Team Business

By: Darlene Bishop

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Okay... you finally realize you need a good opt-in list to succeed online. After reading countless articles and seeking an untold number of experts advice, and after having read many success stories of people creating a small fortune with opt-in lists, you've finally decide to bite the bullet and build a list of your own. 

Then it happens. You think you know everything there is to know about opt-in lists and have followed the guru's advice to the T. But you still aren't able to make a profit. In fact, you may even be losing money. Maybe you've hired writers, or have incurred other expenses. Maybe you've even have a big list, but only a very small percentage actually buy from you. Any way you look at it, you're losing profit.

 It only takes a few months of watching your site statistics and sales figures to recognize that fact. So what could have gone wrong? Why have others succeeded and you have failed? The most common mistake is that you dived in too fast. You chose a topic where you thought you could be quite popular and that would earn you money. This simply hasn't proven to be the case. Just because you contacted the people on your list with your offer(s) doesn't mean they are going to buy from you instantly. 

As you've probably already discovered. If you're just getting starting, or have started an opt-in list and have failed, here are three quick and easy ways to rejuvenate your floundering venture and build a truly profitable opt-in list: 

1. Teach your customers to trust you and your products. Just launching your opt-in list won't not make you an expert and a believable seller. Offer your customers free information and helpful advice first, before you ever start an opt-in list. Of if you already have your list, begin NOW to provide them with free quality content they can use. Select a topic you know well and one that complements your website content and begin writing and publishing articles so people will come to respect you and your advice. Use discussion forums first to gain knowledge about your customers, about their wants and needs, and target those wants and needs through your articles. In addition, offer helpful advice and input on the forums you frequent. Help people get to know you as a member of the online community. Provide expert advice and recommendations, then when you feel that people trust you, you will be ready to start your opt-in list or focus on the list you already have. Build a marketing base with other forum users. Ask them to join your list. Friends are always good customers. Put up a link to your site so they can see what your business is all about. It's a fact that money will only come when consumers and subscribers believe and trust in you. They want a product or service that will be a good exchange for their money. They're not going to buy something based on 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 forward. Invest your time, effort and money in something you can sell as well as offering your customers and subscribers something they can use. While it's true that the BEST item to sell is something you have a personal interest in, there may not be that many people who have the same interest as you. If you decide to sell something that's not entirely popular or profitable, research it well. Discover where you can make a profit. And provide your subscribers with promotional material they can actually use to spread the word about your product, too. 

3. Make friends with other list owners. This is especially beneficial if it is with someone who has already launched a large, successful opt-in list. These are people who have the experience in this area, and experience is still the best teacher. While there are many articles on the Internet available for you to read and learn from, there is nothing like getting a first hand account from someone you trust. Experienced opt-in list owners will be able to tell you what to do and what not to do because they have likely done it all. While different situations occur for different people, the general concept can still be very helpful. There are many things to avoid and experienced list owners will be able to tell you which ones so you don't waste time on tactics that don't work. Building a profitable opt-in list don't just happen overnight. Many preparations and much effort is required. Good opt-in lists are built from scratch, so as your list grows, be sure to maintain the quality of your list. Keep it organized and manageable. Hire help if need be, but make sure that your subscribers are happy and satisfied and they will be willing to buy from you as time goes on. 

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Darlene Bishop is a writer and online entrepreneur. She owns SensibleSiteSolutions.com which offers services and resources to help Work at Home Moms ( WAHMs) build a profitable Home-based Business.

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  **************************************************************************************************************** All content copyright © 2007 by Cecilia Frederick unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved worldwide. Cecilia Frederick Owner and Publisher for http://www.wahmteam.com and Team Ezine http://www.teamezine.com Ceci@wahmteam.com

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