced of its advantages, how does one actually go about creating a list?

Here are the six major elements you will need:
 
1. Domain Name: To properly claim a piece of “virtual” real estate, you must purchase a domain name that will identify you and/or your business without ambiguity. Think of it as your online address. If you are just starting out, safe choices include your actual name or company name, provided it is of reasonable length. Extensions like .com (“dot com”), .net, and .org are the most common for business use and confirm your seriousness as an online entrepreneur.

2. Web Hosting: Look for a reputable web host that caters to Internet marketers. For less than ten dollars USD monthly, you will be able to securely upload your squeeze pages (see below) and access a wide variety of design tools for later use.

I register most of my domains and get my hosting at HostGator.  I like that they give you unlimited bandwidth, unlimited space, and host unlimited domains.  I recommend the "Baby" Plan.

3. Squeeze Page: Also referred to as a landing or opt-in page, its sole purpose is to collect visitors’ contact information (name, valid e-mail address) so that you may communicate with them in the future with permission. Although there are several components of a successful squeeze page (e.g. headline, features, “ethical” bribe, etc.) no special knowledge is required to set it up.

4. Autoresponder: Another key feature of your list-building campaigns - the service or software program that automates your interaction with subscribers. By placing a small piece of code on your squeeze page, you will be able to get contact information from visitors, after which time you send messages at specified times to build a relationship with your list.

The only autoresponder I use and recommend is Aweber.  They have high deliverability, are easy to use, and have great customer service and training.

5. Pre-written Message Sequences: The first impression. This is where you differentiate yourself from competing marketers in your niche. Have a prewritten campaign of 15-20 emails ready to be sent out over a 4-5 week period. Make sure you have an appropriate mix of useful content and worthy offers for your new subscribers. You won’t be able to satisfy everyone, so expect a 10-20% turnover rate in the first few months. Solicit feedback from your list to fine tune your initial messages and online persona.

6. Broadcasts: People are quick to pick up on insincere marketers. Simply relying on pre-written campaigns and generic affiliate marketing emails is the surest way to waste your list-building efforts. Prove your sincerity to subscribers by staying current. Speak to them about your life – even mundane activities are worth mentioning on occasion. Most importantly, give them a sense of the real “you” – why you are involved in your business and why they should take notice when your emails hit their Inbox.

Once you start building your list, use expert advice and your personal experience to adjust your campaigns. The six elements mentioned above have been studied to death, and apart from pure fundamentals there is no consensus on the best way to do things.

Your best plan of action is to test, track, tweak, then test some more. It is only through intelligent hard work and due diligence that you will gain list-building confidence.

Now that you've got your squeeze page and list building tools in place, you'll want to start driving traffic to build your list.