Building an opt-in e-mail list is one of the most effective ways to promote your website and product/service deals. When building your mailing list you will always want it to be a double opt-in e-mail list to eliminate any chance of being accused of sending out SPAM messages, (unwanted commercial e-mail). Spam is probably the fastest way to drive away customers as well as getting your ISP,(internet service provider), to drop your account and blacklist your business. A business can use several methods to "capture its opt-in e-mail addresses". These methods are used all across the internet and work very well and they provide the business with the secure feeling that they will not be accused of sending out SPAM.

Though many internet marketers use pop-ups, it still is an effective method that is widely underused by most internet marketers. Probably the main reason that it is underused is that most marketers feel that the average surfer dislikes pop-ups so much that most would not take the time to read them. However if you are giving an e-book or a product or service away for free this method of capturing the prospects e-mail address works more often than not.

The business could also be giving away a free subscription to a newsletter or e-zine. In this case your pop-up would be a subscriber box or even a fixed subscriber box on your website or sales letter. Remember that pop-ups can be used when the surfer arrives on your site or when they leave. Both forms of pop-ups work equally well.

Using post cards to your offline mailing list is a very strong way to attract existing customers to become online customers that agree to accept e-mail notifications from your business. If you do not have an offline mailing list then you could try direct mailing distributors if their price fits within your advertising budget. Most communities have these type of businesses today. Prices may very from a couple hundred dollars to five hundred dollars for every ten thousand homes that will receive your mailing.

Start a contest on your website that requires your visitors to enter their e-mail address and let them know that they will receive a confirmation e-mail to verify their address before their entry into the contest is valid. This will attract many visitors as long as the prize of your contest is of value to your visitors. Using the confirmation e-mail method is what will give you the double opt-in.

Set up an auto-responder to capture sign ups for your free newsletter and again use the confirmation e-mail method to create the double opt-in effect. Then promote your newsletter and the e-mail address of your auto-responder. This same auto-responder can be used for multiple campaigns that require people to sign up for something. Just keep in mind that what ever campaign that you run you will need to be sure that what you offer is of value or you will not get people to give up their e-mail address.

With every text ad that you run for your business whether online or offline include a simple form in the ad that requires the prospective customer to fill in their name, address, and e-mail address. Even with the general public becoming more and more hesitant about giving out their personal information if your sales copy is persuasive enough and your offer is valuable enough you will still collect a substantial list of names and e-mail addresses.

With any give away or freebie, as we like to call them, make sure that these are always attached to your auto-responder with the double opt-in method for the customer to receive their free gift.

These are some of the more popular methods being used by the more successful internet marketers today and they will work very well for you as well. Just remember to keep in mind that your customers privacy is the most important factor and you need to assure them their information is safe with you and will not be sold or rented out to anyone. Make all your offers attractive and of value to your prospective customer. Even though you have captured these opt-in email addresses with the double opt-in method always, always provide an instant opt-out link in all your e-mail campaigns. If you follow these basic rules you can avoid that "death" sentence of being accused of SPAM.

Copyright © 2006 Roy J. Keller (All Rights Reserved)

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