Just about every successful Internet Marketer will tell you that, "The money is in the list". But, how do you go about building a good-sized email list? Here are several wise ways that you can use to start building your own large list of email addresses.

Wise Way #1 - OFFER A FREEBIE

You have to give in order to get. If you want people tooffer up their email address, you`re going to have to offer up an incentive. Nothing works better than something that`s complimentary (you spell that f-r-e-e). You can give away no-cost reports, books, software, or even sample pages of a book.

Wise Way #2 - USE POP-UPS

Pop-ups are one of the most common methods you can use to capture email addresses and build your email list quickly and with ease. Simply construct a web page containing code for a form and set the page to open (pop up) when visitors enter or exit your site.

Make sure the pop-up offer is something that`s valuable enough to motivate visitors to take time to give you their contact information. Your offer can be a complimentary report, download, or ebook that arrives instantly through your autoresponder to their email inbox when they give you their email.

Be cautious when using pop-ups. Most computer users consider them to be annoying. Multiple pop-ups on a site can really turn off a potential customer, so limit yourself to one pop-up per site.

Wise Way #3 - USE POSTCARDS

If you have a mailing list that contains snail mail (street) addresses, convert it into an email list by sending out a postcard and inviting people to visit your website to receive a gift of some kind -- a report, a discount coupon, etc. Visitors don`t have to pay in order to receive their gifts, they simply need to enter an email address.

A Word to the Wise from the U.S. Post Office: Postage is much less expensive for a postcard than a standard-size letter. (Not only are they economical, postcards are more likely to get your message across since the consumer doesn`t have to open an envelope.)

Wise Way #4 - SUBSCRIBER BOX ON EVERY PAGE

This is a clever trick that so many people overlook. Put a response form on every page of your website offering a newsletter or other freebie. This will increase the number of email addresses you capture exponentially.

Why? When search engines index the pages of your website, a visitor may come directly to a page other than your home page. If you only have a subscriber box on your home page, you`re missing the boat, not to mention the thousands of visitors who bypass your homepage.

Wise Way #5 - CONTESTS

Contests very often prove to be a good way to generate traffic and buzz for your business. Create a contest and put a form on your site or in a pop-up box. The entry "fee" is their email address.

You need to be aware that not all the people who sign up for your contest are good prospects. Many are just contest "junkies" -- people who are only looking for freebies and have no intention of buying a product or service.

Warning to the Wise: If your prizes are cash or large-ticket items, you should be sure to check with local agencies to make sure you`re not violating any contest laws.

Wise Way #6 - DISPLAY YOUR AUTORESPONDER ADDRESS

Most people give their website link when they place soloads, ezine ads, or other marketing messages. To be one step ahead of the game in collecting email addresses, list your autoresponder address instead of your URL. This way you can capture email address and funnel them into your follow-up sales letters.

Wise Way #7 - JUST ASK

If you`re chatting with a prospect on the phone or a potential customer stops by your place of business, don`t be shy: ask for an email address or business card (which usually includes their email address).

Okay, you know what you want...you know what you need. It`s time for you to set your traps and capture those email addresses.

Copyright 2005 Ronald Gibson