If you've been online a while, you know the old saw: The money is in the list. It's true. Without a list behind you, you probably won't succeed.

If you're new to this business, a list is a group of people who are interested in what you have to say These are people that signed up (and created your list) because you either gave them something of value or because you offered them a free report or for many other reasons.

What's the first step to building this great list of people?

Your squeeze page.

A squeeze page is nothing more than a very short introduction to whatever it is you're offering, an image of some sort, and an opt-in box, where people can input their names and addresses.

Whatever you decide to offer people in exchange for their information should be something you already know about. For instance, if you like to sew, you could offer "10 Sewing Tips to Make Your Next Project a Breeze," or let's say you were in the hair business, "Funny Stories Heard from the Barber Chair," or maybe you were in a job you could write about. I was a banker in a former life, so I could write, "10 Ways to Be Sure You Never Bounce Another Check." You see? Write what you know.

You can also offer people tips on a program you belong to, like GDI or PAS or another popular program. Or, you can offer them something you picked up for free with the right to give it away. (You can find these in most "giveaway" programs.) But whatever it is, be sure to read the report yourself or test the software, or the people who accept the offer won't trust you very much when they find out the program doesn't work or the ebook isn't well written.

One great way to get people to pay attention to your offer is by using a great graphic. Your picture is important, too, as it brands your image, helping people to remember you and to recognize your name when they see it again. But any kind of image that will catch people's attention is what you want to use.

The last component of your squeeze page is the opt-in box, which captures the person's name and email address for you. Keep it simple. I use first name only and that seems to work well. Don't try to get full address, telephone number, or any other information. If you ask for too much, people won't want to give it to you. None of us wants our privacy invaded, and then, there's the whole identity theft issue that puts the fear of the Almighty into folks.

So, where do you get the information for this opt-in box? From your autoresponder.

An autoresponder collects the names and addresses and stores them for you. Then, the program sends out a confirmation message to the person who signed up. When they click on the link in the message, they confirm that they want to be on your list.

Without this process, you're running the risk of being accused of spamming, and you really, really don't want that! You can be banned from your ISP or worse. Always be sure that this "double opt-in" occurs, and never send unsolicited mail to people or you'll be breaking the law (at least, if you live in the U.S.).

At the autoresponder site, you'll also upload a message with a link that will give people access to your free report or gift. Then, you'll be able to write to them whenever you want to. You can upload a series of messages to the autoresponder to go to your list members at specified times, or just write to your list whenever you want.

It's best not to write to your list members more than once a day (and I don't even write to my list nearly that much), and when you do, be sure it's for a good reason. Don't send them the same offer every day. In fact, don't send them an offer, send them information. They like information, but too many sales pitches and you'll be getting lots of unsubscribes.

Treat your list well. Allow them to trust you, and at the end of your message, in your P.S. even, tell your list about your offer in a short sentence or two and just offer them a link. They won't mind, if you've given them something worthwhile in the preceding paragraphs. Follow these simple outlines and you'll be building a great list of people, who will hang on your every word. With that comes trust. With trust comes sales. Treat your list well, and your list will treat you well

The money really is in the list.